Suburban Water Heater Problem

110V AC power comes from a circuit breaker to junction box on side of water heater.
From junction box to ON/OFF switch in outside compartment then to set of t-stat (high limit first then down connecting wire to normal t-stat).
From t-stat to/thru electric element.

With cover off t-stat....turn switch ON and check for AC power at terminal on top t-stat......no AC voltage there, then problem is with switch, connection in junction box or circuit breaker.
Got AC voltage.....check for it at normal t-stat and then at element.
Just a simple voltage check until it isn't there.


Personally I like Suburban vs Atwood.
Suburban doesn't use 12V DC to operate the electric heating (Atwood uses a 12V DC relay to activate the AC power to element)
Suburban uses separate sets of t-stats (Atwood uses one set for both electric & propane......problem with t-stat no heating from either source)
Suburban only uses circuit board for propane function (Atwood uses circuit board for both electric & propane due to the integrated use of 12V DC)

Down side.....Suburban uses a steel glass lined tank so an anode rod has to be used (Atwood uses aluminum alloy tank so no anode rod needed) BUT Suburban drain hole is larger so easier to flush.

Technically Atwood distributes propane heat better due to 'U' tube going diagonally across tank (more direct surface area)---Suburban 'U' tube is vertical on right side of tank.
Actually....not much difference in recovery time between the 2 on propane.

My 110 side problem was the heating element. $9 at Home Depot, $8 for the tool. Bought two elements so one is in the parts box as an extra.

I went through everything BUT that stupid on/off switch on the lower left, I popped it out and checked it with the multi-meter and badda' bing badda' boom we have a failure so of course I call suburban for a replacement which was around forty rupees,,,,,right,,,,,,off to Princess Auto (the Canadian version of Northern Tools) and got the exact replacement for four bucks, plug in the wires and we have lift-off, good luck RECVEH2005!!

Red Green:
So remember,If women don't find you handsome,
they can sure find you handy.

You should be checking the voltage (w/a multi-meter) as it flows in line from the breaker to the heating element. I had a similar problem. Checked with a meter after I verified the breaker hadn't popped. I have an inside switch and an outside switch connected in series. Verified the inside switch was functioning properly (red light was on) then out to the outside switched with the meter. Pulled the switched out, put the meter on the terminals, turned the switch on and off. Switch didn't function every time I turned it on/off. Replaced the switch, $10 or so, and all has been great since then.

How did you verify that the high/low temp switch was defective?

golf_bears:

Thanks for your reply. To answer your question, I had asked on the forum while we were traveling early last summer and the responders thought that my problem was the high/low (high limit) switch. After all your responses today, I now know that my problem could be that and/or the on/off switch and/or the heating element.

I'm now thinking that this is all "above my pay grade" and that I'll try to find a good RV service place. Wish me luck with that!

Mike

Where are you located now? Perhaps an adjoining RVer can help you out. Just talk to the RV folks around you and you'll probably run into half a dozen guys willing to help you check it out.

That's what RVer do, help each other out. We're a rare breed!!!!!

golf_bears wrote:
Where are you located now? Perhaps an adjoining RVer can help you out. Just talk to the RV folks around you and you'll probably run into half a dozen guys willing to help you check it out.

That's what RVer do, help each other out. We're a rare breed!!!!!

X2

A helping hand and a meter.

When my suburban quit wirking on the electrical side it was because one of the wires connected to switch at the water heater burned off. Reason because the spade connection wasn't crimped tight enough. I had to replace the switch and wire.