Pressure Relief Valve - Suburban SW6P Installation And Operation Manual

W AR N IN G ! T h e therm ostat/gas control on your w ater heater is a
tem perature lim iting valve. It has b ee n s e t at the factory to 120°F (49°C )
(on s ettin g ) to reduce the risk of scald injury. The therm ostat can be
adjusted to a higher setting; how ever, rem em ber that the w ater
tem peratures over 125°F (52°C ) can cause severe burns instantly or death
from scalds. To change to m edium setting (130°F/54°C ) or high setting
(140°F/60°C ), see operating and lighting instructions.
ANODE PROTECTION
T he tank in this water heater is protected by a m agnesium or alum inum anode
to pro long the life of the tank by absorbing the corrosive action of hot water.
U n de r no rm al use , the anode ro d will de te rio ra te a nd b eca use o f this, w e
recom m end it be replaced yearly. N O T E : W ater with high levels of iron and/or
sulfate will increase the rate of deterioration; therefore, m ore frequent
replacem ent m ay be required. If anode rod is m ostly eaten away, replace it with
a new one. (S ee Figure 10)
T o prevent a water leak w he n replacing the anode rod, a pipe thread sealant
approved for potable water (such as T eflon tape) m ust be applied to the threads
of the anode rod. P roper application of a thread sealant w ill not interfere with
the anode's tank protection.
O perating the water heater without proper anode protection will decrease tank
life and will void your w arranty on the tank. N O T E : Tank is drained by rem oving
anode rod (S ee "D rain and S torage" instructions).
T o extend anode life, drain water from tank whenever R V is not being used.
A void any extended tim e of non-use with water in tank. Also refer to the section
on winterizing.
W AR N IN G ! D o not replace the anode rod w ith any non-S uburban
accessory part, such as an "add-on" electric heating elem ent. Item s such
as these are not ap p ro ved to be installed in Suburban products. They
could create an unsafe condition and w ill also void all w arranties.
Figure 10

PRESSURE RELIEF VALVE

T he tem perature and pressure relief valve is designed to open if the tem perature
of the water within the heater reaches 210°F, or if the water pressure in the heater
reaches 150 pounds. R ecreational vehicle water system s are closed system s and
during the water heating cycle the pressure b uild-up in the water system will reach
150 pounds. W hen this pressure is reached, the pressure relief valve will open
and water will drip from the valve. T his dripping w ill continue until the pressure is
reduced to below 150 pounds, and the valve closes. T his condition is norm al and
does not indicate a defective relief valve.
W AR N IN G ! D o not place a valve betw een the relief valve and the tank. D o
not plug the relief valve under any circum stances.
WATER WEEPING OR DRIPPING FROM PRESSURE
RELIEF VALVE
You m ay experience water weeping or dripping from your water heater's P ressure
and Tem perature (P & T ) R elief V alve when your water heater is operating. W ater
weeping or dripping from the P & T V alve does not always m ean the P & T V alve
is de fec tive . As water is heated, it expands. The water system in a recreational
vehicle is a closed system and does not allow for the expansion of heated water.
W hen the pressure of the water system exceeds the relieving point of the P & T
V alve, the valve will relieve the excess pressure.
S uburban recom m ends that a check valve not be installed directly at the inlet to
the water heater tank. This will increase weeping of the pressure relief valve.
W AR N IN G ! D o not rem ove or plug the relief valve.
O ne way to reduce the frequency of this occurrence is to m aintain an air pocket
at the top of the water heater tank. This air pocket will form in the tank by design.
H owever, it will be reduced over tim e by the everyday use of your water heater.
T o replenish this air pocket:
1. T urn off water heater.
2. T urn off cold water supply line.
3. O pen a faucet in the R V .
4. P ull out on the handle of the P ressure Relief (P & T ) Valve and allow water
to flow from the valve until it stops.
5. R elease handle on P & T V alve - it should snap closed.
6. C lose faucet and turn on cold water supply; as the tank fills, the air pocket
will develop.
R epeat this procedure as often as needed to reduce the frequency of the weeping
of the P & T Valve. If the weeping persists after following this procedure, you m ay
elect to install an expansion or accum ulator tank in the cold water line between the
tank and check valve to relieve the pressure caused by therm al expa nsion.
C ontact your local dealer for assistance.
Figure 11
THERMOSTAT AND MANUAL RESET
M O D E LS SW 6P E and S W 6P E R (S ee Figure 11)
T he m odel water heaters listed above are equipped with a high tem perature lim it
as a cut-off device. T em perature above 180°F will cause m anual reset button to
trip shutting down the electric elem ent.
T o activate elem ent, the water tem perature m ust be below 110°F, push reset
button to re-activate the electric elem ent.
DRAINING AND STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS
If R V is to be stored during winter m onths, the water heater m ust be drain e d to
prevent dam age from freezing.
1. T urn off electrical power to water heater either at the switch from the electrical
elem ent or at break er.
2. S hut off gas supply to water heater.
3. T urn off pressure pum p on water system .
4. O pen both hot and cold water faucets.
5. R em ove anode rod from tank .
6. Follow R V m anufacturer's instructions for draining entire water system .
N O T E : Be certain to refill water heater with water and rem ove all air from tank and
lines before re-lighting or before turning on electrical power.
ODOR FROM HOT WATER SYSTEM
O dor from the hot water system is not a service problem and m any water supplies
contain sufficient am ounts of sulphur to produce an odor. T he odor is sim ila r to
rotten eggs and is often referred to as "sulphur water". It is n ot harm ful - only
unpleasant to sm ell. Sulphur water can be caused by a chem ical action or by
bacteria. The solution to elim inate is chlorination of the water system . A dd about
six (6) ounces of chlorinated com m on household liquid bleach to each 10 gallons
in the water tank. T hen run the chlorinated water throughout the system , opening
each faucet one at a tim e until you sm ell the chlorine. Let the R V sit for a few days
and the chlorine should tak e care of the problem . T hen you will need to take care
of the chlorine. R em ove the chlorine by flushing the system with fresh water. T his
m ay take several attem pts. You m ay consider adding a filtering system that
rem oves chlorine and prevents sulphur water. If the s u lphur or rotten egg sm ell
continues, flush the system once again as described above and replace anode rod
as necessary.
REMOVING WATER HEATER
1. S hut off gas supply and disconnect gas supply line from water heater.
2. O n all Electric M odels, disconnect 120 V.A .C . supply at junction box m ounted
on heater.
3. S hut off w ater supply. D rain w ater from tank follow ing instructio n s u nd e r
"D raining and S torage".
4. D isconnect hot and cold water lines from water heater.
5. R em ove screws or nails securing control housing to fram ed opening.
6. S lide heater out. T o reinstall, follow instructions in m anual under "Installation
Instructions".
WINTERIZING
If your water heater plum bing system is equipped with a bypass k it, use it to close
off the water heater, drain the water heater com pletely and leave the water heater
clos ed off (out of the system ) in the bypass position particularly if you are
introducing antifreeze into the plum bing system . A ntifreeze can be very corrosive
to the anode rod creating prem ature failure and heavy sedim ent in the tank. If the
plum bing system is not equipped with a bypass kit, and you intend to winterize by
adding antifreeze to the system , rem ove the anode rod (storing it for the winter)
and replace it with a 3/4" drain plug.
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