Are you a novice or new RVer who is unsure of the location of the water heater bypass valve? Although you may feel foolish for not knowing where the bypass valve is, be assured that you’re not the only one.
Most likely, your RV’s water heater bypass valve is concealed within, out of sight.
We’ll assist you in finding it today.
We’ve gathered a few videos to demonstrate how to operate your bypass valve after we’ve assisted you in locating your RV water heater valve so you can get your RV plumbing system ready for the next winter.
You’re prepared to locate the water heater bypass valve.
Move along!
Where Is the RV Water Heater’s Bypass Valve?
Your RV’s exterior will include the access panel for the water heater.
The compartment where your RV water heater usually resides is square or rectangular and has a pull-down panel for simple access.
You will be able to reach the front of your RV water heater from the outside.
The bypass valve for your RV water heater is not here.
The bypass valve for your RV water heater sits within your RV, at the rear of the water heater.
Your water heater anode rod and drain are located on the front of your RV water heater.
When draining out your RV hot water heater for the winter, you’ll spend the most of your time here.
Head inside your RV to the side opposite the one where the water heater is located in the front to find the rear of your hot water heater.
It’s probable that your kitchen stove will cover the rear of your RV water heater, making it difficult to see (or other appliance).
You’ll probably need to use a screwdriver or drill to unscrew and remove paneling and/or other parts that are covering your hot water heater in order to reach the bypass valve for your RV’s water heater.
You will be able to view the rear of your RV water heater and find the bypass valve after the paneling has been removed.
It’s crucial to remember that on certain RV models, merely removing the paneling won’t give you access to the rear of the water heater bypass valve.
To reach the rear of your RV water heater, you may need to remove a nearby panel or cabinet.
Why Do I Need A Bypass Valve For My Water Heater In My RV?
When winterizing your RV water lines, the primary goal of the water heater bypass valve is to stop anti-freeze from getting into the heater tank.
There is no need to add anti-freeze to your RV hot water heater during the winterization process, both practically and economically speaking.
Your water heating system is not at danger of being harmed by the tank freezing or expanding.
Bypassing your hot water heater means sending the cold water that would normally flow into it via the hot water plumbing line.
A valve for the water heater bypass is often fitted in RVs.
You might have one, two, or three bypass valves, depending on the kind of water heater you have.
The fastest and most economical approach to winterize your system is to bypass the water heater in your RV.
Instead of adding gallons of antifreeze to your whole RV water heater tank (which is useless anyhow), just bypass your hot water system so the antifreeze just flows to the water lines that need it.
To properly maintain your hot water system for the winter, descale, clean, and drain it instead of adding antifreeze.
To get rid of any limescale and other buildup that can impair the efficiency of your heater, we advise that you clean and empty your RV hot water tank at least once a year.
Cleaning Your RV Water Heater and Winterizing Your RV Plumbing
It’s time to get to the enjoyable part of winterizing your RV plumbing system now that you’ve found your RV water heater bypass valve! We’ve selected a few really useful movies to teach you how to winterize your system rather than go into a long discussion.
RV Habit has our favorite video.
When winterizing your RV plumbing system, you may learn how to bypass your water heater in this video:
A wonderful step-by-step tutorial on how to clean your RV water heater can be found in the second video from RVGeeks.
In order to show you the accumulation within your tank and why it is crucial to clear it out while getting ready for winter, they use a boroscope to take an inside look inside the water heater tank of your RV.
Here is one more video from Just Plain Common Sense that shows you how to clean your RV hot water tank step-by-step.
It includes a few more suggestions to make sure you clean your heating tank properly, which is why we enjoy it:
Conclusion
We trust that you can now locate the water heater bypass valve on an RV.
If you first have trouble finding it, don’t worry; you are most certainly not alone.
RVing is all about learning, and before you know it, you’ll be a pro who can advise other novices on how to have a successful trip!
We’d appreciate it if you left a remark or query about where the bypass valve is for the RV water heater below.
I really appreciate you reading.
