Water Heater

[kplal1977]

How long does it take the gas to heat the water?
It seemed like it was going to shut off but kept going. When I finally shut it off manually the water was scolding hot. Appreciate any feedback on this.

 

[JimD]

I timed my 6 gal Suburban water heater and it took about 35 minutes to reach full temp and shut off. If I ran it on both 120 volts and gas at the same time it would knock off 5-10 minutes.

 

[craigav]

I never timed mine however, I do know that when I am in the mountains and the water supply temp is around ~40 degrees that it takes a lot longer (perhaps 3~4 times longer) to heat the tank than when here in Texas with a water supply temp near ~70 degrees. ~CA

 

[kplal1977]

Thanks, that’s a big help. I’ll definitely look at timing it and see what happens.

 

[Grumpy]

How long does it take the gas to heat the water?
It seemed like it was going to shut off but kept going. When I finally shut it off manually the water was scolding hot. Appreciate any feedback on this.

Don't forget they are usually set for 140 degrees, which is higher than a home system.

 

[LuckyDuck]

How long does it take the gas to heat the water?
It seemed like it was going to shut off but kept going. When I finally shut it off manually the water was scolding hot. Appreciate any feedback on this.

Not sure what heater you have, how old, what elevation you’re camping at, so it’s hard to give a definitive answer. Our Atwood 6 gallon is gas only and runs for about 25 minutes before it shuts off. If we leave it on and start using the hot water, it will kick on again.

As an aside, we know when we’re going to need hot water (showers etc) and turn it on a half-hour before. When we’re done using it, we’ll flip off the heater switch. We’ve found the water stays plenty warm for hours afterward and that suits our style. We’ve camped next to a lot of folks who leave the heater on 24/7, often when they’re gone for the day. It’s annoying, especially at night, to hear the burner fire up every 20 minutes right outside your trailer. And especially so when the campers are off at the beach somewhere. Plus it’s burning up propane. JMHO…