The unit is just under 2 years old . In a Retreat caravan which we bought new .
Hot water unit is made by Suburban Manufacturing Company and handled by Coast to Coast RV Services at Silverwater NSW .
It has being going perfectly until 2 weeks ago . Now the water doesn't get hot enough .
I just wondered if there was someone here that knew if there was an adjustment somewhere on the unit , otherwise we'll have to get it to a service centre .
The water still gets hot enough for a shower , but I have that feeling that it may stop operating soon .
-- Edited by sandsmere on Saturday 27th of July 2013 10:54:58 AM
Yuglamron said
01:12 PM Jul 27, 2013
I looked at The Caravaner's forum and they suggest that the tempering valve may be faulty. It is supposed to be plumbed into the line for the shower so you don't scald yourself. It might failed and is not letting the water go through at the correct temp for the sink but is OK for the shower. Should be able to trace the hot water lines and check that it is letting too much cold through when using the sink.
-- Edited by Yuglamron on Saturday 27th of July 2013 01:23:48 PM
sandsmere said
01:27 PM Jul 27, 2013
The hot water unit in the van does not seem to be working properly .
The water is not getting as hot as it should . We don't need to use any cold at all in the shower .
It is the same whether we are on 240volt power or gas .
Anybody else come across this problem before ?
Cupie said
04:53 PM Jul 27, 2013
A little more detail might help with advice.
What brand/model is the heater?
PeterD said
05:01 PM Jul 27, 2013
Not much to go on there. What type of heater (brand/model?) Is this a new problem or was it there from the start?
If the van arrived with the "problem" it may not be a fault as there is a tempering valve installed. It may be just not to your liking.
Cupie said
02:51 AM Jul 28, 2013
Mine is an earlier model Suburban that is gas only manual light with a flame type.
It has a temperature adjustment on the face of the unit.
Just open the external door & look for the control. It's a segment that can be rotated to change the temp.
If it was OK & is now not hot enough on both gas & 240v then I would be looking at the tempering valve.
If you don't know what a tempering valve looks like try this link
Thanks Yuglamron and Cupie . I will check the tempering valve out .
patrol03 said
08:34 PM Jul 28, 2013
Hi Sandsmere, My wife complained for almost 12 months about the low temperature of the hot water in our new van.I attempted to adjust the tempering valve but with limited improvement. with a short piece of the appropriate tubing,couple of John Guest fittings and half an hours labour under the van the tempering valve was successfully bypassed and removed. The outcome.....happy wife. I too enjoy a shower at the temperature they suits me.It made a big difference at the sink too. (Tempering valves are a legal requirement at the point of manufacture.) Make your own decision. Cheers Ian
sandsmere said
12:12 PM Jul 29, 2013
Thanks Ian . Our problem is the tempering valve , so I will take the appropriate action .
hako said
11:41 AM Aug 1, 2013
We have 2 tempering valves fitted to our house - one for solar and one for off-peak. You can prise the cover off on each of these and turn an adjuster with a pair of vice grips. This saves having to remove the unit and blank it off plus keeps it 'legal' (yes inspector, you can see the tempering valve is fitted).
Good Luck.
-- Edited by hako on Thursday 1st of August 2013 12:22:04 PM
The unit is just under 2 years old . In a Retreat caravan which we bought new .
Hot water unit is made by Suburban Manufacturing Company and handled by Coast to Coast RV Services at Silverwater NSW .
It has being going perfectly until 2 weeks ago . Now the water doesn't get hot enough .
I just wondered if there was someone here that knew if there was an adjustment somewhere on the unit , otherwise we'll have to get it to a service centre .
The water still gets hot enough for a shower , but I have that feeling that it may stop operating soon .
-- Edited by sandsmere on Saturday 27th of July 2013 10:54:58 AM
I looked at The Caravaner's forum and they suggest that the tempering valve may be faulty. It is supposed to be plumbed into the line for the shower so you don't scald yourself. It might failed and is not letting the water go through at the correct temp for the sink but is OK for the shower. Should be able to trace the hot water lines and check that it is letting too much cold through when using the sink.
-- Edited by Yuglamron on Saturday 27th of July 2013 01:23:48 PM
The hot water unit in the van does not seem to be working properly .
The water is not getting as hot as it should . We don't need to use any cold at all in the shower .
It is the same whether we are on 240volt power or gas .
Anybody else come across this problem before ?
A little more detail might help with advice.
What brand/model is the heater?
If the van arrived with the "problem" it may not be a fault as there is a tempering valve installed. It may be just not to your liking.
Mine is an earlier model Suburban that is gas only manual light with a flame type.
It has a temperature adjustment on the face of the unit.
Just open the external door & look for the control. It's a segment that can be rotated to change the temp.
If it was OK & is now not hot enough on both gas & 240v then I would be looking at the tempering valve.
If you don't know what a tempering valve looks like try this link
http://www.awrvworld.com.au/index.php/accessories-for-sale/a-van-accessories-for-sale/product/128-tempering-valve
Cheers .. G
Thanks Yuglamron and Cupie . I will check the tempering valve out .
Hi Sandsmere, My wife complained for almost 12 months about the low temperature of the hot water in our new van.I attempted to adjust the tempering valve but with limited improvement. with a short piece of the appropriate tubing,couple of John Guest fittings and half an hours labour under the van the tempering valve was successfully bypassed and removed. The outcome.....happy wife. I too enjoy a shower at the temperature they suits me.It made a big difference at the sink too. (Tempering valves are a legal requirement at the point of manufacture.) Make your own decision. Cheers Ian
Thanks Ian . Our problem is the tempering valve , so I will take the appropriate action .
We have 2 tempering valves fitted to our house - one for solar and one for off-peak. You can prise the cover off on each of these and turn an adjuster with a pair of vice grips. This saves having to remove the unit and blank it off plus keeps it 'legal' (yes inspector, you can see the tempering valve is fitted).
Good Luck.
-- Edited by hako on Thursday 1st of August 2013 12:22:04 PM
A five cent coin fits perfectly inside Tempering Valve
MMmm !! Thanks people .