Verify LP Switch on Hot Water Heater Fuzion 371

[Stanomatic]

I have a silver tape over a switch on the water heater, taping it to off. I looked at this thread and I have concluded this is for the gas switch.

My question is, do I turn on the inside panel Heat switch, outside gas switch?
Will that give me both electric and gas tank heating?

I do understand I must have water in the tank or I will burn it out.

[chuckster57]

The switch on the outside of the water heater is for the electric element. It must be in the ON position for the heater to operate on 110VAC.

If your panel inside the coach has two switches on the wall, then one is for the electric and the other is for the LP, and yes as long as your hooked up to 110VAC you can use both to heat your water.

[PARAPTOR]

Some rigs do not have a separate switch inside for the Electric portion of the Hot Water Tank (HWT) and use the actual HWT 110 VAC breaker in the power distribution panel to turn it ON/OFF.

[chuckster57]

Originally Posted by PARAPTOR

Some rigs do not have a separate switch inside for the Electric portion of the Hot Water Tank (HWT) and use the actual HWT 110 VAC breaker in the power distribution panel to turn it ON/OFF.

I only have the switch outside, but I don't think the breaker was designed to be used as an on/off switch.

[JRTJH]

I would suppose that your dealer did not perform a check on the electric heat element during the PDI. That tape is often from the factory and is there to prevent anyone from turning on the electric element until there is water in the heater. If anyone turns it on without filling the water heater first, the element will probably burn out in about 10-15 seconds.

The switch inside should look like the one in this picture. it is the LP (gas) switch. The only electric switch is like the one in this picture. Fill the water heater with water, turn on the inside switch to activate the LP heater or remove the silver tape and turn on the outside switch to activate the electric heater. You can use either one, or if you have an increased demand for hot water, you can turn on both at the same time. The choice is yours. There is a circuit breaker located in the power distribution panel marked HWH or Water Heater. That breaker only controls the power to the electric element. The electric element will only work if that circuit breaker AND the outside switch are both turned on. Note that there is probably a pin through the outside switch preventing it from being turned on. You must remove the pin to activate the electric element.

I agree, the circuit breaker will turn the electric element off and on, but it is not designed as a "multi use" type of switch. Using it repeatedly as a switch will probably cause it to fail prematurely.

[chuckster57]

Mine looks like this

https://images.search.yahoo.com/imag...fr=yfp-t-251-s

[PARAPTOR]

Including me I do not think anyone should use a breaker as a switch, However at the same time I am sure people do not turn their HWT on and off like they would a light. On the Raptor excluding the safety switch on the actual tank there is nothing inside other than the breaker to shut down or turn ON the HWT. Here is an example of the number of times I turn the HWT ON/OFF, Turn the breaker on when I get to a full service CS and it stays on until I get home when ever that is and hook it up to maintain the batteries then the breaker gets turned OFF. I always stay at full hook up sites. I would assume if you were doing dry camping you would probably not use the electric portion of the HWT. Given this mode of operation I see no issues with using the breaker as a switch.

[14george]

Mine has a switch on contro panel for lp and electric

[Stanomatic]

Thank you everyone for your input. I fully understand now. I had the initial switches mixed up, electric and gas.

I have the outside electric switch on the HWH (water must be in the tank or burn it out), inside panel is for gas and finally I do have a breaker for the electric.