pe wrote:
Hi all: Earlier this year, we had a new Bradford White 50 gal. gas
water
heater installed in our home. Recently we went on a 2 week vacation
and
turned the thermostat down to the "Vacation" setting before we left.
On our
return, and before turning the thermostat back to its normal hot
setting, we
had occasion to turn on the hot water faucets in the house and
discovered,
to our surprise, that the water came out just as hot as when the
thermostat
is set to its normal hot setting. The plumber who installed the unit

checked out the thermostat and thinks its working properly. If the
water in
the tank is hot after two weeks with the thermostat set to
"Vacation", does
that suggest there's a malfunction in the thermostat or elsewhere in
the
appliance? And if the purpose of the "Vacation" setting is to
prevent the
unit from firing and is working properly, what kept the water hot for
two
weeks? Thanks for your replies! PE

Since we have two little kids in the house, and have a low flow shower
head with only one person at a time needing a shower, we normally keep
our gas water heater set to "vacation". It is just warm enough for
showering with only a small amount of cold water mixed in. Helps with
energy conservation that way.
If we are going away for an extended period, I just turn it off.

Ken