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06-01-2020, 04:15 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: Paonia, Colorado
Trailer: 2018 Escape 17B
Posts: 147
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Hot water by-pass all the time?
I have yet another question for the community....
Has anyone heard of keeping the hot water heater by-pass, by-passing the water heater all the time? We don't use the shower as its a storage closet for all our stuff. And we have in the past just heated water in a pan for the various washing with hot water that has been needed. Mostly we use the sinks at campgrounds for dirty dishes and in the washrooms.
It seems like it would save having to winterize it, replace the anode and generally be ok for those of us who don't mind roughing it a bit.
Thanks!
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06-01-2020, 04:36 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Oswego, New York
Trailer: 2017 Escape 21C, 2018 Ford F150
Posts: 5,362
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PleinAirCedar
I have yet another question for the community....
Has anyone heard of keeping the hot water heater by-pass, by-passing the water heater all the time? We don't use the shower as its a storage closet for all our stuff. And we have in the past just heated water in a pan for the various washing with hot water that has been needed. Mostly we use the sinks at campgrounds for dirty dishes and in the washrooms.
It seems like it would save having to winterize it, replace the anode and generally be ok for those of us who don't mind roughing it a bit.
Thanks!
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If you don't keep water in the water heater, be sure to disconnect or shut off the electric heating element (if you have one) All it takes is turning it on for a minute or so without water to burn up the element.
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06-01-2020, 05:24 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Arvada, Colorado
Trailer: 2015 E'21 - 'Velocity'. Tow: Toyota Tacoma V6, 4X4, manual.
Posts: 1,680
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PleinAirCedar
...
It seems like it would save having to winterize it, replace the anode and generally be ok for those of us who don't mind roughing it a bit.
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Basically you will winterize the water heater and never "un-winterize" it.
Take out the anode, blast the insides with a garden hose until you don't feel any grit inside, let it dry for a few days, replace the anode loosely (use some Teflon tape on the threads), turn off the water bypass valves and make sure the AC switch is in the "off" position. On my unit the AC switch is a bit hidden and I never recall where it is. Makes for some unprintable vocabulary...
And a word of warning against an unintended bath. Turn off all water pressure and/or pumps, and then open a hot water faucet to drain the pressure. You will only forget once. I only forgot twice!
--
Alan
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06-01-2020, 05:26 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Central, Pennsylvania
Trailer: Escape#5 2022 E19
Posts: 26,268
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I see no issue with bypassing the water heater all the time or as long you do not need it. Just remember to not turn it on by accident.
__________________
Jim
Sometime life gets in the way of living.......
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06-01-2020, 08:04 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Madison area, Wisconsin
Trailer: 2016 Escape 19 Chevy 2012 Express 3500 Van
Posts: 1,723
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But why?
The hot water heater provides a useful utility, (hot water) just like at home. The shower also does the same. If you're trying to save time or effort in not needing to winterize, or afraid of something, I just don't get it. Use what you have. Learn how to use it, and enjoy it.
P.S. You will still have to winterize your rig....blow out the water in all your lines and drain the traps or flush with anti-freeze. Not using your systems doesn't mean you can ignore them.
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06-01-2020, 09:57 PM
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#6
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Member
Join Date: Jul 2019
Location: PNW, British Columbia
Trailer: 2013 - 19
Posts: 87
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I have never heard of anyone bypassing their HW tank all the time.
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06-02-2020, 07:51 AM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: North of Danbury, Wisconsin
Trailer: 2018 Escape 21C
Posts: 3,033
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In the first six (6) years we owned a fiberglass trailer
( Scamp - Casita) our WH was in bypass mode .
In all our years of FG trailer ownership ( Over 10) we have never run our WH on propane
If you don’t shower in your trailer and only need hot water for dishes the cooktop works just fine
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06-02-2020, 10:57 AM
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#8
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Site Team
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Portland, Oregon
Trailer: 2014 Escape 5.0 TA
Posts: 11,023
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There's many ways to accomplish the same thing and that goes for just about anything.
I paid for a fully-self contained trailer and I use ALL of what I paid for. I gave up heating water on a cook top when I stopped tent camping. I find because I have hot water anytime I want it, it's easier to keep my hands clean (and I think we're all washing more now than ever). I don't worry about dirtying too many dishes, so I cook what a want. Turn on the tap, lots of hot water to wash and rinse.
When I'm finally finished traveling in my trailer and it goes to the next person, there's not going to be one thing I'll say... I've never used it. I'm not saving anything for the next person. YMMV
__________________
Donna D.
Ten Forward
2014 Escape 5.0TA
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06-03-2020, 10:22 AM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: Paonia, Colorado
Trailer: 2018 Escape 17B
Posts: 147
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Thanks for your thoughtful reply and acceptance that not everyone is the same.
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06-03-2020, 12:39 PM
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#10
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Site Team
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Mid Left Coast, California
Trailer: 2014 Escape 21
Posts: 5,104
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to me, the shower and on-demand hot water are two of the most important features of my cabin-on-wheels aka Escape. But I camp a lot semi- 'off grid' where the only facilities are porta-potties, and there's no hookups.
p.s. other 'most important' features are the toilet, and the giant refrigerator of the E21. ok, and the propane oven, we probably bake/broil more than we cook on the stovetop.
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06-03-2020, 03:10 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Arvada, Colorado
Trailer: 2015 E'21 - 'Velocity'. Tow: Toyota Tacoma V6, 4X4, manual.
Posts: 1,680
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Different storks for different forks?
Whoops, mixing my megaphones.
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Alan
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06-03-2020, 03:18 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: North Vancouver, British Columbia
Trailer: 2009 Escape 17B 2020 Toyota Highlander XLE
Posts: 17,136
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PleinAirCedar
Thanks for your thoughtful reply and acceptance that not everyone is the same.
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What are you achieving by bypassing the water heater? What is the rationale for not using it?
__________________
What happens to the hole when the cheese is gone?
- Bertolt Brecht
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06-03-2020, 03:45 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Naples, New York
Trailer: 2020 Esacpe 19'(Hillbilly Heaven) ETI best named trailer of the year
Posts: 1,204
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shower and hot water is must for me. I might go 48 hours with out it,after that you want to social distance . Iif I dint need it a would have bought 17A. even If you didn't use the shower would it be easier to just turn on water heater rather than boil water for you needs?
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06-03-2020, 05:15 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Phoenix, Arizona
Trailer: 2015 Escape 19 "Seventy Degrees"
Posts: 3,494
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Having our bath as a storage closet would be difficult for the foreseeable future. Just got back from a trip and parks have all the community water shut off, bathrooms and facilities closed, no tent campers and RV's have to be fully self contained or they turn you back.
It will probably be that way for some time to come if you want to hit any federal, state or commercial campgrounds.
Where I was at, they even had all the dumpsters taped shut and you had to carry out your trash.
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