Hot Water Heater Off While City Water Disconnected?

[travelingjw]

It was freezing last night so the campground suggested that we disconnect city water. We left our hot water heater on believing that its not going to "boil off" enough water to be concerned. In the middle of the night the water heater started crackling. I turned on the pump and ran some hot water and it quieted down some what. Trailer nor hot water heater instructions say anything about running it just with the water pump. Can someone educate me on what Boondockers do, or when city water is disconnected.

[2edgesword]

The water pump takes water from the fresh water tanks and pumps it into the system including the water heater. Getting water out of the hot water tank relies on water being pumped into the tank from the fresh water supply. As long as the pump has a supply of fresh water the water tank keeps being filled and hot water gets circulated by the pressure of water being pumped into the tank. When that stops whatever water is in the tank stays in the tank and just keeps getting reheated as it cools. It doesn't get heated to a boil since there is a shut-off at some temperature (I think 120F).

[edatlanta]

I full time and have never winterized my rig since I live in it. On nights it is supposed to freeze I switch my rig to run on internal fresh water (I always keep my tank full for this purpose and anytime my external water supply is off) and unhook the hose from the city spigot. In my case my water hose runs downhill to the water spigot so I just remove my pressure regulator and leave the hose hooked up to my rig. It drains and is ready to be hooked back. I also have a trash can lined with insulation that I put over the spigot and the spigot has an electric heat tape wrapped around it. I am in central Alabama so we don't get that many freezing night, but this system has worked for me for 10 years.

[Cavie]

Originally Posted by travelingjw

It was freezing last night so the campground suggested that we disconnect city water. We left our hot water heater on believing that its not going to "boil off" enough water to be concerned. In the middle of the night the water heater started crackling. I turned on the pump and ran some hot water and it quieted down some what. Trailer nor hot water heater instructions say anything about running it just with the water pump. Can someone educate me on what Boondockers do, or when city water is disconnected.

There is nothing to do. Everything should work as usual. The water tank can not "boil off" water unless it is defective. There is a 140 degrees shout of installed. Water "boils" at 210. The heater will make some cracking noise when the 120 volt heating element comes on. All electric water heaters do it.