Turn on water heater

Sarvi · 06-17-2015, 07:34 AM

This is most definitely a noobie question, but for the life of me, I can't figure out how to turn on my water heater! I have a 2010 Sprinter Select 29BH, with a Suburban water heater. I read the instructions, looked online, and I'm not seeing what I'm supposed to see.

It says to make sure there is electric to the appliance, then make sure there is gas to the appliance, then press (or turn, I don't remember which) the switch ON. Well, there is NO ON switch! I looked all around behind the panel on the outside of the trailer. I looked all around the water heater itself, and can't find any ON switch. I looked all around the inside of the trailer for a switch and found nothing. For a minute I wondered if maybe it could be automatic and just always ON, but I momentarily opened the pressure relief valve and just cold water came out.

It's leaving on its first camping trip this afternoon, and hot water would be a nicety.

BirchyBoy · 06-17-2015, 07:39 AM

The switch may be obscure looking without any words. On mine, it is a panel with two switches and icons. One looks like a lightning bolt and the other...I can't recall. Mine is by the furnace thermostat and the tank/battery panel. Regardless, make sure there is water in it before you turn it on, whenever that happens.

Sarvi · 06-17-2015, 08:18 AM

I did look around for some type of panel like that. The furnace thermostat is right outside the main bedroom, and the tank/battery panel is on the outside of refrigerator. I double checked both of those panels and saw nothing. I can't find any other panel.

On the tank/battery panel there are 2 rocker switches, one that is to turn the water pump on, the other is to turn the propane to the furnace on. Could it be for the water heater too?

As far as water being in the water heater, as far as I can tell, if water comes out of the pressure release valve, then there's water in the tank, right?

cw3jason · 06-17-2015, 08:24 AM

The rocker switch on the panel is for the hot water heater. Not for the furnace.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

Sarvi · 06-17-2015, 08:32 AM

Really? I bought it used from a dealership, and on my walk through with the service tech, he told me that switch turned on the propane for the furnace.

I will definitely test it out this afternoon! That would be cool if it were that simple!

cw3jason · 06-17-2015, 08:43 AM

I have owned 3 trailers now and never had a rocker switch to turn on propane to a furnace. All were to turn on propane water heater. As for electric, if your water heater has that option. It could be on the front of the unit, or it could be on the back as it was in my first trailer. Had to access the back side of the water heater and flick the switch. My current trailer has a switch outside on the front and a rocker switch inside. Both have to be on for electric to work.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

PARAPTOR · 06-17-2015, 08:52 AM

Regardless of the number of switches either in the rig or on the tank itself, I would expect to see a 120 VAC breaker for the electric portion of the HWT. Make sure it is on

Sarvi · 06-17-2015, 09:46 AM

I'm at work right now, and I just had my daughter at home take and send me a picture of the tank panel. One rocker switch says Pump, the other says HTR. I guess Mr. Service Tech at the dealership assumed that meant Furnace, even though the furnace thermostat is in a different place.

All breakers are on, even though I'm not sure what they are all for. I suppose that's my next mission, decode the labels that were put on them.

I am going to operate under the assumption that you guys are right, and will have hot water tonight!

Thanks!

**hankpage** · 06-17-2015, 10:08 AM

You will have hot water but if you want it on electric the circuit breaker marked "Water Heater" or W/H must be on and the small black rocker switch in the lower left corner in the outside compartment of the W/H must be on. There may be a safety pin through the switch to prevent accidental turning on. If you are on 30amp service you may not be able to use electric W/H at the same time as A/C so you may just want to stay with propane. JM2¢, Hank

Sarvi · 06-17-2015, 10:17 AM

I couldn't find any switch in the lower left corner of the outside compartment. The instructions for the water heater mentions that switch, and says it's in the lower left corner. I looked all around in there, I even got so desperate as to call my ex-husband to come over and look at it too! He couldn't find anything either. I do, however, have a breaker labeled W/H.

Does it use a significant amount of propane?

**hankpage** · 06-17-2015, 10:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sarvi

I couldn't find any switch in the lower left corner of the outside compartment. The instructions for the water heater mentions that switch, and says it's in the lower left corner. I looked all around in there, I even got so desperate as to call my ex-husband to come over and look at it too! He couldn't find anything either. I do, however, have a breaker labeled W/H.

Does it use a significant amount of propane?

No ..... they are very efficient and the recovery rate (time it takes to heat water) is much quicker on gas.

GaryWT · 06-17-2015, 10:28 AM

There is a chance that you have a gas only water heater.

KanTC · 06-17-2015, 10:56 AM

Here's the 2010 Brochure for the Sprinter Select...

http://www.keystonerv.com/media/3250...nterSelect.pdf

It appears (from the brochure, *if* correct) you may have an LP/gas ONLY water heater.

"6 Gallon [DSI] Direct Spark Ignition Water Heater"

Typically if it were both, gas and electric, it's advertised as such.

Terri, the Chevy co-pilot

Sarvi · 06-17-2015, 12:27 PM

I'm guessing it's gas only. Love the brochure, thanks! But HEY! I don't have a built in spice rack! It says I do, jeesh

PARAPTOR · 06-17-2015, 12:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sarvi

I'm guessing it's gas only. Love the brochure, thanks! But HEY! I don't have a built in spice rack! It says I do, jeesh

Interesting, think you said you had a 120 VAC breaker labeled HW ? Wonder what that feeds? Keystone usually does not include free breakers

Sarvi · 06-17-2015, 01:38 PM

I do. Offhand I don't remember what all were labeled, other than the W/H and one was labeled Gen (general? generator? generic? gentrification?

). I can tell you, with certainty, there is no button, switch, ON thingy, or anything of the sort in the outside water heater compartment.

If I get a chance when I get home from work, I'll take a picture of the circuit breakers with their labels and post it.

Desert185 · 06-17-2015, 03:19 PM

Remove the outside grill on the water heater, bend over and look under everything on the lower left side. The rocker switch is strategically hidden by one of the engineers described in another thread by Landry.

If no rocker switch, then most likely a gas only water heater via that DSI HTR switch inside the trailer. Make sure its off during travel.

**JRTJH** · 06-17-2015, 03:26 PM

Here's a picture of the switch location. We recently had one member who "swore there was no switch" on his water heater. Then, he finally got curious enough to go look "once more". He reported finding a "information panel" and when he removed the sticker, the switch was behind it. Nobody can (or at least has said) why the switch was hidden behind a panel, but it was there, just "impossible to see"...

You might want to check "one more time"...............

audio1der · 06-17-2015, 07:40 PM

If you bought it used, maybe it was winterized and the bypass valve is turned, not allowing water into the tank to heat?

**chuckster57** · 06-17-2015, 07:54 PM

I have seen the switch for the electric side of the water heater mounted on the back side of the tank, at the top. My Jayco had it there, found it by accident a couple of years after I bought it. Never got any kind of walk through.

You may also like: