Water heater tank March 12, 2014, 07:21:37 pm Yahoo Message Number: 145306Can anyone tell me where the hot water tank is located in the 26.5 RB?
Re: Water heater tank Reply #1 – March 13, 2014, 03:02:44 am Yahoo Message Number: 145308What year? Steve
Re: Water heater tank Reply #2 – March 13, 2014, 09:33:17 am Yahoo Message Number: 145311On our '05 it's located under the stove behind the power center . Not real easy to access.WxToad @ Rocky Creek COE, Lake Somerville , TXPosted by: rmwhistler@gmail . com 3960733e323595f86768f204e562f2d7 Date: Wed Mar 12, 2014 4:21 pm ((PDT))Can anyone tell me where the hot water tank is located in the 26 . 5 RB?
Re: Water heater tank Reply #3 – March 13, 2014, 10:50:55 am Yahoo Message Number: 145312Thank you, everyone, for your input. We have a 2004 so I'm sure it must be below/behind the oven. Our plan is to install an aquarium thermometer. This may not be as easy as I had hoped.
Re: Water heater tank Reply #4 – March 13, 2014, 11:35:56 am Yahoo Message Number: 145315Thank you, everyone, for your input. We have a 2004 so I'm sure it must be below/behind the oven. Our plan is to install an aquarium thermometer. This may not be as easy as I had hoped. What is a aquarium thermometer. Why do you want to install one in the HWT. Or are you thinking of removing the thermostat that is in the HWT and replacing it with one of a lower temp setting. To find the HWT just walk around the MH. You will see an access door to the HWT.
Re: Water heater tank Reply #5 – March 13, 2014, 02:00:19 pm Yahoo Message Number: 145318"Why do you want to install one in the HWT" These have a remote probe you slip between the insulating jacket and the tank. The idea is to heat the tank only to the point you don't have to mix any cold - mostly for taking a shower. It's trial and error, since the reading is out of sync with the actual water temperature, but handy once you decipher it. You can set the over-temp alarm to tell you when to turn the heater off.Steve
Re: Water heater tank Reply #6 – March 13, 2014, 03:14:38 pm Yahoo Message Number: 145319"What is a aquarium thermometer. Why do you want to install one in the HWT."See this Eureka article on minimizing water and propane use while showering."are you thinking of removing the thermostat that is in the HWT and replacing it with one of a lower temp setting."I tried that with an Atwood adjustable thermostat. Even at its lowest setting, the water was still way too hot.Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels
Re: Water heater tank Reply #7 – March 13, 2014, 04:13:29 pm Yahoo Message Number: 145320These have a remote probe you slip between the insulating jacket and the tank. The idea is to heat the tank only to the point you don't have to mix any cold - mostly for taking a shower. It's trial and error, since the reading is out of sync with the actual water temperature, but handy once you decipher it. You can set the over-temp alarm to tell you when to turn the heater off. What you need to do is replace the thermostat that is on the out side the camper in the HWT compartment. The tank have a stat that is to high of temp. What we do is replace the stat with a 120 off and 110 on. If you go to Granger.com and do a search for (6UDY9) you will fine a unit to replace the one you have. You may have to bend the ears that hold the old unit in place. It is a set temp. Cost is about $6.29. They have store in most of the larger cities. http://www.grainger.com/product/Set-Limit-6UDY9?searchQuery=6udy9
Re: Water heater tank Reply #8 – March 13, 2014, 04:33:47 pm Yahoo Message Number: 145321Has anyone with a RB installed the probe of a thermometer? If so I would appreciate any info you could give me as to the best way to get to the tank.
Re: Water heater tank Reply #9 – March 14, 2014, 01:40:10 am Yahoo Message Number: 145329Easy. Remove the drawer under the refrigerator, Remove the panel on the left side of the door opening by removing several screws. Whoops, you don't have a drawer there, you have a cabinet.Remove the night light, feed the probe through the opening and slide it behind the water tank insulation. Put the night lite back in feeding the wire out behind it and up the nearby wall and mount the display.Hopefully I didn't miss anything. Harry 2006RB
Re: Water heater tank Reply #10 – March 14, 2014, 09:58:44 am Yahoo Message Number: 145330That actually doesn't sound too bad. Thank you, Harry!
