Re: [A/S] Water Heater Concerns

["Harvey Barlow" <harveybarlow@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Thomas,

The answer to both questions is yes.  The electric element can remain on all
the time.  If rapid usage depletes stored hot water beyond a certain point,
the gas heater will self-ignite and quickly restore a tank full of hot
water.  The rest of the time the electric element will maintain hot water
without gas usage.

The electric element can, I believe, be added to both popular brands of RV
water heaters.  The drain valve is removed and replaced with the electric
element.  The only additional work required is installing the switch and
routing 115 volt ac power to the heating element.

Another list member responded with a good point about giving up the ability
to drain his water tank to prevent freezing when the electric element
replaced the drain valve.  I thought that was true also until recently.

My previous A/S had the electric element.  When it was hail-damaged last
year I sold it and bought a bargain-priced older A/S w/o electric element
from a friend.  I was planning to add the electric element but hadn't done
so yet.  During a recent period of very cold weather, when I had drained all
the fresh water lines and the water heater tank by opening the
bottom-mounted pressure relief valve, I decided to install stop valves and
bypass valves on my water heater to make it easier to winterize the trailer
.  I cut the cold-in and hot-out lines of my water heater and was quite
surprised to find that a 1/2 gallon or so of water was trapped in the bottom
of the water heater tank.  Until then, I thought I was completely draining
the water heater tank and it was freeze protected.  Not so.

Harvey