2002 Adventurer 30Y No Hot Water

[Dionmm]

I’m a newbee to the Rv life.
Purchased a 2002 Winnebago class A model 30y.
Atwood 10 gallon. Model Gch10a. water heater.
Took the rig on a 60 day , 7500 mile journey, only issue was a constant loss of coolant.
Had the dealer servicing the coolant leak. We were told that multiple small leaks were repaired including 2 leaks at the hot water heater.
In preparing the rig for a week long outing I engaged the water pump and immediately got water pouring out of two fittings in the lines going to/from the water heater. The pex line coming out of the lower rear of the heater had not be secured to the unit. After repair of the leaks I am not getting any water from any faucet when moved into the hot water position. I have released the pressure valve, no water from there either. I’m wondering if any water is entering the heater. If I engage the bypass I get cold water from both hot and cold position.
I’m looking for guidance on how to proceed?

[be happy]

For smarter folks than me to help you will need to provide the model name of your 2002 Winnebago.

You mentioned you opened the pressure relief valve and no water came out. Have you unscrewed the drain valve to see is water comes out.

You mentioned water pump, so you are getting the water from the fresh water tank. Are you sure there is water in that tank. Check all the winterizing valves to make sure they are in the correct position, make sure the any other valves dealing with water are also in the correct position.

I am sure folks who know more will come on but put the model name of unit so folks can check it out.

Welcome to the club

[Morich]

Morning folks! Welcome to the RV world of wondering what's up!

Seems we get to do a lot of head scratching! So one way to start is how to find a bunch of info?
Winnebago does a good job of posting info online but it can be a trek to find if at times, so maybe it will help if I point to the places I like? Sounds like you may have a stuck check valve on the back of the heater, so drawings of that may be good?
Parts catalog here for all kind of the RV parts of the RV:
https://catalog3d.winnebagoind.com/menu/Parts.htm
Water and sewer group is the place to look but I find nothing on the check valve and no picture of the rear of heater, so moving on!

Plumbing specific info here:
https://www.winnebago.com/Files/File...m/Plumbing.htm
working down to your rV here:
https://www.winnebago.com/Files/File...g30y_plumb.pdf
drop down to page four we get an outline of the
RV with drawing of the heater left side? That has arrows indicating we need to find details of the heater at detail DD!
BAH!
That's where the info goes bad as it is the old style line drawings and they really messed this one up! So we need to do some guessing and let you follow the pipes to see if my guess is right!

Click this snip for better view!


What I have to guess is it takes this path? Since the drawing is a mess, we need to guess and try to look to check!
The water comes in from the tank and all I've seen goes into the bottom of the tank with hot coming out the upper pipe! I think you will find it goes somewhere down out of sight on the right side of this drawing of the tank and comes back lower to go into the tank??
Not sure what that furball might be but I do know there has to be a part to connect the pipe to the tank at the lower connection!

Short story is that there are often check valves at the heater rear and if we bang around working on the pipes, we may knock mineral deposits off the pipe walls to stick in the check valve?

You've sorted it down to pretty well no water going in the tank if none comes out when pressure is on and you flip up the lever on the pressure safety valve.
If you have a hose hookup, it might be worthwhile to try it with the higher pressure to see if something small would work on through the check valve but I'm guessing you will have to clear the lower check valve.
But that is based on my guessing where and how the pipes run and that there IS a check valve supposed to be in that open space on the lower connection!

But I'm doing lots of guessing that you may see much better? Is the bypass out of sight on the right side of this drawing?
Maybe follow the lines and see the bypass is letting water go into the tank.
One thing we can both be sure of is that water has to go in before it gets hot and comes out!!!
Somewhere real close, you have the problem cornered----even if my guessing is no where near right!

Good luck with the chase!

[Dionmm]

Morich,
Thanks for the links to information.
I’m currently attached to city water, aprox 35 psi.
If I open the drain valve water flows, so I’m sure the water is reaching the heater. It’s location does not allow me to see the back of the heater, where it appears the check valve is located. Next step will be to see if I can access from under the rig. I’m attempting to get specific information from Atwood.
When posting on this forum, what rig specs should be supplied?
Michael

[Morich]

Okay, if getting water out of any of the valves, etc on the tank but not from any faucets, it may be the check valve is on the outgoing pipe instead of the one letting water in! Do you mean the drain on the water heater? Or a different drain? Getting water out of the pressure relief valve is one way to find if water is getting in and easier than taking the plug out. Careful flipping that relief valve open if heater is hot!!
These can get stuck or filled up with debris of some sort, just like the strainers on faucets!
I actually expected to see the check valve on the outgoing side as that is normal, but when they left it totally open, I thought I might not want to say for sure! I try to cut them some slack as they try but when they show and open pipe, I'm pretty sure they did not mean it!

What might you find on the right side of the heater as we see it? Is there any way to spot a connection that would let you take it loose and shoot air in toward the heater?
If you are not able to get to the back of the heater without taking it out (UGH!) it might be worth a try to blow air backwards into the heater, hoping something might be just stuck on the outlet side??
Hope and prayer sometimes works but if you could blow backwards through the heater outlet, maybe debris of some sort would get blown back out and then you could flush it out of the tank drain??
I've worked on old rentals with rusty pipes and sometimes taking a shot works better than tearing out a wall to replace a pipe!
Other times, I find out I wasted my time!

That also beings an idea of something to ask about in case you are missing a small point? Have you check different faucets to make sure it is not something really simple like one faucet strainer being stopped up?
Depends on what type faucet, etc but we can overlook some of the easy points if we are sleeping!

I think you got all the main points covered with year make like Adventurer and floorplan as that is the way the drawings and such are listed. Possibly the second post missed spotting the info in the title? There are some RV which were built with early and late models as well as the other info, but that is often getting down to details that can be sorted as we go along.
The difference in early or late build can be spotted in the serial number. Not the VIN, but the RV serial number! If 7th digit is 1, you are early or 2 for later build in that year!
If paperwork is not handy, check label next to driver's left side where there is a bunch of techie type info listed?
One way to always get that info in the post without having to remember and type it each time, is the way post two above has it.
See how behappy has info he wants on each post without him doing it each time? A handy way to tell the facts.
Find "user cp" at top left, go there and under edits at left go to signature and enter any basic stuff there and it does the rest auto.

[Dionmm]

Finally established no water is reaching the water heater.
Rig was serviced for a coolant leak. Technician found two leaks at the water heater.
Upon returning home I spoke with the dealership and was informed that either the input lines were crossed or the technician installed the check valve in the wrong position.
Correction will be made by the dealership.
Thanks Morich for all your input!
I will continue to learn via the help and wealth of knowledge in this forum.
Michael, the Newbie!

[Morich]

It's those small points that get us so often!
I went to the owners manual to check a point on the coolant leak and verify that you likely have a "motoraid" system. That runs the engine coolant around the water heater and it a really nice things at times.

But then I also came across an additional point that likely 90% of the owners never read or ever do!

Sounds like a bummer to have top do this every six months but if inclined and you can get to it, this sounds like a point that may have snagged you?



You and about every other owner that has one of these!!!

Glad to hear it may be on the road again shortly!

[Ray,IN]

Winnebago has a habit-for lack of a better word, of putting a check valve on both inlet and outlet of water heaters, one of this is faulty.
You mentioned coolant, is the motor-aid also leaking?