No Hot Water in Your RV?! Try This First! || DIY RV & RV Newbies

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10 жыл бұрын

We had no hot water in our RV and thought the water heater in our brand new motorhome was totally dead. But there was absolutely NOTHING wrong with it! We simply made a mistake in using our RV's water system. Don't make the same newbie RV mistake we did! If you think your RV water heater has failed, and you don't have hot water in your RV, watch the video above to learn what we did wrong, and how you can avoid our simple mistake!
Read our post for even more details: www.thervgeeks.com/no-hot-wat...
On April 11, 2021, we marked 18 years of full-time RVing. After all this time, we've learned an awful lot about how to live in an RV and manage its systems. But that doesn't mean we haven't made mistakes.
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As we look back on all the miles we've traveled and places we've been, we remembered one of our very first newbie mistakes. We want to share it here, in the hopes that we can save someone else from going through the same thing.
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Full-Time RVers since April, 2003, we share DIY (do it yourself) RV maintenance, repair, travel, upgrade and operational tips & tricks.
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Пікірлер: 548

@RVgeeks 2 жыл бұрын

No hot water in your RV? If this video doesn't solve your problem, check out our blog post for more RV water heater troubleshooting tips: www.thervgeeks.com/no-hot-water-in-rv/

@johna5428 2 жыл бұрын

They're both working now I just had to play with the toggle switch in between the two propane thank you

@denniskissinger7937 Жыл бұрын

yep, that's what it was. I left the outside shower on. Although the handle was off, the knobs were still turned on. It reduced water pressure, and lowered the water temp. Glad I watched your video..... Thanks again!

@joshuaespinoza534 3 жыл бұрын

Just bought a 2005 keystone 5th wheel. This video saves people money not having to call a professional to come diagnose the problem. Thanks alot brother.

@karenspisak6349 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you! We just had a washer & dryer installed in our RV yesterday. Left the dealership, and couldn’t get the water hot. Watched your video & told my husband to check that. We hadn’t used the outside hose, but maybe the installers had. Sure enough, that was it. You saved us untold hours and inconvenience, not to mention the cost of a service call.

@RVgeeks 4 жыл бұрын

That is so awesome to hear! Thanks for letting us know. You just made our day. 😄

@autumnwirth9154 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks so much for this! You saved me I'm living in my RV right now due to covid19 and living situation. Took a cold shower today but sink water was hot. I watched your video and it fixed my problem. I had just dumped my rv tanks and used the outdoor shower to clean up the area and sure enough left the water valves on. You saved me more than you know. Thanks so much for this video!

@RVgeeks 4 жыл бұрын

That is absolutely awesome to hear! You just made our day. Stay safe out there.

@carleighkoops8611 5 жыл бұрын

Thank you for your video! We made the same mistake in our Bounder and had an evening of lukewarm showers. The next morning, the problem persisted, but your video saved us from more cold showers and having to call the repair guy!

@rev.draculvonschlotzhauer3832 7 жыл бұрын

Thank you for your support in knowledge for us full time RV 'ers!!! 😁

@floyd6502 8 жыл бұрын

Watching several of your video's I have discovered that I don't have a lot of the gadgets on my trailer that you do on your MH. So, I glean from your information and improvise for my purposes. The info you have shared is great. Yes, I subscribed and will go through all of your videos. Very informative. Thanks for sharing your experiences with the rest of us. Happy Trails.

@RVgeeks 8 жыл бұрын

+Floyd Lenhart Thanks Floyd! Don't feel bad... the more gadgets, the more things there are to go wrong! lol

@parnell2014 6 жыл бұрын

Just found your video -- thanks for sharing it! You've probably saved a lot of people from making the same mistake!

@dougpilcher6551 10 жыл бұрын

Never would have thought of this! Excellent information!

@garrettgonsalves6224 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much I was freezing and just wanted to take a shower, you saved the day

@Davidipac 10 жыл бұрын

Congratulations boys. 11 years and still learning? No wonder we need your expertise. Thank you.

@lifeandpryce2470 5 жыл бұрын

I just put a new H W H in my mother’s rv and this video has saved me from going INSANE lol. Thank You.

@johnwang9914 5 жыл бұрын

And it never occurred to you to put a check valve on the line to avoid such problems?

@MYSTICO101 10 жыл бұрын

Omg thanks for posting this video I been showering with cold water the last 3 days and I didn't know if it was broke or what was the problem thank you I really thank you :)

@RVgeeks 10 жыл бұрын

So glad we could help! :)

@SurrealNotion 10 жыл бұрын

I wouldn't have thought of that either. Makes perfect sense though, once you found the problem.lol...Great Tip! Please keep them coming and thanks for putting all the hard work into putting all of them together and sharing them with us...You guys are time, hassle and money savers for sure... Thanks Again!!!

