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Old 07-28-2019, 12:44 AM   #1
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Brand: Thor Motor Coach
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THOR #15418
Tankless Water Heater

Hello. We have a 2019 Thor Challenger and the hot water heater has a mind of its own! It is totally unreliable as it works off and on. I have tried everything. Turning unit off letting it sit turning back on no luck running water in every faucet both high flow and low Setting temp down and up. It just won’t work. It has propane to it it lights and then shuts off. It has done this from day one. Dealer checked it said it worked for them told me how to reset. I believe the main controller has a problem. Any suggestions?

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Old 07-28-2019, 01:26 AM   #2
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There are lots and lots of threads and information and misinformation on this subject.
Here're the punchlines:
There's a valve on the heater itself at the output line. Turn it all the way left, all the way right, set it inbetween.

Use the hot water handle only, don't use the cold water mixer.
Set the thermostat where the water is comfortable using only the hot water handle.
Others will have other things to say...
Try this first. This is a common, easy, and easily verified test/solution.
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Old 07-28-2019, 04:38 AM   #3
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I will thank you
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Old 07-28-2019, 11:05 AM   #4
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Tankless Water Heater

You also need around 50 PSI water pressure so if you don’t use a water regulator at the outside hookup you should also use one and set it around 50 - 55PSI.

As others mentioned many threads on this topic but water pressure is key. Then set the temperature you want in the shower and only turn on the hot water.

Also, when someone is using the hot water in the shower, don’t use hot or cold water anywhere else in the coach. The water pressure will drop and they will get a blast of cold water.

Works great once you set it up properly.
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Old 07-28-2019, 11:13 AM   #5
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FWIW I have a tankless system on the house and it is dependent on flow and not necessarily pressure. If the water flow is restricted by clogged shower heads or faucets the hot water heater will not kick in and a cold shower will be the norm.

Again, FWIW.
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Old 07-28-2019, 12:11 PM   #6
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50 psi or so, and it'll work like a charm!
(Just set the water temperature to what you like, and ONLY use the hot water faucet!)
By the way: welcome to the Forum!
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Old 07-28-2019, 12:12 PM   #7
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I found out with mine on the last trip that the small bathroom sink does not have enough water flow to kick the HW tank on when NOT hooked up to water.

I have not cleaned the filter screen yet so I hope thats my problem.

But the Shower and Kitchen sink alway turn the HW Tank on. I though I had something wrong with my unit as well until I realized what was going on.

One time it would not work at all so I turned the unit off outside, waited 2 minutes, then turned it back on and it worked fine.
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Old 07-28-2019, 07:04 PM   #8
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Yes I believe it is the flow sensor issues. I get it to work sometimes but turning on two different faucets
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Old 07-28-2019, 07:05 PM   #9
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Yep I do turn to main unit off and on again with some success
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Old 07-28-2019, 07:42 PM   #10
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I to have a tankless hot water system and it works great now that I know how to use it. You need to set the hot water to anywhere between 106 and 115 degrees. Turn on the hot water and let it run until it heats up and then SLOWLY turn on the cold to your desired temp. Once I figured that out I now have endless hot water. There are several utube videos on the system and how to operate it. This system is not like a home system. If during your shower you turn the water off, you need to again let the hot water run again until it heats back up. It needs a constant water flow through the heating tubes to create the hot water.
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Old 07-28-2019, 08:17 PM   #11
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I set the hot water temperature, typically 106 or 107 F, and find I don’t need to turn on the cold. The water heater works great and is easy on the propane.
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Old 07-28-2019, 08:24 PM   #12
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Hi I have tried all the suggestions with very limited success. The regulator I have dramatically reduced flow and it is a 40 psi to 50 psi regulator. The water heater will not work on tank water either. Got to say I’m very frustrated. Going to call Thor tomorrow.
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Old 07-28-2019, 08:26 PM   #13
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THOR #15418
On my unit I will have to acces any valve behind master bed. No valve in the water heater compartment
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Old 07-28-2019, 08:31 PM   #14
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When I let it run the control beeps Error 2. And flame symbol goes off. When I let it run it does not come back on. I feel a sensor or the main controller has a glitch.
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Old 07-29-2019, 11:13 AM   #15
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Pressure and flow are interdependent..... if you don't have enough pressure, it won't provide enough flow.

