Spewing water from relief valve on hot water

[badkat]

Ok..why..is the valve bad, hot water heater or thermostat? Electric does not seem to heat water. On the gas..we just leave it on about 12-15 minutes...dont want water everywhere.

What's up?

[jdalrymple]

If it is leaking in 10-15 minutes after a cold start, my bet is a bad relief valve.

It takes longer than that to heat water hot enough for a shower, let alone enough to over pressure the water heater.



Regards,


JD

[Aage]

Originally Posted by jdalrymple

If it is leaking in 10-15 minutes after a cold start, my bet is a bad relief valve.

It takes longer than that to heat water hot enough for a shower, let alone enough to over pressure the water heater.

Assuming for the moment that you had winterized your trailer, did you reset all the valves to their summer positions?

Sorry, but I've had that problem myself!

[badkat]

We turn it off now after 12-15 minutes..it gets real hot if not!

[badkat]

We are full-timing so everything works everyday.

[dkottum]

Sometimes heated water coming out the pressure temperature valve is from expansion of the heating water building pressure inside the lines. The system design is for a bubble of air to be in the top of the water heater to absorb some of this pressure.

Here is a suggestion from Airstream

http://wbcci.org/general-information...-february-2013

[badkat]

Guess I need to clairfy..we were parked at Marfa Mystersy Lights..the next morning I turned on the gas to water heater. Went out later and water was leaking from the relief valve. Since we are fulltimers..we tested the electric..does not seem to heat water. The gas..if we just heat about 12-15 it is hot enough to shower. We just shut it off so we are not pushing to the relief valve leak maybe? Hope that makes sense.

[badkat]

the bubble maybe be gone .. do not know?

[dkottum]

If the PT valve is faulty (not seating) it will not maintain the bubble, and will probably spit water out every time you turn the gas or electric heater on.

We are in our Airstream (with elect and gas hot water) at least six months a year and have decided not to leave the hot water heater on all the time. We just turn it on before showers or as needed, then off. With hookups it's probably cheaper to use electric than propane, but either one should heat the water in 15 minutes or less. Even less with both on.

I'm not a fan of the hot water tank "bubble" pressure accumulator theory and installed a small water pressure accumulator from Camping World under the bath sink. Easy to put in.

If things are really heating slowly the heater interior may be coated with mineral from the water over the years. We also use a small portable water softener from Camping World (and many other vendors), a wonderful device if spending a lot of time in the trailer.

[badkat]

I think we have a bad thermostat. Electric test today was it did not heat. If we would leave the gas on it will heat to almost boiling and be spewing outside. We just now leave it on at most 12-15 minutes and it is a hot shower,

[badkat]

Replaced the relief valve and replaced the heating element. Still not heating on the electric side.

[Auretrvr]

Check out this info...
Dripping Relief Valve - Aluminarium

The Atwood Water Heater manual says:

Dripping Pressure Temperature Relief Valve

A Pressure Temperature Relief Valve, dripping while the water heater is in use, DOES NOT mean it is defective. During normal use, water expands as it is heated in the closed water system. The Atwood water heater is designed with an internal air gap at the top of the tank to absorb the expansion and reduce the dripping. In time, this air gap will be absorbed and need to be restored.

To restore the Air Gap:

Turn off the main water supply (pump or water hook-up source) and allow water to cool.

Open the nearest hot water faucet to the water heater.

Pull the handle on the Pressure Temperature Relief Valve straight out and allow water to flow until it stops flowing.

Trip the handle on the relief valve allowing it to snap shut, shut off the hot water faucet, turn on the water supply, and turn the water heater on.

Test.

[badkat]

We are fixed..relief valve new, thermostat on electric new and a new heating element.

[acstokes]

We are fixed..relief valve new, thermostat on electric new and a new heating element.

So, the thermostat was the only problem all along? Right?