help! lost pressure in hot water lines!

[NachoFirme]

Just turned on the hot water in the sink and it started fine but quickly lost pressure. After about 10 secs it shoots out like normal but only lasts a second before going back to a slow drip. Any ideas? Read on other forums that it might be a check valve but I have no idea where to check that on a 2016 reflection 313RLTS

[TucsonJim]

You may have air in the system. Are you running off of the pump or a hookup?
Before doing anything, make sure you haven't bypassed the hot water valve.

Then, I'd do this next.
1. Turn off the hot water heater.
2. Carefully open the pressure relief valve until you see a steady stream of water. Close the valve. You can get scalded if not careful.
3. Turn on the hot water faucet in the kitchen and let the water flow until it is steady.

If you are running on the pump, make sure you have water in the water tank.
If you are running off of a hook up, make sure you have good water pressure, your filter is not plugged, your hose is not kinked, etc.

Jim

[NachoFirme]

Living full time inside the trailer. I don't know where the bypass is, I have cold water pressure since I'm hooked up to house water hose. I did find access to the water heater under the bathroom sink behind an access panel. I see the lines coming out and can hear a loud clunk from inside the heater whenever I turn on the hot water on any of the faucets.

[NachoFirme]

I've narrowed it down to the check valves on the input output lines going into the heater. One of them is staying closed or almost closed.

[NachoFirme]

So I found the culprit. It was a damn check valve inside the hot water outlet. I turned off the main water, drained the tank with the pressure relief valve, unscrewed the hot water connector and looked inside and there it was. I used a hooked wire to fish it out. Not sure what it was intended for but I removed it and now have hot water again at full pressure.

[TucsonJim]

Glad you found it. That was a tough one.

[NachoFirme]

Yeah turns out the spring inside detached from it making it a free floating plug

http://m.imgur.com/gallery/GwGgVPH

[Dave and Monica]

So I found the culprit. It was a damn check valve inside the hot water outlet. I turned off the main water, drained the tank with the pressure relief valve, unscrewed the hot water connector and looked inside and there it was. I used a hooked wire to fish it out. Not sure what it was intended for but I removed it and now have hot water again at full pressure.

I believe that the purpose of the check valve on the discharge of the water heater is to prevent water from entering the heater when it's bypassed as all the hot water lines are filled with cold water when using the bypass valve.

Dave