Can you separate holding tank from water heater?

[Bryan L.]

Since it looks like the fear of a hard freeze is finally over, I decided to hook up the water to my new-to-me 90 Scamp. The previous owner told me the water heater didn't work, however, he did not tell me that when you turn on the water, the camper will be flooded with water!

It is an Atwood with the holding tank sitting on a little shelf behind the unit. The water appears to be coming from in between the tank and the heater. It might even be the tank itself that is leaking. I just can't get a good angle to look at anything back there. Is there a way to separate the tank from the guts of the furnace to look at it? It looks like the whole unit has to be pulled out from the outside - tank and all?

[Donna D.]

If you don't have the manual for it, maybe something here will help from the Document Center: Manuals - Water Heaters

[Bryan L.]

I looked at all of those manuals and it looks like mine is different. Those appear to have everything in one big casing unit. Mine has the hot water tank hanging off of the rear of the unit. Thank you though.

[Frederick L. Simson]

I looked at all of those manuals and it looks like mine is different. Those appear to have everything in one big casing unit. [b]Mine has the hot water tank hanging off of the rear of the unit. Thank you though.

I've never seen one like that. Could you post some pictures?

[Bryan L.]

I'm wondering now if I DO have one like the manuals show but without the big housing over the tank. On mine, the whole tank is exposed. I will take a picture today after the Easter festivities subside. My boys and I spent the night in it out in our driveway. Our first night in it!

[George Cathcart]

I'm wondering now if I DO have one like the manuals show but without the big housing over the tank. On mine, the whole tank is exposed. I will take a picture today after the Easter festivities subside. My boys and I spent the night in it out in our driveway. Our first night in it!

Might that be an accessory accumulator tank? Some owners have added an accumulator tank simply to smooth out the water flow and reduce pump start/stop noise. (It would not serve for hot water storage, however.)

Example:

http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/item/...ator-tank/14747

[Bryan L.]

I've never seen one like that. Could you post some pictures?

This is what I'm working with. Like I said, it looks like I might just be missing the big cowling that covers it all up, but I've been wrong before! Today I just spliced both ends together so that I could test other areas of the camper for water problems. I did find out that my toilet valve is leaking. That's a cheap fix though compared to buying a new water heater. So, can this be worked on or is it just one big unserviceable unit? Thanks for any input.

[Joe MacDonald]

That whole thing is the unit, trailer heaters usually don't have any more of a cover than what you see.
the cardboard was the jacket on the older ones, I think some of the new ones have styrofoam.
where was it leaking?
is it possible you just had a loose hose connection?

Joe

[Bryan L.]

It was leaking between the tank and the control unit. It seemed to be coming from the right side in the first picture. There's just no way to get anything in there and look. When I hooked the two hose ends together there are no leaks when pressure is applied. It is only when it goes in to the tank. At this point, it looks like the tank is the culprit and the whole unit will need to be replaced. Bummer.

[Tim Wood]

I have to replace one in my Horizon because the drain on the old one was metal and it was frozen (the drain plug on the new ones are plastic). So last November I bought a new one on Ebay for a great price, I think it was $150.00. I'm going to put it in sometime in the next couple of weeks. I'm also doing a complete plumbing job with pex pipe.