gene j Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 Should the water heater on my 92 Dolphin cycle on and off like my water heater at home? When i start it up the water certainly gets hot but the heater seems to stay on...I can hear the flame going strong. I haven't let it run for any great length of time as I always end up shutting it down out of apprehension, but I think I've let it run long enough that it would turn off by itself if it was working correctly. I'm just not sure how to check it out....does anyone have any input for me...thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee & Joan Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 Your water temperature thermostat should turn off the main burner flame when it hits the set water temperature and only the pilot flame should remain on until the water temperature falls below the set temperature. You can try turning the thermostat down to its lowest setting but it sounds like maybe you have a bunk thermostat. If it keeps running too long the pressure/temperature relief valve should open to blow off the excess water pressure.You would then see hot water venting outside the tank and onto the ground outside. You can observe the pilot and burner flame behind the door. My water heater gets done heating in under 10 minutes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maineah Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 Don't forget it only holds 6 gallons so by the time you use a couple of gallons it's going to cool it down pretty good. Stone cold mine takes close to 15 min. to shut off. Despite the fact they sound like a 747 leaving the air port they really don’t use a lot of fuel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gene j Posted January 30, 2011 Author Share Posted January 30, 2011 Your water temperature thermostat should turn off the main burner flame when it hits the set water temperature and only the pilot flame should remain on until the water temperature falls below the set temperature. You can try turning the thermostat down to its lowest setting but it sounds like maybe you have a bunk thermostat. If it keeps running too long the pressure/temperature relief valve should open to blow off the excess water pressure.You would then see hot water venting outside the tank and onto the ground outside. You can observe the pilot and burner flame behind the door. My water heater gets done heating in under 10 minutes. I'll turn it on and let it run and see what happens...do you know if the thermostat is adjustable? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gene j Posted January 30, 2011 Author Share Posted January 30, 2011 Don't forget it only holds 6 gallons so by the time you use a couple of gallons it's going to cool it down pretty good. Stone cold mine takes close to 15 min. to shut off. Despite the fact they sound like a 747 leaving the air port they really don't use a lot of fuel. Even if I don't use water it still stays on....thermostat adjustable? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee & Joan Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 Gene, I think every model of water heater I have ever seen had an adjustable thermostat, look for a pointer on a turnable dial that sweeps from warm to hot, or warmer/cooler, or H/C or something to that effect. Mine has the red knob on top where you also push the knob to light the pilot light and turn the gas on or off. Look inside of the outdoor water heater door and see if you can find it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee & Joan Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 Gene, you might want to check this out http://toyotamotorhome.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=1124&st=0&p=4692&hl=+search...%20+heater%20+anode&fromsearch=1entry4692 it talks about some autolighters that have only a preset thermostat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gulfstream Greg Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 Not all the RV water heaters have adjustable thermostats. Mine does not. it is a Suburban. Mine heated the water way too hot. Its thermostat is actually a heat sensor (non adjustable) that presses against the tank on the interior near the controller. Like I said mine got to hot, around 165 degrees. So I did some research and found that a guy had taken a standard adjustable thermostat available at Home Depot (under $10) and retrofitted it in place of the original. So I bought one and did the same. Now my water temp is down to 120 - 130 degrees and no more lobster cooking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gulfstream Greg Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 Here is an instant water heater, ready in 5 seconds! By Coleman Detailed Features Specifications Dimensions: 17"L X 9.6"W X 16.1"HFeaturesFull size faucet fold into handle Heat up to 40 gallons of water with one compact Coleman® 16.4 oz propane cylinder (Propane sold separately) For even more hot water, adapt to a bulk propane tank (adapters and tank sold separately) Rechargeable 6 volt battery pumps the water Battery can be recharged in the car or off of a household outlet Recharge cords store inside the heater Simple to maintain: clean the heater with a simple household solution Portable, propane hot water system for outdoor use only Made in China http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=7151638&CatId=6993 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek up North Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 Nice gadget. Too bad they don't mention how much water is heated in 5 seconds! Unless it's an awfully big burner, I can't imagine it's too much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maineah Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 Some thermostats have a lever behind them you really can't see it very well reach behind where it kind of fits into the heater and see if you can find a small lever. I adjusted mine to be about right for a shower so I don't have to mix extra water to cool it down. If all else fails try Greg's trick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gene jo Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 I want to thank everyone for their input on this subject. There is always a wealth of info on this site. Thanks again. Gene Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gene jo Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 Not all the RV water heaters have adjustable thermostats. Mine does not. it is a Suburban. Mine heated the water way too hot. Its thermostat is actually a heat sensor (non adjustable) that presses against the tank on the interior near the controller. Like I said mine got to hot, around 165 degrees. So I did some research and found that a guy had taken a standard adjustable thermostat available at Home Depot (under $10) and retrofitted it in place of the original. So I bought one and did the same. Now my water temp is down to 120 - 130 degrees and no more lobster cooking. Greg, Thanks for the input.....I'm going to look into another thermostat like you did. Gene Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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