Bowen hot water heater heating time?

[perlgurl]

Hello,

I'm wondering how long it should take my hot water heater to heat the water? 


After a summer of running just cold water and boiling when hot was needed I've just discovered that my hot water heater does work.  I let it run about 10 minutes but still didn't get exactly hot water so I'm wondering how long it should take to heat the water?

[perlgurl]

Just read through the other three threads about this same type of water heater and think this is the answer to my question:
http://www.classicwinnebagos.com/forum/index.php/topic,8066.msg39934.html#msg39934

The flame will blow like a blowtorch until the water heats up to temperature, then shut itself off...hopefully leaving the pilot light still lit...lol!That is how they cycle.  The big flame comes nice and loud until the water temperature is reached, then goes off until the water is used up or cools down from not being used.  Then it comes back on courtesy of the pilot light.Kev

[Rickf1985]

Well, I just got back from a weekend trip and it was down to the mid 40's at night. I figure the water heater probably wasn't down below 65 but it was off from the morning before. I fire it up and it takes about 20 minutes or so to shut off. It is a 6 gallon Atwood I believe. I have kind of hot water in ten minutes but that is straight from the hot water faucet. If I let it go til it shuts off I have good hot water that gets mixed with cold and will last through a shower with NO problems, even one of my wife's NON water conservation showers. N:(

[perlgurl]

Well, I just got back from a weekend trip and it was down to the mid 40's at night. I figure the water heater probably wasn't down below 65 but it was off from the morning before. I fire it up and it takes about 20 minutes or so to shut off. It is a 6 gallon Atwood I believe.

I'm heading to Denali again and it's supposed to get down to 29F so I was testing the furnace and decided to try the hot water heater.  To my surprise (once I googled how to light the darn thing) it fired right up!

I'm not going to be showering since I don't have an indoor shower anymore, but being able to wash hands and clean up dishes with water from the tap would be a LUXURY.  I'll just be sure to fire up the hot water heater before I start cooking my dinner.

As an aside, do you leave the hot water heater pilot on overnight?  My furnace will be on so I don't think the extra draw from the propane will be too much.

Also, once the hot water heater tank gets full I don't need to leave my water pump on except when I want to use it, right?

[Rickf1985]

Once the hot water tank is full it is just like the other water tank, you now have 6 more gallons of water so you do not have to leave the pump on. As far as the pilot, your preference, it use so little gas you could probably leave it on all winter and not run out of gas. One big no-no is running the hot water burner with no water in the tank so make sure it is full before firing it up. You could leave the burner on so you have hot water all day but I figure why heat it during the day if I only use it in the morning? So I turn mine off after I get washed. It only takes 20 minutes to heat up so I turn it on as soon as I get up and it is ready when I am.

[perlgurl]

Good tips! Thanks so much