@RVgeeks 10 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the comment Dave. Glad we've been able to help. :)

@FendergtrJam 4 жыл бұрын

See how easy that was to make a simple mistake like that.... Glad you guys found someone that didn't take advantage of the situation.... 😊

@lasgav16 8 жыл бұрын

Thank you very much for that information. I'm sure it will come in handy as we continue to learn by our mistakes.

@somebody200090210 9 жыл бұрын

You guys are awesome to post this video. I'm a newbie and this helped a lot. Thank you so much.

@dhawken99 9 жыл бұрын

That was subtle - I don't imagine I would have thought to check the outside shower taps either. Thanks for the tip!

@roysherwood8862 8 жыл бұрын

Never would have thought of that. Thanks.

@roadgeneral42 8 жыл бұрын

Just when you think you know it all....I did not know about this little mistake. Been RVing all my life and thought I knew all the pitfalls. You're never too old to learn something!

@RVgeeks 8 жыл бұрын

+Stephen Hurlbut Us too! We learn new things all the time!

@KN7U 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you! Doing a flow test this afternoon comparing city water pressure to water pump pressure and haven't had more than lukewarm water since. Yep, indoor shower valves were both open, flow cut off at shower head.

@sum2automation 3 жыл бұрын

Funny... we had the our stick home do the same thing, lol. It was days before I found out the problem in the master shower. Thanks, Happy travels! Stay safe have fun!

@4149dwiley 8 жыл бұрын

Did not know this fact about the outside shower. Thanks.

@renelambert552 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks! You helped us solve our problem. A Simple solution we never would have thought of.

@jjjsmith2497 5 жыл бұрын

Video was very well thought out and presented.

@scottfleming6166 6 жыл бұрын

Good info, I never use my outdoor shower. I use a wye fitting at the water connection and a second hose pipe and sprayer. I use that same second hose as my black tank wash hose too. The wye fitting has a valve on each outlet which is handy too.

@lillyflower408 5 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the video our mistake was basically the same thing, also we are newbies and when we bought ours off a couple, they told us we needed a new battery. Well we replaced the battery thinking it was running great as we are hooked to hydro as well. When we got to our camper the next weekend as we own our own Camp ground site, the fridge was dead no hydro! The outlets worked but the lights didn't and we had no heat and it was chilly. When I plugged in the coffee maker the light over the kitchen sink would flicker any how we had a repairman that does regular visits in the park look at it and of course the converter was gone he told us it was an old type model that he hadn't seen in a long time as they didn't make that type anymore. Well that was our experience so if you are told that it needs a new battery make sure it is't the converter , check it first.

@RustyNail5856 9 жыл бұрын

That's a good thing to remember ,thanks for sharing.

@g0nk_droid 5 жыл бұрын

Life saver! We were taking lukewarm showers for days and this video spared a huge amount of frustration. Thanks!

@RVgeeks 5 жыл бұрын

That is awesome!! Great to hear. 😄

@justinwhisenhunt2661 6 жыл бұрын

Mine was flipping the hot water bypass when I was packing up for a move. A week of cold showers when I got settled again.

@almartin9327 4 жыл бұрын

Never to old to learn new tricks....Thank you..I fixed a friend's hot water problem and I was not completely sure of what I did as far as having the valves set in the right direction. You just confirmed that was probably all that was wrong luckily I only replaced the valves and the cost was minamel.

@RVgeeks 4 жыл бұрын

Great to hear! Thanks. 😄

@TyrannosaurusTroy 6 жыл бұрын

This is a fantastic video. It's really well shot and extremely clear. I wish more creators followed this example.

@RVgeeks 6 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much, Troy! 😊

@susandudley171 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you for making this video. Fixed our problem real quick.. Thank you

@turkc69 Жыл бұрын

I cannot thank you enough for this video. I have been so frustrated. I replaced the thermal couple, the fuses, the mother board, cleaned the tubes, tested and re tested everything. Low and behold, my outdoor valves were open, since I de winterized my RV in the beginning of May. I shut them, and now I can take a hot shower. thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!

@RVgeeks Жыл бұрын

So great to hear it’s been solved! Happy showering!

@keithroland5121 7 жыл бұрын

That was my issue!! Thanks for the tip! Much appreciated!

@jimgross6131 2 жыл бұрын

This is one of the best recommendations for hot water in the rig. Thank you.

