Replacement HWS

Long Weekend · Guru

Replacement HWS

blaze · Guru

Flush the toilet with a jug of water
If it is gas + 240v you will need a gas fitter/ electrian , it needs to be certified to be legal

cheers
blaze

Peter_n_Margaret · Guru

The tank of your Suburban is steel not aluminium. The white you are seeing is the sacrificial anode that is there to prevent the tank from corroding away. It should have been replaced approximately once per year.
You can do all the replacement work yourself except for the gas and 240V connections which should only take a few minutes each.
Cheers,
Peter

skins · Senior Member

Should be a pretty easy job replacing like for like. If you get stuck take it out to Pharleys at Hume & have a look at 'Caravans plus" at QBN re purchase & change your anode at least once a year, but you probably already know all that.

Baz421 · Guru

Easy to do ie remove old and slide in new, but as said need 240v plug attached and gas econnected and leak tested

dieseltojo · Senior Member

I could give some advice but not without receiving a large fee.... smile

Baz421 · Guru

dieseltojo wrote:
I could give some advice but not without receiving a large fee....

I gave it for freeeeee lol

Long Weekend · Guru

Thanks for the replies.

I bought the van from a Jayco dealer 14-months ago, assumed the anode would have been checked then I upgraded from a Freedom that didn't have a HWS or en suite so it took a while to ease into it. As a matter of fact we didn't start using the HWS and en suite until the middle of last winter.

I thought that anodes lasted 12-months, and as we had only been using the HWS for around 6-months, should have been within the limits. But someone has just told me the anodes degrade whether the HWS is used or not. That would be a problem for vans in storage for eleven months of the year and used for the Christmas holidays.

We have made eight trips in the van in 14-months travelling a smidgin over 5,000-kilometres.

Anyway, the tank looks like it was aluminium, particularly with the white powder around the inlet. I would have thought that the tanks would be available separately,

As far as doing the job myself I expect that there would be a plug for the electricity - just like a microwave. If it is hard wired in then it looks like I'll have to engage a professional. As far as the gas goes, well, everyone has had to change over cylinders regularly, don't they?

Actually, I thought the biggest problem will be all the pipes going every which way in the vicinity of the HWS. Maybe it will sort itself out once I get going.

I expect that the new HWS would have complete instructions with it.

By the way, I know about using a bucket to flush toilets - we have had our house cistern fail from time to time. The trick is to use just the right amount of water, tip it in with the right flow. Too much water and too fast results in overflow! But it didn't seem worth it - after all, every time the toilet was 'flushed' someone!? would have to go outside to fill the bucket up again anyway.

Murray

blaze · Guru

seems you already had all your own answer anyway
cheers
blaze

Santa · Guru

blaze wrote:
seems you already had all your own answer anyway
cheers
blaze

Certainly seems to be the case. confuse

Baz421 · Guru

Long Weekend wrote:
Thanks for the replies.
I bought the van from a Jayco dealer 14-months ago, assumed the anode would have been checked then I upgraded from a Freedom that didn't have a HWS or en suite so it took a while to ease into it. As a matter of fact we didn't start using the HWS and en suite until the middle of last winter.
I thought that anodes lasted 12-months, and as we had only been using the HWS for around 6-months, should have been within the limits. But someone has just told me the anodes degrade whether the HWS is used or not. That would be a problem for vans in storage for eleven months of the year and used for the Christmas holidays.
We have made eight trips in the van in 14-months travelling a smidgin over 5,000-kilometres.
Anyway, the tank looks like it was aluminium, particularly with the white powder around the inlet. I would have thought that the tanks would be available separately,
As far as doing the job myself I expect that there would be a plug for the electricity - just like a microwave. If it is hard wired in then it looks like I'll have to engage a professional. As far as the gas goes, well, everyone has had to change over cylinders regularly, don't they?
Actually, I thought the biggest problem will be all the pipes going every which way in the vicinity of the HWS. Maybe it will sort itself out once I get going.
I expect that the new HWS would have complete instructions with it.
By the way, I know about using a bucket to flush toilets - we have had our house cistern fail from time to time. The trick is to use just the right amount of water, tip it in with the right flow. Too much water and too fast results in overflow! But it didn't seem worth it - after all, every time the toilet was 'flushed' someone!? would have to go outside to fill the bucket up again anyway.
Murray

Sent you a PM ref this. Cheers baz

HandyWalter · Senior Member

Rather than replace like with like, have you considered the new instantaneous hot water systems. I saw on in one of the online magazines recently. Not sure if it was Unsealed or RV daily or something similar. They are not 240V but use a lot less gas as they only heat up when you turn on the tap. They are designed to fit into the space of the Suburban unit.
Cheers
Wally

Santa · Guru

HandyWalter wrote:
Rather than replace like with like, have you considered the new instantaneous hot water systems. I saw on in one of the online magazines recently. Not sure if it was Unsealed or RV daily or something similar. They are not 240V but use a lot less gas as they only heat up when you turn on the tap. They are designed to fit into the space of the Suburban unit.
Cheers
Wally

Most, if not all demand gas heaters are enormously gas hungry Wally, I speak from experience. smile

Baz421 · Guru

Santa wrote:
HandyWalter wrote:
Rather than replace like with like, have you considered the new instantaneous hot water systems. I saw on in one of the online magazines recently. Not sure if it was Unsealed or RV daily or something similar. They are not 240V but use a lot less gas as they only heat up when you turn on the tap. They are designed to fit into the space of the Suburban unit.
Cheers
Wally
Most, if not all demand gas heaters are enormously gas hungry Wally, I speak from experience.

Yep we try to save $ with all sorts of batteries, solar and inverters and numerous gadgets and fit other that cost more $. ??????? Why