Water Heater

[Tarfu]

NOOB question....when plugged into ac and city water does the water heater use ac or propane to heat the water? Guess I could turn off the propane and see if I still have hot water, but it wont answer the original question, because i need the propane for the stove top.....thx

[Bob Landry]

If the water heater is capable of heating with either source, there should be switches on the wall marked electric and propane.

[Tarfu]

Just one switch marked Water Heater and an indicator light for on or off....right now the light is off and I have hot water and the propane is on...

[st_pinetree]

Mine has a small switch for the electric outside only. No electric control inside the coach. The switch is under the water tank cover near the tank drain plug

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[Festus2]

Just one switch marked Water Heater and an indicator light for on or off....right now the light is off and I have hot water and the propane is on...

Assuming you have a rocker-type HW interior propane switch ........... When you turn the switch ON, the rocker will glow (red) indicating that it has been turned ON and there is another smaller light in the center of the control that will also come on for a few seconds. When ignition has been completed, you will hear the furnace come on and the small red light will go out. This is a visual clue that the gas has ignited and flowing properly and the furnace is operating on propane.

If you want to use 110VAC, you will have to go outside and depress the small, black rocker switch in the lower left-hand corner of the exterior HW tank panel. The switch may or may not have a cotter pin through it to hold in position.

As stated earlier, you can heat your water with one or both sources - propane or electricity.

[J&A]

Hi Tarfu,

As other have said, if your water heater has gas/electric heating capabilities, your water heater may have another switch outside, behind the water heater cover.

Attached is a picture of my Suburban water heater with the outside cover removed. Notice a small black On/Off switch (white lettering) in the lower left corner of the picture. This switch came covered with a silver tape :rolleyes: (see if you or anyone else can see the tape in this picture!) which made finding the switch more... interesting, to say the least.

This switch is to protect the heating element from burning and it should be off anytime there is no water in the water heater (flushing the water heater tank, etc.) Once the water heater is full of water, one needs to turn this switch on for the heating element to work.

My trailer has also a Gas or Electric option switch inside the trailer.

Good luck and tell us how it went!

[fla-gypsy]

Sounds like you have both which is great for fast recovery. I run my on electric until shower time and then add LP to speed hot water recovery.

[Tarfu]

Thanks everyone...correct on the little black switch and the interior switch.....just for giggles I turned off the propane and ran the hot water until nearly cold and still got hot water without the propane on......Bill

[WarrenH]

when I took my Hideout to where it is parked now,,lol.. I was told 3 times how to operate the gas/elect hot water heater the gas part of it worked fine,,, 10 mins max I had hot water,, when I tried the elect side of it ,,dudddh ,,, no hot water...lol@ me ....so after a very carefull investigation of the hot water heater,,, it turned out to be a "GAS ONLY" heater,,, lol@DIXIERV,, in Hammond la,,,,how bout that,,,well after investing about $110.00 &my labor ,about 30 mins worth,,, I put a conversion Kit on it& now the case of the hotwater heater is Solved,,,,

happy camping &have a wonderfull day...
Warren in Louisiana,,,,lol