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Hot
Water Systems
Copyright - 1998 - Les Doll - All rights reserved
The hot water system doubles the
plumbing in an RV. Beyond the pump and the city water valve, are
the hot water tank and a complete separate plumbing system to
each sink and shower installation.
Most modern RV's are equipped
with a bypass valve arrangement that allows the hot water tank to
be drained without affecting the rest of the system. The bypass
consists of one, two or three valves, depending on the
configuration, plus the necessary plumbing needed to isolate the
tank from the rest of the water system. It is a simple matter to
position these valves for proper operation and winterization. See the article "Painless Winterizing" for step by step winterizing instructions.
And By-Pass for illustrations.
On units without the bypass
installed, it will be necessary to either install a permanent
bypass as described above or to connect a temporary set-up to
circumvent the hot water tank. The various fittings and
connections will depend on the particular application. You will
encounter a wide variety of plumbing configurations,
necessitating some close examinations to ensure adequate
antifreeze installation. Remember that the cold water enters the
hot water tank through the bottom of the tank and exits through
the top. Since the pump (or outside water pressure) forces the
water into the bottom of the tank, all lines exiting from the top
fitting are hot water lines and will need to be protected with
antifreeze.
To drain the hot water tank,
open the exterior access door and remove the drain plug (or open
the drain valve on some models) and then open the pressure relief
valve located on the upper portion of the tank. Allow the tank to
drain fully and replace the drain plug.
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