Water Heaters – Some Basic Info
There's nothing more refreshing than a nice hot shower after a long day, so make sure you always have enough hot water with any of our high quality water heaters for your RV. We carry both gas and electric heaters with a wide range of capacities, so you'll be able to find the perfect one for you.
If you want your RV to be just like home, you’ll surely need the convenience of having your water heater. They work just like those at home, although somewhat differently, a bit smaller, and with storage tank capacity of 6 to 10 gallons.
Tankless water heaters are more expensive, though, but it provides water on demand in seconds. It also reduces your demand for fuel.
A regular RV heater keeps the water in the tank hot all the time, regardless of whether you’re using hot water. Tankless water heaters will only use propane when you need the hot water. (This calls for fewer tank refill trips.)
Electricity / propane
Your water heater has 3 fuel options. Many of the water heaters are designed to work on both electricity and propane which makes for flexibility in raising water temperature fast. (Some RVs operate only on liquid propane, especially the entry models.)
A sophisticated form of water heater uses motoraid. This uses the engine’s cooling system to heat the water. When the engine is running, the water from the cooling system is circulated through embedded tubes in the water heater and heat the tank.
Electric
If you have 120 volts of shore electricity (or generator power), you can run the water heater in electric mode. However, it needs 12 amperes of electricity (a substantial one) so you have the option of using gas mode if the power is limited. (Some appliances are running, etc.)
Propane
There are many model types of water heaters that use liquid propane. The main difference is the type of ignition system they use. (High-end RVs usually have the direct spark ignition, a sophisticated system.)
The regular system has a pilot light that has to be manually lit. If it is off (the pilot control is switched off or goes out unnoticed) the gas is not allowed to flow (a safety feature). Likewise, it should not be lit when the RV is moving because the wind will extinguish the pilot light out.
Direct spark ignition
The most common water heater in RVs these days is the direct spark ignition. The thermostat sends a signal to the heater control circuit board that opens a gas valve to activate the igniter. A flame develops, if things go well.
If there’s no flame detected in 15 seconds, the gas valve will close shutting down the system. The water heater needs to be turned off and reset before another attempt is made
Heater maintenance
RV water heaters need very little care in normal use. Maintenance, the secret of longer instrument lifespan is pretty straightforward in RVs.
Some of these include the replacement of the anode rod usually every year. You also need to flush your tank when not in use. (There’s a tank rinser you can buy to rid it of sediments and others.)
Winterize your water lines with anti-freeze when not in use (a bypass valve to keep it there). When in use, you do need to rinse it out.) Water heaters are always convenient at home or in an RV.
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