2004 Springdale Hot Water Heater

[pirates55]

Anyone know much about this thing. Does it automatically start heating water once you hook city water to it?? I am knew to camping as I just bought this used 2004 model. Its got gas and electric hot water. On the inside of the camper there is a switch for the hot water heater but its my understanding that this is for running it off of gas.

Does anyone know if there is another cut off or cut on switch to make it heat the water with electricity????

[Festus2]

Your hot water heater will not automatically heat when you hook up to city water. The switch on the wall turns it on or off. Some wall switches operate the on/off for both gas and electricity. On my unit, there is a small, black rocker switch located at the bottom left-hand corner of the recessed, exterior "box" where the controls for the HW tank are located. This rocker switch probably has a safety cotter pin in it. This switch controls the 120v electrical operation. If it is in the off position, it wont work off 120v. You might want to check whether or not it is in the correct position.
If I just want to use propane, I need to turn this switch off then turn the wall switch on. If I want to use `120v, then I turn the rocker switch to on, then turn the wall switch on as well. Some of the newer units have a wall switch that makes this operation a bit easier - so you dont have to go outside to flip the rocker switch at the HW tank.
Hope this helps.

[DAF]

There should be a switch on the WH accessible by opening the outside cover door. Make sure the load panel circuit breaker for the WH is on. Be careful when using the WH on electric since the heating element will burn if there is no water in the tank. Some RVers use both gas and electric at the same time in order to get a faster recovery rate. This is useful when you have a big family.

[pirates55]

my water heater is the suburban version and it does have the switch inside as well as the black switch in the lower left of the outside panel. I looked real close and didn't see a pin in the outside switch. The problem I have now is the switch is in the off position and I can't get it to switch to the on position. Is this switch replaceable?? Sorry for the dumb questions but this is my wife and I's first Camper.

thanks,
jason

Originally Posted by Festus2

Your hot water heater will not automatically heat when you hook up to city water. The switch on the wall turns it on or off. Some wall switches operate the on/off for both gas and electricity. On my unit, there is a small, black rocker switch located at the bottom left-hand corner of the recessed, exterior "box" where the controls for the HW tank are located. This rocker switch probably has a safety cotter pin in it. This switch controls the 120v electrical operation. If it is in the off position, it wont work off 120v. You might want to check whether or not it is in the correct position.
If I just want to use propane, I need to turn this switch off then turn the wall switch on. If I want to use `120v, then I turn the rocker switch to on, then turn the wall switch on as well. Some of the newer units have a wall switch that makes this operation a bit easier - so you dont have to go outside to flip the rocker switch at the HW tank.
Hope this helps.

[Festus2]

Since yours in an '04, the cotter pin may have gone missing. This pin is inserted in the rocker switch to prevent accidental switching to the ON position when the tank has been drained for the winter months. Any similar size cotter pin will do as a replacement.

If you cant rock the the switch back and forth to ON and OFF, the switch needs to be replaced. Otherwise, if it is in the OFF position and you cant get it to rock to the "ON" position, you will not be able to use 120V.

This is where my help comes to an end. I would take it in to an RV repair facility and get it checked out....I am sure it can be replaced but I would not know how to do that.
Hope this has been of some help.

[pirates55]

I bought some electric motor cleaner and sprayed on the switch. Turns out that it was just stuck in the off postion due to corrosion.