using hot water service -HELP !

[busybusymum]

We are just going though everything on our new expanda this weekend to make sure we remember everything before next weekend the first big trip- and that got us to thinking about the hot water service (HWS). We have a switch for the hot water service that turns it on down near our battery switch. But how do we know whether we have water in our hot water service. I assume that if we turn this switch on and we dont have water in our hot water service we could damage our HWS. is there a tap that you need to turn on to fill the HWS or does it just fill automatically. By the time we got to talking about the HWS at handover our brains were on overload so we cant remember whether we were told something important about this or not - and I cant seee anything on the DVD we were given that talks about this. Does anyone have a quick answer for us?

We do remember the switch about the pump - for pressure to the taps - but this is seperate to the HWS.

 

[Matty4]

My understanding of how it works is once water is turned on, either by mains connection or using the pump, the water will fill the small tank of the HWS.
From memory it holds about 22 litres. Therefore it should always be full and will heat once you turn it on at the switch.

Feel free to correct me, memory isn't the flashest ATM....hehe

 

[Bank of Dad]

Busybusymum - The Checklist below (sorry, pilot, love checklists!) is what we were given by Bayswater Jayco when we collected our van in Dec 11.

HOT WATER SERVICE​

Electric/Powered Site

1. Outside van turn HWS swith to ON.
2. Inside van, flick tap to hot & ensure water flowing.
3. Plug into powerpoint, from HWS & turn on. (NB: This is under the dinette near your battery box & breakaway battery)

Gas/Unpowered Site

1. Outside van turn HWS switch to OFF.
2. Inside van ensure Battery Switch & Water Pump Switch ON.
3. Flick tap to hot & ensure water flowing.
4. Turn white hot water switch to ON (NB: This is probably with your Battery & Pump Switch - it is the one with the red lens on it). Red light will turn ON, then go off when operating in approx 10 seconds.

Important Turn OFF when finished use.

NB: HWS takes approx 15-20 mins to heat.

Hope this helps. Your HWS will fill when you connect mains or turn the pump on with tank water, but that is why you turn the tap to hot. If it flows it has water; if it doesn't flow, then it doesn't.

There are also some excellent videos on line - google Australian Caravan Services or Caravan Hot Water Systems, excellent.

Relax!:rockon:

 

[Moto Moto]

Great checklist BOD. Very handy for new van owners:rockon:

 

[Deano]

Thanks BOD. Just had the van serviced and they mentioned that I left the HWS switch on outside. Must've forgot about that in the handover.
But that checklist you provided was handy. I'll make sure my wife understands and we follow the simple steps!
Cheers Deano

 

[Bank of Dad]

You're welcome.

 

[mfexpanda]

You're welcome.

Gee you waited awhile to acknowledge that post

 

[Bellbirdweb]

Thanks BOD. Just had the van serviced and they mentioned that I left the HWS switch on outside. Must've forgot about that in the handover.
But that checklist you provided was handy. I'll make sure my wife understands and we follow the simple steps!
Cheers Deano

The switch outside can be left on all the time and you can just control it using the inside power point.

 

[Bellbirdweb]

Gee you waited awhile to acknowledge that post

LOL just noticed the date on the post

 

[SkinnyBuddah]

And when at a powered site and your going in after the mrs... flick the gas on too for extra heat and faster reheat for your shower

 

[Dropbear]

@Bank of Dad +1 for that checklist, I have printed that out

 

[Drover]

Agree leave the switch outside on all the time, they are mongrel switches and if it falls apart!!!!!!!!!, well you don't want to have to try and replace it, turn HWS on and off at the mains switch.....

 

[Bank of Dad]

And when at a powered site and your going in after the mrs... flick the gas on too for extra heat and faster reheat for your shower

True!

 

[Bank of Dad]

Agree leave the switch outside on all the time, they are mongrel switches and if it falls apart!!!!!!!!!, well you don't want to have to try and replace it, turn HWS on and off at the mains switch.....

Our JB Van has a remote switch inside the van as well as outside for this reason. Wouldn't have thought it would take too much to do this after sales, or even just make it part of the build standard........Jayco?

 

[pauljygrant]

We leave the outside switch on, and have fitted a switch with LED between the GPO electrical socket and the water heater - not only is it easier to turn on or off, but the LED is easy to see when entering the camper. Also use both electric and gas to recharge the water heater when taking 2 showers back to back.
When setting up, always run all taps to check for air in the tank / pipes.

 

[Drover]

I like that idea with the extra switch @pauljygrant, might have to do that as our GPO is buried in a cupboard.......I had to replace the tny rocker switch on the outside once and it is a fiddly job, need a switch with the terminals bent a certain way and there is very little room behind for the cables , very cramped I ended up removing the switch all together.