Water heater on all the time? (1 Viewer)

MHVirgins

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We're on a CL not that far from home this weekend, but wanted to ask a question about whether you only keep your water heaters on for a while and then switch it off?

Bill went for a shower, I heard the water running and then I heard all sorts of pained noises:Eeek::swear::swear: $$***7&&&&!!!:Angry: angry voice shouts "Did you switch the water heater off"?

Anyway, I had switched off the water heater off about two hours earlier, so Bill had some hot water then loads of cold water:Doh:
So how long do you keep the water heater on for? All the time, or just as required? Answers on a postcard..........please!

Just wondered because I usually switch the water heater off after an hour or so.

p.s. I think Bill's got over the shock now:roflmto:

Margaret
 

hilldweller

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Depends. Gas or electric.

Electric on EHU, it's just an immersion heater, leave it on if not metered.

Gas, it's not as well lagged as your house tank so I turn off when not needed.
 
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MHVirgins

MHVirgins

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Depends. Gas or electric.

Electric on EHU, it's just an immersion heater, leave it on if not metered.

Gas, it's not as well lagged as your house tank so I turn off when not needed.


Hi Brian, we're on EHU at this CL. I had switched the heater off as Bill had left it on overnight, I usually switch it off last thing.........but have been "advised" that it's better to leave it on:RollEyes: I didn't think the hot stuff would've gone so quickly.......he had only been in the shower long enough to get wet, switch off water, lather up, then switch on water:Eeek:
Not a good start to the day

Margaret::bigsmile:


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maz

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On hook-up, water heater left on all the time.

On gas, water heater left on at 40 degrees and then switched up to 60 degrees about half an hour before a shower. Takes 5-10 mins for water to get to 60 from 40, then residual heat for 20 mins brings water temp up closer to 70 degrees. Lovely hot shower. :Smile:
 

hilldweller

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:RollEyes: I didn't think the hot stuff would've gone so quickly.....

Now that is another problem. The heater only heats a small water tank and there's not enough power to heat the water as fast as the shower uses it. So sooner rather than later he gets a cold shower.

This is yet another example of how we have to adapt when in a MH and why I categorise sites by their showers. Two leaders: Grantown on Spey and Villasol. I suggest you try both ASAP.

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Apr 22, 2012
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We leave electric water heater on all the time

When we first had the motorhome we switched the electric water heater on when we had EHU and off when we left but then kept forgetting (the switch is in an inaccessible place under a dinette seat and behind where spare bedding lives and you have to do battle with the back rest/seat and seat belts to get at it). When nothing calamitous happened, we figured that it didn't matter, so we now leave it on. If we have hook up, we get hot water; if we are wild camping we use gas water heater - or just boil water for cooking and washing up if we're not too smelly!
 

hilldweller

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When nothing calamitous happened, we figured that it didn't matter, so we now leave it on.

That might come back to bite you. One day you'll hook up and it will go "pop" but will you remember that it's the heater that is tripping the miserable 6A breaker or will you tear the place apart looking for a fault ?
 

GJH

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Our water heating is gas only and we have it on as necessary. During cold weather (when there is a risk of the auto dump valve acting) we will leave it on 40 deg. During summer (when there is no need to leave it on overnight) I switch it on about 15 minutes before I want my morning shower and there is enough hot water.

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Jaws

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When we bought the van ( 2nd hand but only 18mnths old ) it only had a gas water heater.. Swapped that out straight away to duel feed for two reasons

1) Did not want to be using gas all the time when on hook up

2) If we are in a hurry for hot water I have both gas and electric heating it up.. Very quick that way :thumb:

To answer the question.. The switch is on all the time we are on hook up.. And it uses very little...
When down in Spain and limited to 10 units a day we never came CLOSE to using up our allowance
 
Nov 6, 2013
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We leave it on all the time if on EHU and only when needed when using gas.
You always pay extra for EHU so why not use it?:winky:
 
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MHVirgins

MHVirgins

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Now that is another problem. The heater only heats a small water tank and there's not enough power to heat the water as fast as the shower uses it. So sooner rather than later he gets a cold shower.

This is yet another example of how we have to adapt when in a MH and why I categorise sites by their showers. Two leaders: Grantown on Spey and Villasol. I suggest you try both ASAP.


This is the first time he's had a cold shower, :ROFLMAO: we were two weeks near Edinburgh last month and no problems. In fact, we've never had this problem since we got the Dakota.......will be leaving it on from now on:RollEyes:

I was just trying to save electricity, but as Baycott has said, we're paying for it anyway........at £10 per night it's great!::bigsmile:

Margaret

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Sep 3, 2013
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Being pretty new to all this, we've only ever switched the water heater on when needed. I was under the impression this was the best thing for the heater element. Clearly not.

The problem I've faced doing as above is that the water heater needs switched on well in advance for a shower. So in the morning, on it goes when I wake up (I'm usually awake very early) and it stays on for around 3 hours until we're all up, breakfasted and showered.

And I've always worried about leaving the water heater on excessively as I thought it would get damaged. Three hours has been my self-imposed maximum so far. Maybe I should loosen up about it.

