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Topic: Add-on Hot Water AC Heating Element (Read 10 times) previous topic - next topic
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Add-on Hot Water AC Heating Element
Yahoo Message Number: 66479
Here's a question. I would like to hear from anyone who has installed an after-market AC heating element in their 6-gal hot water tank, specifically their comments regarding overall cost, installation problems, performance, and any maintenance or repair problems afterwards. I did find the following doing an archive search, and based on that, it doesn't seem to be a terribly good idea. I would wonder if anyone else has anything to share on this.

Msg # 54359 Date: 2005-06-05 11:30:00
 Subject: Re: Water heater temps
 Sender: "Andy Baird"

"We were at a campground and a gentleman had what he called a 'heat stick.' It was an electric element that, as soon as he plugged in, it heated the water in his tank."The product is "Hott Rod" (http://tinyurl.com/cxzz8>) and sells for just under a hundred bucks. Sounds like a good idea, but when I was at Life On Wheels, the instructor strongly recommended against it. As an RV repairman, he said he'd seen too many of these things cause water heater failures or get stuck in place. Apparently they cause electrolysis, corrosion, etc. Admittedly this is hearsay, but from a pretty knowledgeable source.

Andy Baird

Quote
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Thanks for your replies.

Will 2004 23.5 TK
Re: Add-on Hot Water AC Heating Element
Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 66484
"CK and David Hall"  wrote:

The LD we just bought has a hot rod in it.  The gentleman who owned it said he had no problems with it.
---- CK, did the former owner maintain the water heater regularly, i.e., drain and flush the sediment out? If he didn't do this routine service (every 6 months to a year, depending on how much the water heater is used and the quality of water that has gone through it) in five years, *and* had a Hott Rod in the water heater, I would bet that the water heater is loaded with sediment and "sheddings".  (I have no personal experience with the Hott Rod, but based on what I've been told by a couple of very knowledgeable and experienced RV techs, this item would not be on my list of potential improvements.)

You might want to drain and flush the water heater well before your shake-down cruise; be sure to have an extra drain plug on hand, as the cheapie plastic thing that Atwood uses can shear off and leave the threads in the hole! (This is really FUN to fix!) Camping World has the nylon/plastic drain plugs (two on a card for some outrageous price), or you can and use a 1/2" brass plug (available at any hardware store) to replace the plastic one.  Brass will contribute to a *tiny bit* more shedding, but, IMO, the small increase in the amount of junk in the tank (from the brass) is worth the brass plug not shearing off when you remove it.

Some people (including whoever writes the recent LD manuals!) suggest replacing the nylon/plastic drain plug with a brass drain with a petcock; this is OK to *drain* the water heater, but you have to remove the whole plug to *flush* the heater out.

Joan
2003 TK has a new home
Re: Add-on Hot Water AC Heating Element
Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 66485
Hi Joan, I am not sure how well he maintained it.  He stated that he and his wife would only take the LD to Branson and they would be there for about 1-2 months at a time.

David is planning on draining the water, etc this week some time before we take off.  I printed out your note for him to review.

Any other suggestions?  We have a new Camping World in ABQ now too.

CK
Re: Add-on Hot Water AC Heating Element
Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 66490
This is just one person's opinion, but my reaction to the Hott Rodd is "why bother?"
 The idea of the device is to use campground electricity so you don't "waste" propane heating water. Well, I don't know about you, but I run my propane water heater for about 15 minutes a day. I turn it on before I want to shower, set the kitchen timer, and then turn it off before getting into the shower.* The water stays warm for the rest of the day, unless it's really frigid outside.
 So even if I camped with hookups most of the time (which I don't), why would I spend the money and take the risk**of installing a Hott Rodd to save 15 minutes of propane use a day? Again, that's just my two cents' worth. :-)
 * I actually adjust the time between 10 and 18 minutes, depending on the outside temperature. I do this so that the water is heated just hot enough to shower with hot water only--that means no fiddling with two faucets trying to get the temperature right, and thus saves water.
 ** I was warned against these devices by RV tech and Life on Wheels instructor Steve Savage, who knows more about RV systems than just about anybody I know.