@justinhc123 3 жыл бұрын

Great simple tip. Thanks!

@jkw427 10 жыл бұрын

Great vid, yes, any faucet will do this, including the interior shower. But turning off the shower head, it forces cold water back into the HW tank. It dilutes it causing the HW to run out faster. You can install one way check valves in the line, just cut the line, and slip them on, and it will stop this.

@abrs100 5 жыл бұрын

These videos are very helpful. I'm a newbie & the former owner did give me the books on the RV, they have absolutely NO pictures, diagrams, or idea of what item they're describing. I even contacted the mfg & they sent me the same papers I have. So you guys are my goto helpers! Thanks!

@RVgeeks 5 жыл бұрын

Thanks so much! It’s always great to hear we’ve been helpful. We appreciate your taking the time to let us know. If it’s any consolation, no RV documentation is any good!

@privd1 10 жыл бұрын

I will have to remember that one. I can see myself doing that one too.

@RVwithTito 10 жыл бұрын

Boy, that is one of those tricky lessons you have to learn the hard way. In hindsight I guess it makes sense. I would have been stumped too. Good one! Thanks P for sharing.

@RVgeeks 10 жыл бұрын

We still laugh about that one. Not so easy to laugh about the newbie mistakes that cost a lot to fix though, like backing into a power pedestal or something like that (which, for the record, we have never done). lol

@larryfitts510 6 жыл бұрын

I was a licensed plumber and found this two times in houses also. The first time was when some kitchen remodelers were gutting a kitchen. They removed the kitchen sink and had no valves to turn off but they did have a way to cork off the hot and cold water pipes by just connecting the two together. The people called next day for a water heater repair. I found water heater full of hot water but it wouldn’t make it to the faucets as the cold pressure was stronger. Same thing found several times over the years when people thought they could avoid repairing a shower faucet by putting another valve up at the showerhead and just shutting it. Hot and cold would begin mixing through the leaky shower valve and would cause problems other places in the house

@ProjectPete 9 жыл бұрын

Excellent video explanation. I never would have thought of this.

@Katnet1 5 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much for the video! I am getting ready to buy a travel trailer and i can tell you that would of puzzled me big time. Great channel :)

@RVgeeks 5 жыл бұрын

Thanks and congrats!!

@immrnoidall 9 жыл бұрын

that must have drove you nuts ,trying to figure that out.when something goes wrong,we always think big and miss simple solution. thanks for the tip.it is nice how most RVers are willing to help.

@Fieldsinv 2 жыл бұрын

Oh my gosh, I’m so happy to have finally figured out why after changing out my water pump, the temperature never got warm. I changed the t-stat and controller board on my water heater with no change. I checked my outside facet and found both hot and cold on from when I purged the line after upgrading the water pump. Thanks so much for this video. ❤️👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

@RVgeeks 2 жыл бұрын

Awesome! Great to hear!

@takeitallin6882 5 жыл бұрын

Great tip. Would never have known this one! Thanks guys. bg

@JustPlainCommonSense 6 жыл бұрын

I’m positive the reason I’ve never done this is because I watched this video over two years ago! Thanks for the evergreen content!

@RVgeeks 6 жыл бұрын

Awesome! Great to hear 😊

@user-ik5jj8hr1y 7 ай бұрын

Thank you so much that’s exactly what I did. I have hot water now and no trip to the repair shop. Wish I would’ve watch this video before I took a freezing, cold shower.

@budlamy3870 3 жыл бұрын

NEVER would have thought that would be the cause of that! WOW! Thanks.

@rspstudio1 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks! I've been taking cold showers for 2 weeks! Understanding this helped me to troubleshoot the problem.

@RVgeeks 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks! Always great to hear we’ve been helpful.

@whisthpo 4 жыл бұрын

Great info and Thanks for posting !

@tamaman7777 7 жыл бұрын

When we first started 12 years ago the first trip after winter I forgot to switch my water heater from winterize bypass. Basically the same mistake. Luckily I figured it out after bout an hour or so. Thatnks for the tip!

@cleopatraporter7110 5 жыл бұрын

Thanks for this video I've been working all morning trying to get my hot water working and this is almost exactly what my problem was thanks again

@RVgeeks 5 жыл бұрын

Awesome! Thanks for letting us know. Always great to hear we've been helpful. 😊

@jimroberts1391 4 ай бұрын

Thanks for this ! after a couple days of no hot water and assuming the worst ..🎉This instantly fixed it

@RVgeeks 4 ай бұрын

Awesome!!

@jerrybwn 9 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the tip. We are new to RVing and appreciate the help of others.

