Casita Water Heater

[Rich & Patti McCormack]

Despite the current high gas prices, I'm in the process of getting La Casita ready for some summer travel. All systems check out except for the water heater...heater fires up and turns off after 20 minutes or so, but I get no hot water out of the hot water faucets. Patti will NOT be happy if I can't get some hot water flowing in the shower! Help and suggestions would be much appreciated.

Rich

[Chester Taje]

Do you have a by-pass kit installed in your unit. One valve may not be open.

[Steve L.]

Have you checked the bypass switch (if you have one) at the water heater? The lever, usually on the back side of the brass tee needs to be in the vertical position.



This picture shows the water heater in the bypassed or "no hot water" position.

[Kurt & Ann K.]

Rich and Patti,
If you have tried Chester and Steve's replies, there is another possibility. If you winterized you TT by draining everything, here is another possible fix.
Remove the shower head, and suck on the hose as if you were syphoning. That method was used by a friend who shared your experience.

Kurt & Ann K.

[Rich & Patti McCormack]

Have you checked the bypass switch (if you have one) at the water heater? The lever, usually on the back side of the brass tee needs to be in the vertical position.

Attachment 12992

This picture shows the water heater in the bypassed or "no hot water" position.

In the "bypass" position I get cold water. In the verticle position I get NO water. Since we live in sunny SoCal, I don't winterize, so that shouldn't be a problem. I've checked the anode and there are a few deposits on the rod but it doesn't need to be replaced. The pilot and burner are working fine. I'm perplexed and Patti's pi**ed. I need to find an answer or it's gonna be cold showers at Lake San Antonio. Brrrrrrrr...and I'm not talkin' about the shower water temperature.

Rich

[Chester Taje]

Confirm that you have hot water in hot water tank. Drain it to find out.

[BobB]

Rich,

You should ask on one of the Casita Forums. There is a check valve on the newer Casitas that needs to be tapped to open up. My 1997 didn't have it. Good Luck!

I tried a search and this is what I came up with. Somewhere there is a photo, but I can't find it. It is a check valve that gets stuck. Here is a fix:

"If you say that the propane burner cycled on, heated the water and then no water came out of the hot water tap then you have a stuck valve(s) at the rear of the hot water heater located one above and below the bypass valve. You need to pressurize the system and tap the valves with the handle of a screwdriver or other object to jar them loose, common problem with these valves."

[Rich & Patti McCormack]

Rich,

You should ask on one of the Casita Forums. There is a valve on the newer Casitas that needs to be tapped to open up. My 1997 didn't have it. Good Luck!

Patti checked on one of the Casita forums and may have found the answer. There is a brass valve at the cold water inlet that apparently gets clogged over time. It's not been something I've had to deal with in the 7 years we've owned La Casita, but it may have finally occured as a problem. With "city" water hooked up and turned on, I gave it a good "whack" or two with a small box end wrench and with a "woosh", water started flowing into the water heater. Apparently, there was enough water in the hot water tank to heat but no pressure to push it on through to the faucets. Problem solved, I think. We'll see...

Rich

[BobB]

Rich,

That's it! Sounds like you solved the problem.

[Steve L.]

I've heard of the check valve sticking but didn't think of it. Good sleuthing.

For those who can't picture the check valve, you can just see the brass fixture peeking out at the bottom of the water tank in my picture. It's partially hidden by the vertical white pex tube.

[Chris B]

Rich - That's happened to us twice in the almost five years that we've had our trailer. My guess is that you'll be fine for some time now. I don't think that ours was clogged because we rarely have water hookups. But, the same remedy worked.