But if on all the time then we can be a little better organised. Hadn't thought about using gas and EHU for quick heating either. Nice!:thumb:
 
Jul 12, 2013
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A shower at the start of the day is one of my most valued moments (not THE most valued moment) and to have the latter part of my shower in cold water could make for interesting reading.
Alan
 

lorger

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I just have a cold shower look at all the money I save :ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:

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TheBig1

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3 reasons NOT to leave the electric heating on all the time

The element is only good for a limited amount of hours use before it burns out. some go on for years, and some vans seem t eat them burning one out about every 12 months of use. the more you use it the quicker it will fail

run out of water and if the overheat trip doesn't pop, the element will, welding it into the heater making repair difficult

leave it turned on and if you plug into ehu to charge batteries at home, you are also wasting money heating water you wont use

by all means put it on for a prolonged period when on ehu and you will use the water, but be aware there is a cost
 

wasp

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Most only hold about 10 litres so 2 gallons ish you have to be reasonably quick unless you got a Truma combi heater

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daisy mae

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In caravan always leave the water heater on, unless water is running out do not have under floor tanks, in motor home will leave water heater on when on site.
 
Apr 27, 2008
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Our water heater is on all the time we are using the van, usually on gas but electric if on ehu. Gas (refillable) is pretty cheap and easily available.
I doubt if the difference in fuel used is that great whether it's left on or switched on and off. Once its up to temperature the gas/electric element only goes on occasionally to maintain the temperature anyway.
 

Minxy

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I hate waste, I really do, regardless of whether I'm 'paying' for something or not, I would not waste it. Leaving a water heater on, or anything else for that matter, when it doesn't need to be is just daft ... would you do the same at home? More than that, it can be very selfish as we found out a few years back when on a CC site over Chrismas, the draw on the electricity was so great by lots of 'selfish' people having loads and loads of decorations on - and I mean LOADS of them - that the site's system couldn't cope and we ended up with it going off for a few hours with a poorly dog! You can indeed argue that you are 'paying for it so will use it' but its one thing to use it when you NEED to and quite another to do so because you think you have the RIGHT to do so and therefore waste it if you want to.

When on a site (very rare) we do use the electric if it is available but only to run the fridge, lighting etc as you would expect but we don't go OTT and do things like have the heating on all night - that's what duvets etc are for (medical conditions excepted of course!) - or put the boiler on constantly for the sake of it, surely it should only be put on in order to heat the water ready for when you do NEED it, not just for the hell of it! :RollEyes:

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Allanm

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We generally use gas to heat water, not EHU. Luckily, we have a timer fitted to the heater and hot water so it comes on at 6am, goes off at 8am. Water temp is set at 60 and the temp display flashes till it reaches temperature, from cold, this is usually about 30-40 minutes. That way, we know we can get 3 quick showers in before the hot water runs out.
 

Snowbird

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There is of course another side to leaving the electric water heater on continuously. If left on, the water expands as it gets hot, it has to go somewhere, mine goes through an overflow pipe under the van. When I ran RVs if the boiler was left on I was constantly renewing tap washers, as the expanding water used to be forced past the washer. Also if in Spain where the water is predominantly hard with a lot of calk, then the more you use the boiler, the more chance you have of calcium build up in the boiler. When I do use the boiler I tend to run it whilst at just above minimum setting so as to reduce the chance of calcium build up. The hotter the boiler is run the more calk it will produce.
 

lee52

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Most only hold about 10 litres so 2 gallons ish you have to be reasonably quick unless you got a Truma combi heater

I think I might of gone OTT when gathering parts I have a 50L hot water tank:Eeek: but me and the missus like a shower in the morn and didnt want to be having to mess about switching showers on and of just to have enough hot water for a shower BTW mines heated via diesel thermo top or engine when driving or electric on hook up

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TheBig1

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the only sensible way to shower in a motorhome (or caravan or boat) is to have a sailors shower. water on to get wet then off whilst soaping, then water back on to rinse. thats why many motorhome etc shower heads have a feature to stop the water

done right you can shower efficiently and get clean with 5litres of water. ok i might use 10litres but i am not having to refill the tank daily

Lee, your 50litre heater sounds great but that will consume a lot of fuel and time to be ready to shower.
 

lee52

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the only sensible way to shower in a motorhome (or caravan or boat) is to have a sailors shower. water on to get wet then off whilst soaping, then water back on to rinse. thats why many motorhome etc shower heads have a feature to stop the water

done right you can shower efficiently and get clean with 5litres of water. ok i might use 10litres but i am not having to refill the tank daily

Lee, your 50litre heater sounds great but that will consume a lot of fuel and time to be ready to shower.

true thats why I can switch over to have the engine heating/warming water while driving so it will be upto temp so when we arrive, so I shouldnt have to heat from cold so hopefully saving fuel and the tank is well insulated, the water is still hot after been left switched off over night, from cold it takes 2 hours to get to full temp using the thermotop, my waste tank is 210L (plastic truck fuel tank modded)
 

GJH

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[HI]the only sensible way to shower in a motorhome (or caravan or boat) is to have a sailors shower. water on to get wet then off whilst soaping, then water back on to rinse. thats why many motorhome etc shower heads have a feature to stop the water[/HI]

done right you can shower efficiently and get clean with 5litres of water. ok i might use 10litres but i am not having to refill the tank daily

Lee, your 50litre heater sounds great but that will consume a lot of fuel and time to be ready to shower.

That's the way to do it ::bigsmile:

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