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vakathy · 01-11-2015, 04:19 PM

Hi: We had our 2012 Flying Cloud winterized and now are in AZ where we are now using it. But we cannot get the hot water heater to heat and provide water. A small stream of water comes out the hot water faucet, but it is not hot. Cold water works fine. We have it hooked up to city water. I turned on the right switch at the vanity and it seems like the system is on. I think I used to use the left switch. Can someone help? Thanks, Kathy

Skater · 01-11-2015, 04:21 PM

Is the water heater bypass open? Check the valves behind the water heater.

dznf0g · 01-11-2015, 04:30 PM

If yours has it, the silver mixing valve is notorious for getting it's screen plugged up with the crusties out of the tank, especially after using the first time after a drained tank. All the crusties get stirred up when filled the first time.

Ron A · 01-11-2015, 04:32 PM

May check the water bypass value for the water heater. Common to turned off when winterizing travel trailer.

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Protagonist · 01-11-2015, 04:46 PM

First, try filling the water heater by opening a hot faucet (before turning on the heater) until you have a good stream of water coming out, and it doesn't spit at you. When it spits, you're getting rid of air bubbles in the plumbing.

But if you never get a good stream of water that way…

Bleed some of the air out of the water heater by opening the pressure relief valve at the top. Don't let ALL of the air out (you want a small cushion of air at the top) but some of it. This will allow the water heater to fill.

Not allowing the heater to fill completely before turning on the heater will cause symptoms exactly as you described. It happened to me just last week and I hadn't even winterized; just changed out the drain plug for a drain valve, which of course required draining the heater.

pmclemore · 01-12-2015, 09:34 AM

Be sure your water heater is full before turning it on. Then follow the advice you find here.

Pat

Schu · 01-12-2015, 11:00 AM

Check to see if the water heater by-pass valve is in the correct position on the back side of water heater.

Quote:

Originally Posted by vakathy

Hi: We had our 2012 Flying Cloud winterized and now are in AZ where we are now using it. But we cannot get the hot water heater to heat and provide water. A small stream of water comes out the hot water faucet, but it is not hot. Cold water works fine. We have it hooked up to city water. I turned on the right switch at the vanity and it seems like the system is on. I think I used to use the left switch. Can someone help? Thanks, Kathy

vakathy · 01-13-2015, 08:57 AM

You've all been very helpful - it was the hot water heater by-pass. The problem was was that we could not find it. - It's under the bed. Live and Learn!

Castaway · 01-13-2015, 04:21 PM

I am having the same problem with our 2012 FC. The water flow coming out of the Hot water faucet is about half of that from the Cold faucet. When I open the petcock on the water heater I get a good flow of water out of it and it is extremely HOT!!

So far I have checked the water flow coming into the heater and it is fine, removed the mixing valve and soaked it in Calcium/Lime remover with no improvements. I NEVER TURN OFF the bypas valve so it is open. I also get a good flow from the low water drain located next to the water heater

The water is not hot when does come out of the faucet. Is my next move buying a new mixing valve?

Gary

Castaway · 01-14-2015, 10:17 AM

Thanks to Protagonist suggestion of bleeding some air we now have hot water

Gary

gnowlin · 03-21-2015, 05:12 PM

i am having the same problem on my 2012 International 25'.. this was our 2nd trip. I did winterize in 2014 , used it in 2/2015, winterized again. and went out this week (3/16). tested b4 we left in hooking up to city water and checking all faucets for good flow, all ok. (never energized water heater) did have a small drip at the water heater drain plug, so I was going to put some tape on it and when I opened it a gush of water under a lot of pressure came out. on this last trip we had a full stream of cold water with about 10 % luke warm. ( all screens on faucets were cleaned) the by pass was never touched, as I did not find it until this trip. it was in the normal position for city water... we have never used the fresh water tank only the city supply. I did clean the strainer for the fresh water tank when I winterized but that should not affect the city water supply flow... is there another filter for the city water that I do not know about? I did leave the water heater plug out when I winterized and thought that a critter/insect might have nested in the hot water line.
any advise on what I need to do?????? this stuff drives me crazy.. thanks in advance for any information.