Restrictions can cause a flow issue. I had to remove all of the filter screens from my faucets and clean them to get the flow up. There was a lot if small debris that was restricting flow. Once I had the pressure set and everything was clean, it worked like a charm.... and still does.
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Old 07-29-2019, 11:15 AM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cfdfc30 View Post
Hi I have tried all the suggestions with very limited success. The regulator I have dramatically reduced flow and it is a 40 psi to 50 psi regulator. The water heater will not work on tank water either. Got to say I’m very frustrated. Going to call Thor tomorrow.
You are saying your regulator is a fixed regulator with no adjustment?

I have an adjustable regulator and I find even though I have it set at 50 at home and most camps are pretty close, there are times I have to adjust it to get it back close to 50.
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Old 08-10-2019, 09:10 PM   #17
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I had the same problem, went on Amazon and bought a fixed Water Pressure regulator set at 50 PSI.

No more problems.
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Old 08-10-2019, 10:44 PM   #18
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This is from a previous post concerning my 2017 Compass 23TR.
Although the on demand water heater needs a minimum flow to operate there is another factor to consider. I too had trouble regulating temperature at first. Setting the temperature to the recommended 115deg and regulating with cold water did not work. Temperature would rise to 130 and cutoff delivering a shot of cold water. Did the flow test per Girard's instructions, passed. Gerard suggested using the controller to set desired temperature and no cold water mixing. Setting to absolute minimum (90?) helped some over the summer. This is using the onboard fresh water(first clue). Turns out the unit needs about a 30deg temperature delta between supply and delivered water to supply a steady outlet temperature. The onboard water here in Texas was 85 to 90deg all summer. Using park water two weeks ago in Arkansas (65deg), the unit performed flawlessly. Still using absolute temperature for showers (95-100deg depending on personal preference). Bottom line is the unit has minimum flow and temperature delta requirements.
Hugh
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Old 08-10-2019, 10:49 PM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rapinmansfield View Post
I had the same problem, went on Amazon and bought a fixed Water Pressure regulator set at 50 PSI.

No more problems.
So did I... 50 psi, and all is well...

I have found that the Truma tankless system seems to work okay with much lower pressure settings. We keep using the 50 psi regulator because we like a bit more "force" behind the water, as it leaves the faucet.
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Old 08-11-2019, 12:00 AM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Judge View Post
Pressure and flow are interdependent..... if you don't have enough pressure, it won't provide enough flow.

Restrictions can cause a flow issue. I had to remove all of the filter screens from my faucets and clean them to get the flow up. There was a lot if small debris that was restricting flow. Once I had the pressure set and everything was clean, it worked like a charm.... and still does.
Spot on! We had the same problem upon delivery of our Quantum. DW said "this isn't going to cut it! I need a constant flow of hot water like in our old motorhome". The delivery tech who did the PDI with us told me to remove every restrictive device in our shower head and faucets, which I immediately did. I removed the pressure restrictor in the shower head and the aerator in the bathroom sink faucet. Voila! No more issues, all the hot water we need all the time. DW was happy!
As was mentioned these units require minimum restrictions at all times. You can imagine what could happen if the water flow is reduced and the propane burner is still on. BOOM goes the heater as the pressure builds in the copper pipes within the heating unit.
We also added a residential shower head and now have endless hot water for those long showers after a hot day hiking.
We set the temp to our individual taste and do not add any cold water as this reduces the available flow to the heater thereby causing intermittent operation.
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