Hot water tank not filling!

[augopher]

Ok, what am I doing wrong! Newbie on maiden voyage with 2015 Bambi 16. All water works (fresh tank and city water). But hot water tank is not filling. Is there a valve or something that I'm not seeing that might be closed? If so, where is it? Help! Wife wants a shower (and so do I)!

[Lily&Me]

Find your hot water tank bypass valve, which may still be closed from its last winterization.

Your manual will show you where, tho someone familiar with your rig may chime in here...

If nothing else, use the campground shower til you can get it open, filled, and heated.

Good luck!

Maggie

[OTRA15]

As Maggie just said, your owner's manual in the Airstream briefcase should have the location of the bypass valve.

Then you have to find it . . .



Make sure that the drain plug is installed in the bottom of the water heater, and that the pressure-relief valve at the top of the heater is closed. There should be an exterior door giving you access.

GOOD LUCK!

Peter

PS -- These search results for "bambi 16 bypass valve" may help you locate other threads with info on your model's bypass valve:

https://www.google.com/search?q=bamb...=airforums.com

[augopher]

Originally Posted by Lily&Me

Find your hot water tank bypass valve, which may still be closed from its last winterization.



Your manual will show you where, tho someone familiar with your rig may chime in here...



If nothing else, use the campground shower til you can get it open, filled, and heated.



Good luck!



Maggie

Ok, I see a picture of the valve on page 8-17 of manual. Is the valve supposed to be on or near the fresh water tank under the dinette seat? My fresh water tank doesn't look like the one in the manual picture of the bypass valve, and I don't see the shut off valve referenced here. Anyone know the location of this bypass valve? (Sorry, I tried taking a picture of the manual page, but it won't let me attach it).

[OTRA15]

Well my first suggestion would be to take a few deep breaths and slow down, if I am reading you right . . .



Under the dinette seat is probably your water heater, not the water "tank" so it will be easier if we can use the same terminology. Your fresh water tank is under the trailer most likely. [Edit see next post -- probably under the wardrobe bottom shelf]

Also, please re-read my earlier post. You have to open the exterior door and find the water heater and its drain plug and pressure-relief valve.

I will stop here, until you have confirmed the above.

Thanks,

Peter

PS -- I will access your owner's manual online, but this will take a few minutes.

[OTRA15]

Here is your manual I believe:

https://www.airstream.com/wp-content...Sport_2015.pdf

On the bottom right of p. 8-17 [PDF p. 81/94] is a photo of your water heater and the bypass valve labeled "2" which you need to turn 90 degrees (probably) so that the valve handle is parallel with the main pipe.

Please confirm location of water heater, and location of valve.

Edit -- On the top left of p. 8-17 the manual says your bypass valve is under the roadside wardrobe closet, and that there is a hinged trap door ["bottom shelf"] there.

[OTRA15]

Going out for a while, so please post an update when you have a chance.

Good luck!

Peter

[augopher]

Originally Posted by OTRA15

Here is your manual I believe:

https://www.airstream.com/wp-content...Sport_2015.pdf

On the bottom right of p. 8-17 [PDF p. 81/94] is a photo of your water heater and the bypass valve labeled "2" which you need to turn 90 degrees (probably) so that the valve handle is parallel with the main pipe.

Please confirm location of water heater, and location of valve.

Edit -- On the top left of p. 8-17 the manual says your bypass valve is under the roadside wardrobe closet, and that there is a hinged trap door ["bottom shelf"] there.

I know where drain valve and relief valve are. Problem is that the tank pictured in the manual looks nothing like the tank that is under dinette table bench. There are two drain valves on the plumbing near that tank, but those just drain water to underside of camper. I just do not see a bypass valve of any kind in that area or anywhere else.

[augopher]

Originally Posted by OTRA15

Going out for a while, so please post an update when you have a chance.

Good luck!

Peter

Thanks Peter... very helpful, as I found and removed the floor panel. It wasn't there, but there is a shelf 1/2 way up. Viola!!! We have water in the tank!

I love this forum! I owe you a beer!

[OTRA15]

Great!

Have fun on the trip, nothing like a fresh shower in your (new mobile) home!

Happy Trails . . .

Peter

PS -- The Airstream manuals are notoriously incomplete and inaccurate at times. Consider the trailer a full-scale model to play with, and the manual a "basic draft" of the perfect manual.

Part of the fun of being on the road, in my opinion, is dealing with problems as they arise (which they will all the time!). Each time you have to explore to solve one problem, everything you see and touch goes into the bio-computer, thereby facilitating the next problem's resolution.

[Tbeck11931]

FYI for future reference never leave your outside shower valves on with the shower head switch in the off position. (If you have one) this will only leave you with warm water at best.

[OTRA15]

Originally Posted by Tbeck11931

FYI for future reference never leave your outside shower valves on with the shower head switch in the off position. (If you have one) this will only leave you with warm water at best.

This should not cause a lack of hot water inside the trailer IMO, assuming there is no water flowing through the outside shower head.

If you were having hot water problems, the cause was probably something different -- again IMO.

Peter

[Adventure.AS]

Originally Posted by Tbeck11931

FYI for future reference never leave your outside shower valves on with the shower head switch in the off position. (If you have one) this will only leave you with warm water at best.

A 16 Sport doesn't have an outside shower, but there is a hatch you can open from the outside and pass the shower wand through from the wet bath.

[augopher]

Thanks all for the replies and help! One more thing though: I do have very hot water now, but it only flows hot for a few seconds then it starts to flow cold.

There are three valves on top of the water tank, one is obviously the bypass valve as I've identified that one. Both of the other two valves are open, but should one of those be closed?

[Lily&Me]

Something is still closed, I think, as I had that problem at one point.

There will be a diagram in your owners manual which will show you.

Maggie

[augopher]

Ok, I got it figured out! Full time hot water now (at least 6 gallons at a time). Manual was worthless but Google is priceless!

[GCinSC2]

Originally Posted by augopher

There are three valves on top of the water tank, one is obviously the bypass valve as I've identified that one. Both of the other two valves are open, but should one of those be closed?

Take a second look at the Bypass Valve. That should be closed, handle at 90 degrees to pipe, not inline with the pipe.

The other two valves A and C let cold water in and hot water out (in my manual) are open and B is closed for normal operation.


Congrats, you got it before I saw your success.

[OTRA15]

Guessing that your tempering/mixing valve [if you have one], may be in the process of failing, thus functioning inconsistently. If you can find this, and if there is any knob to adjust it, I would try turning it up and down to clear any crud from it.

Search results for "mixing tempering valve bad" --

https://www.google.com/search?q=mixi....0.mt23Y8A8JfE

Is the valve labeled "2" in the manual's illustration linked in Post #6 also a mixing valve which lets you adjust the blend of hot and cold water, maybe? Would have to look things over in person, to know what's what.

Please let us know what you figured out. Thanks.

Good luck!

Peter

[OTRA15]

Originally Posted by augopher

Thanks all for the replies and help! One more thing though: I do have very hot water now, but it only flows hot for a few seconds then it starts to flow cold.

There are three valves on top of the water tank, one is obviously the bypass valve as I've identified that one. Both of the other two valves are open, but should one of those be closed?

Did you check the illustration on p. 8-17 as referenced in Post #6? The H/C valves on the L/R are opened correctly IMO.

[OTRA15]

Originally Posted by GCinSC2

. . .
The other two valves A and C let cold water in and hot water out (in my manual) are open and B is closed for normal operation.
. . .

The manual linked in Post #6 is the correct one, I think, and the illustration referred to has different labels FYI. The operation of the bypass valve may not be the same as yours IMO.