TG Twinkie · 03-21-2015, 10:23 PM

There is no specific position of the bypass valve when on city water.
The water heater is bypassed for winterization. Most bypass systems have three valves. Some have two three way valves instead.
The bypass valve should be closed and the valve on the hot and cold side of the water heater should be open for normal operation.
By normal operation I mean you can use city water or "house" water. House water requires the FW tank to have water in it and the pump should be turned on to supply water to the sinks etc.
When the water heater is filled by either method. There is an air space at the top of the unit. It is an expansion chamber for when the water gets hot.
You obviously charged the water heater. Thus the gush of water when you pulled the drain plug.
I think you have the bypass valve open. Thus the reason for the luke warm water.

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gnowlin · 03-22-2015, 06:13 PM

thank you very much..there is only 1 bypass valve that I can see, and it is apparently open. ( handle is lined up parallel to the supply line) we have only done 2 trips in this trailer and the first trip we had hot water. ( valve has always been in the same position.) I tried turning the by pass after water heater was on but no increase in pressure, could be I did not have it on long enough. so the only thing the by pass does is bypass the water heater for winteri zing?. I thought it was to by pass city water for house water for filling the heater. I just have never been told or could find anything about what it does. tks for the insite!! when the gush came out I had just filled the water lines and did not turn on the heater. we did have a full flow in cold and hot sides ( again this was prior to water heater being turned on and before we left for our trip). once the water heater was turned on is when we had only 10% flow and warm water. open the pressure relief and had very hot water. ( that's all after we were camped and needing hot water.
do you think this is a pressure problem or a crud in the lines? is there another filter for the hot water?.

TG Twinkie · 03-22-2015, 08:09 PM

Follow the water line that is connected to the cold water side of the water heater. It will be close to the bottom. There should be a valve in that line to shut the water off to the water heater. The handle will be perpendicular to the line when off. The cold water shutoff valve will be between the bypass valve and the water heater. For normal operation the handle should be inline with the pipe. The same goes for the hot water side except the connection point on the water heater is close to the top.
The bypass valve is closed during normal operation and the other two valves (hot and cold) should be open.
Thus the cold water enters the heater and the hot water exits the heater. If the bypass is open the water takes the path of least resistance.

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tjdonahoe · 03-23-2015, 07:11 PM

I have a question about my 13 classic,there is a water shut off valve and a check valve along side it, I thought it was to shut the outside water off but it doesn't ,can anyone tell me what it does?

gnowlin · 03-24-2015, 09:19 AM

well!!!!!no luck so far..looks like I have a restriction in the hot water line somewhere? there are no on/off valves for the WH , only the by-pass valve. wording on the tank for the by-pass is "winterized" in the perpendicular position and "in--use" for the parallel position. so I assume that normal operation is in the "in-use" position. I still get a 10% flow on hot with either the on/off position on the by-pass. and the water coming out is a luke warm. I can access the WH from the outside back storage area or from underneath the bedroom wardrobe cab.. I see absolutely no other hot-cold cut-off valves, but do see a large silver "T" fitting which is maybe a "mixing valve"?? it does have a hot and cold line attached at different points. could this have a filter that may be clogged??on the hot side?
another strange issue is the kit. sink faucet has a hick-up about every 4 seconds on the full cold flow. it hick-ups for a fraction of a second ( water flow is interrupted in that fraction of a second) it then resumes. kind of like a light version of a water hammer . not sure if that has anything to do with the hot flow?
any help is greatly appreciated!!!!!!!!!!
tks
gregg

gnowlin · 03-24-2015, 09:30 AM

I am really not sure how to reply to some of the responses I have received .. so I do not know if the last message I sent was in the right place?? sorry...here it is again. hopefully in the right place??
please advise if I am doing this wrong.