Re: Water heater tank Reply #11 – March 14, 2014, 10:51:14 am Yahoo Message Number: 145331Why would you want to reinvent the wheel. The HWT is an automatic unit. Replace the stat that controls it's temp with a lower setting unit and it will turn off at 120*. Not 140 or 150. Cost is less than $7.00. All of this work is done from the outside at the burner controls No need to tear the camper apart. The HWT remains automatic. When the HWT reaches the 120* and if no one else is going to be using hot water turn it off at the control panel and then take your shower. If more people are going to be showing leave the HWT on.
Re: Water heater tank Reply #12 – March 14, 2014, 03:38:18 pm Yahoo Message Number: 145332"Why would you want to reinvent the wheel. The HWT is an automatic unit. Replace the stat that controls it's temp with a lower setting unit and it will turn off at 120*."As I explained in a previous post, that's still much too hot for some of us. Personally, I prefer 95° F.Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels
Re: Water heater tank Reply #13 – March 14, 2014, 04:19:23 pm Yahoo Message Number: 145333I rechecked to see if any one carried a 110 off; 100 on before I posted the last time but it is not carried. The units are simple furnace controls. Then he needs to do like we did before going with the 110 on 120 off. We would set a kitchen timer when we wanted to take a shower after getting back from a ride. Set the timer for 10 or 15 minutes and then turn the HWT off.
Re: Water heater tank Reply #14 – March 14, 2014, 06:19:18 pm Yahoo Message Number: 145335"We would set a kitchen timer when we wanted to take a shower after getting back from a ride. Set the timer for 10 or 15 minutes and then turn the HWT off."As mentioned in the Eureka article I pointed to, I used to use the timer method. It works reasonably well and is simple. One does have to adjust the time, depending upon the outside temperature. In summer as little as ten minutes may do, while in winter it may take twice as long.The advantage of the aquarium thermometer is that once you get it "calibrated" to your preference, you'll always get exactly the right temperature and use the absolute minimum of propane getting it.Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels
Re: Water heater tank Reply #15 – March 14, 2014, 06:24:02 pm Yahoo Message Number: 145336Do what you wish, but the easiest way to monitor tank temp is to use a kitchen timer (as someone mentioned), and after a while, you know just how long to set the timer for the water temp you want. I don't care what the temp is; I just want to know how it feels.Chris
Re: Water heater tank Reply #16 – March 16, 2014, 08:21:40 am Yahoo Message Number: 145350The problem with the timer method is keeping track of different times for different initial temps. Our water temp takes much longer to reach cruise when starting from 50F than from 75F, eg.Steve
Re: Water heater tank Reply #17 – March 17, 2014, 01:07:58 am Yahoo Message Number: 145370The problem with the timer method is keeping track of different times for different initial temps. Our water temp takes much longer to reach cruise when starting from 50F than from 75F, eg. This is why I did away with the timing method and replaced the 140 stat with the 120. Checked for a lower seating stat but there are none listed. These stats are the same stat that are used on most furnaces. If I lost track of time or was not there when the timer went off the water went up to 140+. Now the tank turns off at 120. After the tank turns off I turn the power off to the tank till the next day. This HW will last the whole day for showers and dishes. The cost of the new stat is about $7 to $10 from Granger. COM The times that I missed the alarm to turn off the HWT were greater than the cost and waste of propane than when the temp went up to 140*. The HWT burns 8,800 BTU per hour. There are 91,600 BTU in a gallon of propane. 91600/8800 = 10.4 hours per gallon of propane. The HWT only uses 1 gallon of propane for every 10.4 hours that it runs. Last time I paid $3.00 per gallon for propane. The first day that the tank runs it takes less than 20 minutes to reach 120* The days that follow it is more like 15 or less minutes since there is still warm water left from the day before. On a 7 day outing the tank runs less than 2 hours total; or 1/5 of a gallon of propane used. Cost for the week is 60 cents for propane or 8 cents per day. To bath I run a little water in the lav and this gets some warm water to the shower. Do not turn the shower on. I use a wash rag to bath wetting it in the lav. Once washed/soaped turn the shower on and rinse. I DO NOT ADJUST THE WATER. By the time the water gets to the shower the temp is down to 115* or less. 115* water will not burn you. If the water starts to get to warm I open the cold water a little as I continue to rinse. There is no need to try to adjust the water to start showering. In the 24' LD you can stand in the shower and reach the lav; no need for a basin. To do the dishes the HWT is across from the sink so just run all HW and the cold that was in the line will only cool the hot water a little. If the price of the propane is going to kill use I hate to think what the price of gas to get there did. 1 fifth of a gallon of propane is nil compared to 8 or 9 MPG that the 450 uses.George Retired plumber
Re: Water heater tank Reply #18 – March 17, 2014, 11:09:28 am Yahoo Message Number: 145375George, Your analysis is interesting, but to be picky, you have assumed 100% efficiency, eg all of the propane energy goes into the water, and none is lost up the vent. It would be interesting to know what the efficiency of the hot water system really is. Of course, even if it were only 50%, your point would still be valid. I did change to the 110 degree thermostat using your excellent instructions, but have not really used the hot water heater yet except for testing the thermostat.Barry 2001 RBFrom: Sent: Monday, March 17, 2014 12:07 AM To:lifewithalazydazerv@yahoogroups.com Subject: [LD] Re: Water heater tankThe HWT burns 8,800 BTU per hour. There are 91,600 BTU in a gallon of propane. 91600/8800 = 10.4 hours per gallon of propane. The HWT only uses 1 gallon of propane for every 10.4 hours that it runs.
