[terry and jo]

Thanks to everyone that posted possibilities.

As soon as I got home, I printed out someone's answer (from another forum) and went out to the camper and started looking. Turned the valve and heard a bit of water running into "something". Wasn't sure yet so I shut the valve back and opened the emergency relief valve and let the water run. In about a minute the water started coughing with air and diminished to a trickle. Turned the relief valve off, opened the bypass valve and then opened the relief valve again. The water kept running without 'running out'.

Turned that off and went inside and turned on the hot water at the kitchen sink. Ran for several minutes, enough so to make me believe that the hot water I was getting wasn't from water being heated in the supply hose laying across the lawn.

Went back outside and the gas burner was operating to reheat the water. So, at least the gas part is working.

After reading of the possibility of the bypass valve being off, I worried all day at work that all the time I spent with the electric part of the hot water heater running might have been on an empty hot water tank. That, as you all know, would have ruined the electric hot water element. But, I think that when the RV dealer was checking things out, they filled the hot water heater prior to shutting off the valve.

I haven't tried out the electric element yet, so I'll still have to wait on that. However, I'm encouraged that hot water ran for several minutes from the kitchen faucet, indicating that it probably had water in it and I'm safe with the electrical side.

Thanks again, everyone. Man, do I have a LOT yet to learn. Our old 26 footers didn't have all the "foo-fer-all" that is on the Mobile Suites.


Terry