well!!!!!no luck so far..looks like I have a restriction in the hot water line somewhere? there are no on/off valves for the WH , only the by-pass valve. wording on the tank for the by-pass is "winterized" in the perpendicular position and "in--use" for the parallel position. so I assume that normal operation is in the "in-use" position. I still get a 10% flow on hot with either the on/off position on the by-pass. and the water coming out is a luke warm. I can access the WH from the outside back storage area or from underneath the bedroom wardrobe cab.. I see absolutely no other hot-cold cut-off valves, but do see a large silver "T" fitting which is maybe a "mixing valve"?? it does have a hot and cold line attached at different points. could this have a filter that may be clogged??on the hot side?
another strange issue is the kit. sink faucet has a hick-up about every 4 seconds on the full cold flow. it hick-ups for a fraction of a second ( water flow is interrupted in that fraction of a second) it then resumes. kind of like a light version of a water hammer . not sure if that has anything to do with the hot flow?
any help is greatly appreciated!!!!!!!!!!
tks
gregg

**jcanavera** · 03-24-2015, 11:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gnowlin

well!!!!!no luck so far..looks like I have a restriction in the hot water line somewhere? there are no on/off valves for the WH , only the by-pass valve. wording on the tank for the by-pass is "winterized" in the perpendicular position and "in--use" for the parallel position. so I assume that normal operation is in the "in-use" position. I still get a 10% flow on hot with either the on/off position on the by-pass. and the water coming out is a luke warm. I can access the WH from the outside back storage area or from underneath the bedroom wardrobe cab.. I see absolutely no other hot-cold cut-off valves, but do see a large silver "T" fitting which is maybe a "mixing valve"?? it does have a hot and cold line attached at different points. could this have a filter that may be clogged??on the hot side?
another strange issue is the kit. sink faucet has a hick-up about every 4 seconds on the full cold flow. it hick-ups for a fraction of a second ( water flow is interrupted in that fraction of a second) it then resumes. kind of like a light version of a water hammer . not sure if that has anything to do with the hot flow?
any help is greatly appreciated!!!!!!!!!!
tks
gregg

Gregg, if you can get some pictures we might be able to help you better. Your description of the problem classically matches the fact that you have a winterizing bypass valve in the wrong position. In many trailers there is a valve between a pipe that connects the cold water supply directly to the hot water supply. Typically this diverts cold water supply from the hot water tank and moves that cold water directly into the hot water line coming from the tank. If that valve is left open, you get very little hot water from the tank and a lot more cold. That valve when closed should be perpendicular to the water line going into the valve. There is no mixing valve, so if you see piping like that, you may be looking at the bypass valve which diverts the cold water supply for the hot water tank, directly into the hot water line. If it is so, then that would be the valve that has to be closed.

I have three valves that I have to use. One cuts off the cold water going into the tank, one cuts off the hot water coming from the tank, and the third controls the bypass piping that I described in the paragraph above. So in my situation when in winter mode, I have two valves closed and one open. In normal operation it's the opposite.

As others have told you follow the pipes connected directly to your hot water tank and track back. You should eventually run into a valve assembly.

Jack

gnowlin · 03-24-2015, 09:22 PM

thanks jack for the information.

I do see all the lines in and out of the WH. and yes I did have 3 valves on the 2004 Intl.. this is a 2012 Intl. 25' and I see the position on the by-pass needs to be open ( parallel position to the supply line) to bring water into the tank and closed with the handle perpendicular to supply line to divert the water from the tank. I have tried the by-pass handle in both positions with no change in temp or volume. I am again assuming that the "in-use" wording on the tank showing the handle in the parallel position is for a normal operation. which is the same position it has always been in. we had hot water on the first trip and this last trip was only the second trip in this one.

I have looked from inside and outside to see if there are cut-off valves for hot/cold and just do not see any. they were quite evident on the 2004 ( all grouped together)
I would love to send a pic or video but do not know how to incorporate this from camera to a message. do I down load the pic/video to laptop and then click on the "add video" to attach it? does it make any diff for a pic or video?
please advise, and thanks again... Gregg

**jcanavera** · 03-25-2015, 10:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gnowlin

thanks jack for the information.

I would love to send a pic or video but do not know how to incorporate this from camera to a message. do I down load the pic/video to laptop and then click on the "add video" to attach it? does it make any diff for a pic or video?
please advise, and thanks again... Gregg

Here's a link on how to add a photo. Yes, you need to get the picture loaded to your laptop. http://www.airforums.com/forums/f138...tml#post612569

Jack