my wife has very long hair and even using the navy method of showering she still runs out of hot water every time she shower and washes her hair. is there any product that will allow me to have more than the six gallons my little water heater provides? can I install one of those instant electric water heating devices? what are the brand names and prices if they exist? I have thought of the in line electric things, but can't imagine how it could be installed.......help and thanks
wife can't get enough hot water
- Thread starter snook
- Start date
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Wizard46
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I don't know what type of unit you have but when we need several showers in a row, I turn my heater to electric and gas. That seems to help keep the water hot longer. Normally I run on elect only.
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
There are flash heaters that could be installed wherever you have room, but they suck a lot of electrical power that RVers usually don't have. Or you could upgrade to a 10 gallon heater or even one of the new Atwood EX models that overheats the water in the tank and then blends it with water from the cold line, yielding the equivalent of a 16 gallon heater. That's an expensive undertaking, though, because both would require physical mods of the RV for the larger 10 gallon tank they both use.
Do you run both the propane and electric heat at the same time while she showers? That improves the recovery time a lot and should extend here shower time a bit.
Do you run both the propane and electric heat at the same time while she showers? That improves the recovery time a lot and should extend here shower time a bit.
Utclmjmpr
Well-known member
I would check to see if the temp was as hot as possible, that would allow you to add more cold water, result, more heated water overall.>>>Dan 
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
It has a fixed temp thermostat, usually 120 degrees. Atwood has some optional t-stats available for some models, so it is worth checking to see if a higher temp is available for yours.
ArdraF
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- Feb 12, 2006
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Snook,
I also have long hair so sympathize with your wife.
You say it's set to max. Is this a newer RV? We had to have the one in our previous motorhome adjusted. It seems the lawyers are afraid someone might get scalded so the hot water heater manufacturers set the max at a lower setting than some of us like. The mfgr. won't reset it higher because they might get sued, but someone else might.
Some of the newer showerheads don't save as much water as older ones. When we got our current motorhome they had installed more of a household-style showerhead. It was too heavy and kept falling off the holder while traveling down the road, so we changed it back to an older and lighter style. This one also has a better on/off lever so we don't have to constantly turn the main shower handle off and on while soaping up and rinsing off. It doesn't waste as much water. When we did the change we were told that the on/off button or lever again is purposely set a tad loose to drip more so too much pressure won't build up and burst a water line somewhere in the RV. Assuming you have some kind of on-off lever, does the showerhead drip a lot when it's in the off position? If so, that could some waste hot water. If you have no on-off lever or button it wastes a lot of water using the main shower handle every time.
Have you identified the function of every single electric switch? If you have one that you don't know its function, perhaps it's to heat hot water electrically. They're usually near the kitchen sink. Most of the newer RVs can heat with propane, electric, or both. If we're plugged in, we tend to leave the electric water switch in the "on" postition so we have hot water 24/7. When we shower or wash dishes and want more hot water than normal we turn on the propane which tends to heat water faster. I've always tried to wash my hair when we have hookups, but it's not always possible.
I hope you find the problem or can change to a bigger hot water tank.
ArdraF
I also have long hair so sympathize with your wife.
You say it's set to max. Is this a newer RV? We had to have the one in our previous motorhome adjusted. It seems the lawyers are afraid someone might get scalded so the hot water heater manufacturers set the max at a lower setting than some of us like. The mfgr. won't reset it higher because they might get sued, but someone else might.
Some of the newer showerheads don't save as much water as older ones. When we got our current motorhome they had installed more of a household-style showerhead. It was too heavy and kept falling off the holder while traveling down the road, so we changed it back to an older and lighter style. This one also has a better on/off lever so we don't have to constantly turn the main shower handle off and on while soaping up and rinsing off. It doesn't waste as much water. When we did the change we were told that the on/off button or lever again is purposely set a tad loose to drip more so too much pressure won't build up and burst a water line somewhere in the RV. Assuming you have some kind of on-off lever, does the showerhead drip a lot when it's in the off position? If so, that could some waste hot water. If you have no on-off lever or button it wastes a lot of water using the main shower handle every time.
Have you identified the function of every single electric switch? If you have one that you don't know its function, perhaps it's to heat hot water electrically. They're usually near the kitchen sink. Most of the newer RVs can heat with propane, electric, or both. If we're plugged in, we tend to leave the electric water switch in the "on" postition so we have hot water 24/7. When we shower or wash dishes and want more hot water than normal we turn on the propane which tends to heat water faster. I've always tried to wash my hair when we have hookups, but it's not always possible.
I hope you find the problem or can change to a bigger hot water tank.
