Hot Water Heater Help

blakers213 · 07-08-2016, 08:50 AM

2012 Outback 210rs. Suburban water heater will not work on electric. I have turned it on in the TT and at the switch outside at the water heater. I replaced the heating element today and still nothing. Yes I have checked the breakers and also a reset button that is on the hot water heater. Any ideas ?

**hankpage** · 07-08-2016, 10:00 AM

There are two thermostats (one for lp and one for elec.) that control your water heater. locate them and see if you have power to the one that controls the element. Since it appears you have checked every thing else ... I would suspect that the thermostat has gone bad. Other than a bad connection somewhere that must be traced from breaker to element. Good luck, Hank

vetorio · 07-08-2016, 10:37 AM

Had a friend with the same symptoms on his TT. Did the same things you did. We finally found the wires had burnt apart inside the wire nut on the 120v feed to the water heater. It wasn't readily visible.

**chuckster57** · 07-08-2016, 12:10 PM

Switch at the water heater is a common failure part on this brand.

blakers213 · 07-08-2016, 01:14 PM

I am going on a long trip in 2 weeks, Iguess tomorrow I will tear into it and look deeper. I'm not much of an electrical person but wish me luck.

blakers213 · 07-16-2016, 07:51 AM

Ok an update. Leaving in 1 week. Some people said the on -off switch at the water heater tend to go bad. So I removed it to check it and there are two wires going to it. When I removed it the bottom wire is connected, the top wire is not. Now, did it come disconnected when I removed the switch, I don't know. But the wire that is disconnected is way back in the hole that the switch came out of and there is no play to reconnect it. I have grabbed it with needle nose pliers and it does not budge. From inside the trailer I cannot see this area. Any ideas?

**chuckster57** · 07-16-2016, 08:57 AM

Those wires have to hooked up for the element to work. The connectors may be 90* and may take some work to get out enough to plug into the switch. I would almost bet that the top one came off and that's why the element isn't working.

blakers213 · 07-16-2016, 12:22 PM

Well I finally got it plugged up. It must have come unplugged when I removed the switch because the water heater still don't work. I give up. I am so done with this heater.

**chuckster57** · 07-16-2016, 12:43 PM

Since you know the switch is wired, get your Volt meter out. Take the cover of the element and with the switch on and plugged into shore power, make sure your getting voltage to the element.

If you are, the element is bad. If not then you just have to work from the element backwards or the breaker forward. It's possible that the supply voltage has a loose connection. That junction box will be on the inside of the trailer most likely on the top of the heater near the outside wall. Make sure your UNPLUGGED, before taking the cover off.

blakers213 · 07-20-2016, 07:10 AM

I had a guy who works on Rvs come out and looked at it. He evenually took the cover off the 2 reset buttons on the water heater. There was a wire the was plugged up incorrectly. Instead of it being slid into the crimped part it was slid on between the crimped part and the plastic protector, if that made.since. The plastic was melted, that is how we found it. I presume this was done at the factory. It would be easy to do this so if any you guys have the same trouble check for this.

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