Re: Water heater tank Reply #19 – March 17, 2014, 07:53:34 pm Yahoo Message Number: 145380George, Your analysis is interesting, but to be picky, you have assumed 100% efficiency, eg all of the propane energy goes into the water, and none is lost up the vent. It would be interesting to know what the efficiency of the hot water system really is. Of course, even if it were only 50%, your point would still be valid. I did change to the 110 degree thermostatusing your excellent instructions, but have not really used the hot water heater yet except for testing the thermostat.Barry 2001 RB Barry did you get a 110 off stat or is it a 120. If it is a 110 off what is the model number. I went back to Granger catalog and could not find a listing. It would be interesting to know the efficiency of the tank. I have the input of the tank "8,800 BTU" but do not have the Output. If I had this information I would know. I have the formula to compute. I see the efficiency of furnaces and boilers all the time but never for a HWT. That is also for home units. But this would not change the story. But every thing I posted had nothing to do with the efficiency of the tank. That would be the same if the tank were 10% or 100%. Those are the numbers for the tank we have. I made that posting so that owners could see that with the 120 stat there is no need for the thermometer with the probe in the tank. It is only costing me 7 cent to run the tank for 15 minutes and you can run the tank for 7 days on less than 1/5 of a gallon of propane. I did not know these numbers before I started writing about this. It has never been a problem for me. Now if you wish to leave the tank on all the time this will change. Some people that I run with have the larger campers and could care less. They have more water and more propane and more money to pay for the bill. And those that can afford a million $$$ MH this cost is not a problem. Plus most people with a MH stay in a camp ground where they have all the water they need and propane is there at the park store. Because we only have a 12 gallon tank OF PROPANE and it is a problem taking the MH to a station to fill the on board tank I first use a 20 # bottle rather than the house tank. The 20 # bottle will last 3 or 4 weeks. Then if the 20 # bottle goes empty I can switch to the house tank. I can hook up the 20# bottle in only a few minutes so this is not a concern. 90% of my camping is boom-docking so economizing is a must. But water is the worst. No water I have to brake camp. Propane and food has never been a problem. And a 24' MH can carry a lot of beer. My home tank it set to 120 out at the tank and I have no problem placing my hand in the flow at any faucet. Today the recommended setting is 120 for a home HWT. But 20 years ago it was recommended to set the tank at 140. The reason for the 140 was that they could advertise how big a tank was needed for a family of 4 before you would run out of HW. Now because of efficiency they have gone to a setting of 120. This means that you do not have the same amount of hot water available for use. So you may need to go from a 40 gal tank to a 50 gal tank. In the MH we only have a 6 gal tank which means they is far less HW to use AT ANY ONE TIME. This is why they have stayed with the 140 stat. I love the LD because of the 60 gal water tank and the large waste holding tanks. I have never had a problem there. But they could have install a 20 gal or larger propane tank.George A retired plumber.
Re: Water heater tank Reply #20 – March 18, 2014, 12:21:44 pm Yahoo Message Number: 145385Sorry George, I was working from memory (never a good idea in my case), and it is actually a 120 degreeFrom: Sent: Monday, March 17, 2014 6:53 PM To:lifewithalazydazerv@yahoogroups.com Subject: Re: [LD] Re: Water heater tank Barry did you get a 110 off stat or is it a 120. If it is a 110 off what is the model number. I went back to Granger catalog and could not find a listing.
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Topic: Water heater tank (Read 7 times)
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