ArdraF
Biker56
Well-known member
- Joined
- Aug 21, 2009
- Posts
- 133
Put a electric Hott Rod in it to help the gas.
http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/product/hott-rod-water-heater-conversion-kits/8089
http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/product/hott-rod-water-heater-conversion-kits/8089
PancakeBill
Well-known member
One thing to double check. Be sure your utility shower is turned off at the faucets. If either side is open it lowers the temp to the shower, adding less cold, hot doesn't last as long.
You could go Tankless and she could spend all day and not run out http://www.precisiontemp.com/pt_rvmd_rv500.html
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
There you go - Dawg has just what you need. A propane powered demand water heater.
As for the "other electric", we did not realize you had a propane only heater. You can add an electric heating element, as Biker56 suggests. Requires an external 120v/10A power circuit to be available. Do you camp where there is an additional power outlet available on your site?
As for the "other electric", we did not realize you had a propane only heater. You can add an electric heating element, as Biker56 suggests. Requires an external 120v/10A power circuit to be available. Do you camp where there is an additional power outlet available on your site?
Okay, where to begin? All of you have given me exactly what I was wanting......alternatives and potential products to help.....I thank you. 1st to Ardra, yes this is a 2008 model and thank you for your empathy. I does have an adjutment and that was, of course, the first thing I did (turned it all the way up, I could really hurt someone) to rectify the problem. As for the possible switch...I will surely look thoroughly, thanks. To Roamer- yep I have all the power I could ever want where I am now......I feel armed with a lot of options but I gotta tell you that phisical modification isn't one of them (cost prohibitive, ya know) Thanks everybody..I'get back to ya
PancakeBill
Well-known member
Need to emphasize checking the outside shower. Turn the wand on. If any water, your hot is being diluted. If off, then the next non $ option is send her to the campground shower, or the salon for a new short 'do.
We did the precision temp demand water heater on our last coach. It requires a larger hole in the side of the motorhome than a 6gal atwood. That and the $1000 cost are what made us decide not to go there again. In the 5 years we had it, it always worked great.
This time around we modded the atwood. Upgrading it to work as an exotherm model.
The hot water mixing valve that mounts on the rear of the water heater is available from plumbing supply for under $40. Add a lighting rod and set it to 155. Add an adjustable thermostat to the propane side and set to 150. Set the mixing valve to 120.
Set the shower temp where comfortable and it runs for about 14 minutes before running colder. Before ran about 4 and about 9 to where you could no longer adjust the temp to stay warm enough to stand. Its not the precision temp unit, but it cost under $150 for the upgrades and works well enough. Setting the electric slightly above the gas means the gas never comes on when the hot water is not being used.
This time around we modded the atwood. Upgrading it to work as an exotherm model.
The hot water mixing valve that mounts on the rear of the water heater is available from plumbing supply for under $40. Add a lighting rod and set it to 155. Add an adjustable thermostat to the propane side and set to 150. Set the mixing valve to 120.
Set the shower temp where comfortable and it runs for about 14 minutes before running colder. Before ran about 4 and about 9 to where you could no longer adjust the temp to stay warm enough to stand. Its not the precision temp unit, but it cost under $150 for the upgrades and works well enough. Setting the electric slightly above the gas means the gas never comes on when the hot water is not being used.
Ghostman
Well-known member
If this is a 2008 model I am surprised it is not gas and electric. open your water heater on the outside and see if there is a small black rocker switch in there. It is usually in the bottom left hand corner. Just a thought. If there is by chance this is the power for the electric. Not all have switches inside.
PancakeBill
Well-known member
Must have missed it, but what kind of coach is this? Outside shower, do you have a utility bay?
I would like to hear more about this, jcthorne.....is there a link or something with explicit diagrams or instructions? I guess I am a little dense about communications thru the net.......this is a Layton skyliner TT 2008, pancake bill, and I haven't seen a switch of any kind out there yet. Now my damn pop=off is dripping, I guess I better check the pressure here at this park and I know that having the temp set to the max isn't helping that either. Also, my black-water tank seems to always read one-third, now........how do I go about spraying the thing out in case of solid build-up?
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
The leaking pop-off (pressure/temp relief valve) is mostly likely due to a lack of an air head (gap) in the tank. There needs to be a layer of air above the water, roughly from the level of the PT valve to the top of the tank. See the library article on water heater problems for info on how to restore the air head.
For the black tank, you can buy a wand with a right angle nozzle for spraying the tank through the toilet bowl. Or you can add a tank flusher to the tank or use a backflush attachment to the drain line.
For the black tank, you can buy a wand with a right angle nozzle for spraying the tank through the toilet bowl. Or you can add a tank flusher to the tank or use a backflush attachment to the drain line.