@AlaskaErik 6 жыл бұрын

This was never explained to me when I recently bought my trailer. In fact, the door was pointed out, but never opened. Now I'll know to always make sure the knobs are closed should I ever use the outside shower!

@terrirobinson8996 6 ай бұрын

We purchased a new 2024 Georgetown 31L5 and found that we have warm hot water. On the third trip out I watched this video, showed my husband, he turned off the valve and WOW, we have HOT water. Thank you so much for this posting!!

@RVgeeks 6 ай бұрын

So happy to hear you have hot water now! And thanks for letting us know we were helpful. Always great to hear. Happy New Year and safe travels!

@rickboucher2476 10 жыл бұрын

Wow I'm an engineer and would've never thought that was the problem! (My original thought was one or more of those winterizing shut-off valves in the wrong position!) Thanks for sharing!!

@rodx5571 5 жыл бұрын

Outdoor shower? PFFT! I am lucky to have an indoor shower.You are giving my 5th wheel a complex. I opted for simplicity. too much to fix on the newer ones. i changed my refrigerator to an automatic LP or 120v, changing my water heater to DSI so i can just flip a switch, adding 500w of solar panels, and i am wayyyyyyyy out in the south Texas country. in a year or 2 i will build a house on my property.

@TigerNgtMare 6 жыл бұрын

That was super helpful!!!! Thank you!!!

@robertatwood2503 7 жыл бұрын

thanks for the upload dude that was so good I had to subscribe

@RVgeeks 7 жыл бұрын

Glad you liked it, Robert! Thanks! :)

@Other299 7 жыл бұрын

Great info! Thank you!

@what32ever 9 жыл бұрын

Thank you for the video. I just spent 2 days taking lukewarm showers. I did the exact same thing you did. Just checked my outside shower, Duh. You saved me a service call.

@RVgeeks 9 жыл бұрын

Awesome Bill! (the fact that we could help... not your having had two days of lukewarm showers). lol

@politicjunkee 5 жыл бұрын

Yeah you just saved me tons of money if that were to happen to me. Thank you!

@jerometruitt1452 5 жыл бұрын

outside showers are dumb

@daivdash 5 жыл бұрын

@@jerometruitt1452 They come in handy at times, especially if you have a dog with you that has rolled in the mud , or even for yourself if you have gotten muddy. Clean up outside the RV no mess inside.

@jerometruitt1452 5 жыл бұрын

@@daivdash yeah I wouldnt have a dog in an RV in the first place.

@StevenSmyth 8 жыл бұрын

I haven't got my RV yet but this is good to know. Before setting out for a trip or parking for a stay, I am going to use checklists like a pilot. I do this for a lot of things as my memory sucks.

@TheSnookyputz 6 жыл бұрын

Similar thing happened to a friend. In the spring he opened the bypass valves to let water into the water heater but forgot to close the one on his bypass pipe. He was getting a bit of warm water but mostly cold. Some RV's have 2 valves and some have 3.

@JaydonRose 3 жыл бұрын

Good tip. Thanks for sharing your experience with me!

@RVgeeks 3 жыл бұрын

Glad it was helpful!

@user-bd2vq5qm6h Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the great advice we have a new camper and the outside shower was turned on. Not sure why because we haven't used it yet. But that corrected the hot water problem.

@RoomiesGarage 5 жыл бұрын

That is a great video! I never made that mistake but I will remember if it does happen to me thanks

@jasonhatlan8666 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for this video. I’ve been struggling with my water heater all weekend. It wasn’t the same exact issue with the shower but I had the wrong valve turned on my water heater and the hot and cold were mixing. All better now.

@RVgeeks 3 жыл бұрын

That’s awesome, Jason! So great to hear. Thanks for letting us know.

@lifeofajeeper5235 8 жыл бұрын

I would have never of thought this! I know my RV has a outside facet so I will make sure I do it correctly. Thanx.

@dalebijou6080 Жыл бұрын

This video is still helping people. I decided to get a “y” for my washing machine and later that day I found that my hot water tank wasn’t working. That was also the problem leaving both valves open there. Closed the hot water valve and all kinds of hot water. Thanks for saving me the money!

@RVgeeks Жыл бұрын

That’s great, Dale! Thanks for letting us know. 😄

@rickgarboden4391 10 жыл бұрын

I had to smile watching your video. Too late as it had happened to us also. We had the motorhome for less than a year when it happened. Stressful for us to as we did all the same troubleshooting as you did. My wife had the good guess about the outside shower that I had messed with earlier. Thank you for all of your videos as I love watching them.