Andy Baird

City of Rocks State Park, NM
Andy Baird
2021 Ford Ranger towing 2019 Airstream 19CB
Previously: 1985 LD Twin/King "Gertie"; 2003 LD Midbath "Skylark"
Re: [Life With A Lazy Daze RV] Re: Add-on Hot Water AC Heating Elem
Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 66512
Propane seems to be something that it is hard to "waste".   We use it for a lot of stuff, for instance we leave the reefer on Gas even when hooked up to electric as it seems to work better.  I turn the hot water heater on whenever I want to wash dishes or shower and wait until I hear it turn off meaning that the water in the tank is as hot as it gets.  I shower with the hot water only partly on so that I can take a longer shower when I have hookups, letting the water get as hot as possible and mixing with cold water gives you a longer, hotter shower.  Boondocking, I still let the water heater turn off but of course I don't use as much water to shower.   I usually wash dishes twice a day so our water heater is on about 3 times a day.  I cook and bake daily and we use the barbeque off our onboard propane tank.  Still, we go many weeks, often more than a month of fulltime living, on a tank of propane.  I just don't think that conserving propane by spending money on something like a hot rodd is worth it.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Re: Add-on Hot Water AC Heating Element
Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 66518
--- In lifewithalazydazerv@yahoogroups.com, "omofi170"

wrote:

Quote
Here's a question. I would like to hear from anyone who has installed an after-market AC heating element in their 6-gal hot water tank, specifically their comments regarding overall cost, installation
.........

Last year after our purchase of a used LD, we started a volunteer job in the Rocky Mts. in an area where propane was expensive ( around $3/gal).  A full hookup is part of the deal.  Since we plan to continue volunteering for a while so made a decision to purchase a HOTT Rod from Camping World for around $69.  My husband, Mr. fix- it , installed it but we run a heavy duty extension cord to power it (easier to install that way).  We noticed after last year that the rod did become somewhat gunky but a good cleaning with CLR took care of that.  We love it.  It takes about an hour to recharge the hot water after one shower but we can live with that.  Sure beats moving the rig everytime we want to go buy expensive propane.  We have to drive 40 miles round trip to get propane and at almost $3/gal for gas that would add up to $15 !!!!  The installation wasn't too difficult, the hardest part being working in a very confined area.
Hope that helps.
Re: Add-on Hot Water AC Heating Element
Reply #7 –
Yahoo Message Number: 66526
Here's a question. I would like to hear from anyone who has installed an after-market AC heating element in their 6-gal hot water tank...........


My thanks to everyone who weighed in on this. I appreciated reading all the pros and cons.
 I am going to pass on this, for the time being at least. I can't in my situation justify the cost and installation, plus additional maintenance and all the potential problems mentioned. I can see where this would be useful if you're tethered to a utility pedestal in a remote area as mentioned for a fairly long time, but that isn't how we travel, and our propane tank holds more than enough for the longest trip we have ever taken.

Thank again to all the contributors.

Will
Re: Add-on Hot Water AC Heating Element
Reply #8 –
Yahoo Message Number: 66531
Sure beats moving the

Quote
rig everytime we want to go buy expensive propane.

 You don't say whether or not you have a toad, but if you do, have an Extend-A-Stay installed on your propane tank, and then get a separate propane tank to hook up to it.  That way, when the extra propane tank is empty, it's a simple matter of loading it into your toad and driving to where ever to have it filled.  MUCH easier than having to drive your Lazy Daze to have the propane tank filled! We did that last year when we were camp hosting, and will be using it this year, too, when we're volunteering at Malheur NWR.

Linda Hylton

2004 Red 23.5' TK http://map.datastormusers.com/user1.cfm?user=1167 http://earl-linda.blogspot.com/
Linda Hylton
Re: Add-on Hot Water AC Heating Element
Reply #9 –
Yahoo Message Number: 66534
Quote
You don't say whether or not you have a toad, but if you do, have an Extend-A-Stay installed on your propane tank, and then get a
separate
 Hi Linda, you know we've thought of doing just what you suggested but haven't  yet.  Honestly, since the full hookup is part of our arrangement with the park, we're happy with the HOTT rod.  Some parks pay for propane but this one doesn't.  Sure miss the electric/gas water heater we had in our 5th wheel.

During the months before and after our volunteer time, we travel around a lot and have also used the HOTT rod then.  The nice thing about this system is that we can switch to gas when boondocking like we'll be doing at the Golden Caravan.
 I can't believe how the price of propane has gone up.  I remember when we were at the SKP park in Chimacum, WA in 2002 and they were selling propane for 79 cents a gallon.

Fran and John Razmus 1994 26'MB Charcoal Gray/ "Grayzie"
Re: Add-on Hot Water AC Heating Element
Reply #10 –
Yahoo Message Number: 66536
You don't say whether or not you have a toad, but if you do, have an Extend-A-Stay installed on your propane tank, ............

Linda Hylton


 I found one caveat; there are posts over on rv.net where this device worked loose in transit resulting in loss of propane. No dire consequences reported, but something to be aware of:
 http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/16548318/gotomsg/16552713.cfm 
or

http://tinyurl.com/ejb4a

Will

PS The tinyurl is tested and approved
 
Add-on Hot Water AC Heating Elem
Reply #11 –
Yahoo Message Number: 66486
If the "Hot Rod" is 12 volt, my guess is that it will put quite a drain on your batteries.  Heating six gallons of water requires a lot of energy.

Allen