Traveling is an amazing way to destress because of the increased workload that has occupied all of us in our lives. It allows one to escape the normal pressure one feels by doing their job and stuck in a mental rut. Therefore, many good companies around the world allow their employees paid vacation days so that they can perform better at their jobs and be more productive.
And what better way to travel is than traveling with the people you love and enjoy their company. And these happen to be your friends and family. Of course, when you happen to travel with these people nothing goes as planned. And being honest what fun it is to be so planned. It is so boring. And all the fun lies in having impromptu plans and driving in an RV to places. And since you would be traveling in an RV, you would need an RV water heater to provide you with hot water continuously.
The importance of RV Water Heater
As mentioned before, hot water is always a must when you are traveling, and traveling especially to northern, cold areas. Without cold water, one cannot enjoy the trip as one would like to.
RV Water Heaters come in many versions including tankless and with tank models. In these versions, there happen to be even more variants that are categorized on the basis of their size. However, the common size fitted in RVs is 6 gallons tankless RV water heaters.
In this post, you would get to know the ways through which you can make sure on your trip to run your RV water heater efficiently, saving you money, and possible hiccups on the trip if it fails.
Tips for Keeping your RV Water Heater Working Perfectly
1. Take Note of the Water Heater’s Cycle
Each heater is going to have a different cycle and there is no standard that you can refer to. However, as soon as you rent the RV, and in most possibilities, the water heater would be in good condition. Run the water heater at that time to familiarize yourself with the cycle.
Moreover, on top of this, do ask the owner of the RV to let you know how much time it takes to fire the heater, and how much time does it take to heat the water to your desired temperature.
This would make sure that you run the heater as per the cycle, and if you notice any issue in the cycle early, you can apply solutions before the heater goes bust.
2. Check for Spiders
This might seem comical but it is not. Spiders are attracted quite a lot to these water heaters therefore, it is important to make sure that you check for the spiders beforehand.
The presence of spiders in the heater can make the device malfunction and this could cost you the security deposit that you have submitted with the owner and the fun that you were supposed to have because now you don’t have hot water to keep you warm in freezing cold.
The simple solution to this problem is to run a wire through the heater to remove the cobwebs that might have been formed by the spiders in the boiler of the heater.
3. Check for soot
It is extremely important that your water heater runs perfectly. Therefore, do check for soot formations or discoloration. If there is the presence of one, this means that there might be some issue with the heater.
Bring it to the owner’s attention and ask them to fix it immediately before you start the trip.
4. Run it on Propane
Almost all water heaters have the capacity to be run by propane and electricity that is produced by the engine of the vehicle. In order to make sure that the water heater runs at maximum efficiency, you should run it on propane. Because it takes quite some time to heat the water on electricity since this electricity is also used to power the vehicle so there is only so much.
5. Be careful about the heating element
This is a mistake that some people make more often than they should. There is a heating element in the water heater that if burnt cannot be fixed and needs to be replaced. So, when draining the water make sure that you turn off the heater so that the possibility of heating element burning can be avoided. Because it burns when there is no water in it and it is running.
6. Replace the Anode Rod Once Every Two Years
Anode rod is the piece of metal that keeps the heater going on and running smoothly. Therefore, it is highly suggested that you replace the anode rod once every two or three years depending upon its condition. It usually depends on the quality of the water. If the quality of water is good, the anode rod would last longer.
However, if you have a bad anode rod, the water heater would consume more propane or electricity to run the heater. Making a dent in your pocket.
7. Look for leakages
If you have found any leakage, that is an obvious thing that asks you to replace or repair the water heater. If there is leakage in the water tank or propane tank, it means that the water heater would not be running most efficiently.
It is also a possible safety and hazard issue as well, therefore, it is highly recommended to replace the water heater as soon as you figure this out.
8. Constant flow of Water
In order for the water heater to run efficiently, one needs to make sure that cold water is sent in the heater constantly in order to replace the hot water that is being drained out. This would ensure that the heater runs perfectly.
9. Get it serviced before you leave
The bottom line is to make sure that when you rent the Rv, you need to make sure that all the maintenance checks are completed including on the water heater fitted in the vehicle. This would give you peace of mind and the best performance by the heater.
10. Don’t use water heater older than 5 years
It is a common rule that the water heater should not be older than 5 years because that box would be a safety hazard and an inefficient machine. It can fail at any time of the journey. Therefore, ask for a newer version.