@RVgeeks 10 жыл бұрын

Thanks Rick! Honestly, we weren't even sure this same thing would happen in our current RV. But when we ran up the water in the kitchen sink to check the temperature, bingo! I bet they all do it!

@barbararose5668 Жыл бұрын

The best guys OUT THERE!!! and also the Smartest, and nicest!!

@RVgeeks Жыл бұрын

We love you Barbara! ❤️❤️

@robinsoncaruso8769 9 жыл бұрын

BRILLIANT! Thank you. as newbie RVers *about* to purchase our first ever RV, we are devouring everything we can to be RV smart. I find many RV videos online are over our newbie heads, but this was explained perfectly so it was easy to follow. Thank you very much for such an informative video.

@RVgeeks 9 жыл бұрын

Congratulations on your upcoming RV purchase!

@joulemine 7 жыл бұрын

What a goofy easy mistake, thanks for the info!!!

@MrMauidiver 2 жыл бұрын

Great tip…Didn’t know this issue.

@richardordonez8331 7 жыл бұрын

that's a good one. Im a residential repair plumber and came across this a couple of times.

@zippy3711 7 жыл бұрын

WOW ! That is a good one. I would never have found it.

@CDaisy-tp7hw 7 жыл бұрын

Good bit of info there. I just bought my first RV with an outside shower. I'll remember this.

@RVgeeks 7 жыл бұрын

Congrats on your new rig!

@r.d.ontheroad-1094 4 жыл бұрын

Great , thanks for sharing, Never too late to learn!!!!!!!!!!!

@careya 9 жыл бұрын

This is great. Thanks for the video.

@MrXcrt 3 жыл бұрын

Great tip !!

@bigjoe2458 7 жыл бұрын

very informative thanks

@scottfirman 3 жыл бұрын

Thats how we learn. We make mistakes. Its best to back track everything when experiencing a problem. This can be anything. If you didn't have a problem before, then you can go back to where you were before the issue began. Many times I find it was something I did wrong.

@imperialfragments 7 жыл бұрын

great topic thanks for sharing

@LifeWithPaulLorena 8 жыл бұрын

We haven't done this...YET, but I'm sure this just saved us a lot of head scratching! Thanks guys! Informative as always!

@RVgeeks 8 жыл бұрын

If we've saved even one person from our DOH! moment, mission accomplished! :)

@RyanTengowski 2 жыл бұрын

2022 Grand Design Solitude here and this still applies! Thank you so much!

@StriderGTS 7 жыл бұрын

Man, that was way more interesting than it should have been. Great video!

@RVgeeks 7 жыл бұрын

LOL Thanks! :)

@KyleMatt11 Жыл бұрын

Hey hey! this video just solved my hot water problem on my fifth wheel!

@alexmares1529 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for info. I had done the exact same thing. You saved me a bundle. Thanks

@RVgeeks 2 жыл бұрын

Excellent!

@Milesco 7 жыл бұрын

Seems to me that the RV should have one-way valves in or near the faucets to avoid this problem of unwanted mixing of the hot and cold water within the RV's plumbing.

@csealand 5 жыл бұрын

Thanks. Good tip.

@comet1996 9 жыл бұрын

Amazing...something so simply could cause so much grief. Good to know.

@ccrpalex2456 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much. I had this very problem. Previous owner showed me it was working but as soon as I got it and parked it, it stopped. I remember he also showed me outside shower but forgot to shut it off.

@mcombsemail 5 жыл бұрын

I had the same problem but it was when I used my portable clothes washer that hooks up to a faucet. Unless you were full hot or full cold they would mix.

@parbirdie1155 11 ай бұрын

Wow, this saved our bacon. My hot water heater just quit working half way through camping trip. Did the same thing you did checked everything and couldn’t get it to come back on. Figured my igniter went bad. Then I thought I would search KZfaq and found your video. That’s exactly what happened to me. I use my outside shower for the first time and the valves were left on, turned them off and voilà, water heater ignited 2006 arctic fox camper is my unit.

@RVgeeks 11 ай бұрын

Awesome! That is do great to hear!

@Markomyt1 3 жыл бұрын

Great info - Subbed!

@jimhill6586 7 жыл бұрын

I did this many years ago after I built my house, some 22 years ago. I built in a shower pull mixing head for my garage hose bib connection. This provides hot water to be used out side for car washing or other wash needs. If left on, does the same thing creating a loop effect. This is so familiar. I figured it out in about an hour. To prevent others in the house from committing the same error, label that fixture to "turn off immediately after use". This helps prevent a repeat.