No hot water in my 2003 Sightseer

[dirtbiker]

sorry if i am posting this wrong as i am not real computer savvy. i took a shower wednesday night and had plenty of hot water. Thursday i noticed i had no hot water pressure at any faucet. when i turned on any faucet to hot water i only got cold water dribbling out slowly! I should probably add that I have a 2003 winnie sightseer.

[Morich]

We need some more of the basics to best start the search.
One is knowing which model of 2003 Sightseer you have as there are three and each will have different layouts for the water lines.
Then it will help if we know some things like if you are using pressure water from a hose or if only on the water from the pump?
Basic plumbing diagrams are here:
https://www.winnebago.com/Files/File...m/Plumbing.htm

But those are sometimes difficult to sort out if not used to using them, so if you give us more info we can do some looking and suggest things to check.
Believe it or not, most of us have had things happen that we will understand if it is something simple!
I would first get the cold water to run as it is what creates the pressure for the hot to flow.
Things like my wife used the hose to fill a bucket but forgot to turn it back on when she reconnected to the RV???
But with the right drawings sorted out, we can point out where the water starts into the whole thing and figure out where it stops!
Tell us more and anything that you may have been doing that could change the way valves are set, etc?
There are times when moving things in a storage compartment may cause a bypass valve to get turned the wrong way!

[Bones2003]

Frequently those symptoms are caused by a plugged/defective check valve. For that age RV, Winnebago typically used two check valves. One on the output of the water heater and one on the input. They are fairly low cost common parts that are readily available. The hard part on some RV models is getting access to the back of the water heater to get a wrench in there to remove the check valve.

[dirtbiker]

first I want to say thanks to those who have replied. Second am not sure but hope i am adding info asked of me. I have a winnebago Sightseer model 30b 2003. cold water side works fine. Hot water only a dribble whether shore water supply or pump supply. I am home and winne is in the barn. Sorry for slow responses but have been tied up with Dr. visits and will respond best I know how but may be a day or two

[steffanfay]

We had the same issue with ours (2003 Adventurer 34). Dribble of hot only. I had to remove the water heater to get at the discharge check valve. People recommend replacing both check valves (supply and discharge) and the electric heat element any time you remove the heater because it's such a pain. You'll need to disconnect the low voltage wiring to the thermostat, the wiring to the electric element if present, the engine coolant hoses if present, the water lines in and out, and the propane.

In our case we had rodent damage/chaffing on the low voltage wiring so I replaced that. Both brass check valves and the electric element were not budging from the tank, which is aluminum I believe. Soft tank and dissimilar metals are not a good combination in my opinion. I purposely destroyed the internals of the discharge check valve and rinsed the tank through the discharge opening. A lot of sediment came out so I assume that was the cause of our failure. I put a new check valve in the discharge line plumbing where I can get to it without removing the water heater again.

Then a few weeks later our Motoraid coach heater fan started making bad noises. Servicing that would require removing the water heater That is *not* happening on my watch.

[creativepart]

Originally Posted by dirtbiker

Second am not sure but hope i am adding info asked of me. I have a winnebago Sightseer model 30b 2003.

Put this info in your Signature and it will appear automatically in every post you make:

[Morich]

Okay, we can move with more assurance that we are looking at the right thing!
This is the set of drawings that are the plumbing on your rV:
https://www.winnebago.com/Files/File...d30b_plumb.pdf

since cold is okay we can look for hot problems alone! Water has to come in, go to heater before the rest of the RV so we cut the chase a bunch.

Down about page 4 is the parts I would check or look for repair?
First is to make sure the bypass valve near the water pump is in the right position to let water go to the water heater! No water in means no water out!
Click these snips for better view!

The valve to check


But then if the valve is right to align with the pipe going to the heater, the next ugly step is to look at the check valves on the heater back as mentioned.



There are two valves, one for in and one for out. There are some RV which you can access these valves by prying off some of the interior panels as easier than removing the heater out the side?? Do some looking and maybe get lucky?
But you may wat to do some testing before that. One way to test if it is the valve going in or out, is to open the lever on the temp and pressure relief valve with the wat all turned on.
Safer to do this when the water heater has NOT been heating as a way to avoid burns!!!

Do you get a steady stream of water telling you the input valve is open okay? Then if you get no hot water any place in the RV, it is likely the output check valve is clogged.
One way to try to avoid removing the heater and all that involves is to try shooting air back wards through a stuck check valve!
If you open the lines to and from the heater at some point that is handy, you "MIGHT" be able to blow some trach like rust out of the valve at the heater??

Big "IF" but big trouble avoided if it works?

I go a long way to avopid remving the heater!

[dirtbiker]

I tried to send a thanks with a question to Morich as I believe you have hit on my problem. I believe it is the out check valve. My testing with your methods (soon as I can find the time)I think will prove that> I like your idea of sending air thru the line. Assuming it is the hot line side I think you are telling me to blow the air in the line towards the heater.

[Morich]

Originally Posted by dirtbiker

I tried to send a thanks with a question to Morich as I believe you have hit on my problem. I believe it is the out check valve. My testing with your methods (soon as I can find the time)I think will prove that> I like your idea of sending air thru the line. Assuming it is the hot line side I think you are telling me to blow the air in the line towards the heater.

Yes, it is kind of a hope and prayer but lots of these check valves are just mostly a fitting with a spring pushing a rubber against a stop. So if there is a bunch of rust or hard water minerals making the valve stay closed, It might come loose if we push air in one way or the other?

If a compressor is handy and not too much pressure, opening the drain at the heater and blowing things back and forth might be worth the time?

It might also be a waste of time but taking the heater out is not going to be fun at all, so I'm in favor of making sure before doing the really hard stuff.

I might even kick it but I probably couldn't reach it!

[Bones2003]

I had a 2003 Winnebago Itasca Sunova 30B which I think is very similar to the Sightseer 30B. On mine, I could remove the drawers from under the closet next to the bed and had just enough room to get to the back of the water heater to replace the check valves but it was tight.

[dirtbiker]

I am probably in the wrong place to do this but am going to post anyway. Thanks to all responded as it led me to my problem fix. Hot water tank check valve on the hot water out side is the problem. The rubber o-ring is defective but rather than trying to locate the proper o-ring I am going to replace the check valve. I found what I think is a replacement on Amazon. (aqua pro 20818 male check valve). THANKS ALL

[Morich]

I fully agree with changing the whole rather than fussing with finding the right O-ring. Those silly simple things can kill more time running to the store than the $200 items. I hate small plumbing but I have done lots and I now almost refuse to go for parts if I can't take the matching items to see them actually screw together!

I'm not too big on ordering as I want to SEE it work!