No Hot Water

[dmiller226]

I get my travel trailer winterized at the local RV shop every year. I unwinterized it this weekend as I always do simply by running all water faucets and shower until antifreeze is gone and water is clear.  My problem now is that I have no hot water coming out of any of my sinks or shower. When I turn the hot water on, only cold water comes out. I've tried both electric and gas heaters. I read on here where someone else had drained the hot water heater and after filling back up it started working so I tried that. When I drained the water heater, the water was hot coming out of it so I know it's working and heating the water. I looked under my kitchen sink, where the water heater is and only see one valve which appears to be the bypass. I turned it but when I do that shuts water off completely coming from the hot faucet so I'm sure it's set in right position.

Bottom line, my water heater is working and heating water but only cold water coming out in my sinks/shower. What am I missing?

 

[Back2PA]

Usually there are 2-3 valves which must be turned to bypass and unbypass a water heater. The fact that there is hot water shows the heater is working. It sounds like you have found the "hot" valve coming from the water heater (should be and sounds like it is open), there should be a "cold" valve for water going to the heater (should be, and sounds like it is open), and then a "bypass valve" connected between the cold "in" line, and the hot "out" line (should be closed when not bypassed). My guess it is this last one which is still open allowing cold water to bypass the heater. Closing that will force cold water through the tank and out the "hot" line.

 

[dmiller226]

Any idea from this pic of what area should I be looking? I've followed pipes from one end to the other and only see the one shut off valve. There are 2 blue pipes going into/out of the heater. Where the bottom one comes out and connects to the blue one going up, there is a valve (might be hard to see in the pic). That is the only one I have found and it's the one that shuts water off completely to the hot water faucet.

 

[lynnmor]

Looks like a valve at the intersection of the 3 blue lines, turn it.

 

[Henry J Fate]

Looks like it will be the valve at the bottom where the blue lines intersect. The handle on that plastic valve is at the 12 o'clock position. Try moving it to the 3 o'clock position. If it seems hard to move to the 3 o'clock position try moving it to the 9 o'clock position.

Cold water comes into the bottom of the tank.hot water comes out the top. If either one of those lines are shut off, water will not flow through the tank. It appears that your cold water feed has been shut off for winterizing.

Also... Look at the lines coming off the top of the tank to be sure there us no other valve there. I don't see one but there could be one there too.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

That's the bypass valve alright. My best guess is that the check valve at the water heater outlet (the red pipe at the top) is stuck closed, so that when you set the bypass to run thru the heater, no water gets to the red pipe and thus to the faucets.  When it is set to bypass, cold water runs thru the blue pipe to the red and on to the faucets.  You will probably have to disassemble the outlet plumbing and replace the check valve there.

 

[Rene T]

That's the bypass valve alright. My best guess is that the check valve at the water heater outlet (the red pipe at the top) is stuck closed, so that when you set the bypass to run thru the heater, no water gets to the red pipe and thus to the faucets.  When it is set to bypass, cold water runs thru the blue pipe to the red and on to the faucets.  You will probably have to disassemble the outlet plumbing and replace the check valve there.

If you decide to replace the check valve, as a temporary fix, just remove the bad check valve and knock all the internals out of it then reinstall it. This will get you by until you get a new one. You can leave it that way until it's time to winterize next fall.

 

[dmiller226]

It was the check valve. Problem solved.

Thanks everyone.