Today after running both propane and electric heating on our suburban water heater, we started to smell a funny smell. It didn’t smell like rotten egg or any of the common smells. And we had a hard time tracing the smell but believe it was from the water heater. After turning off the gas and electric the smell subsided.I didn’t completely breakdown the water heater to trace wires to the electric heating element but don’t think we are having issues with wiring. Only a hunch though.I did kick on the propane as well and inspected the propane flame. I noticed inside the chamber there was a ton of little burs that appear to have peeled away and were burning red. Almost as if paint or some other coating was peeling. Rust maybe? Could this cause the smell we were smelling? Anyone else ever experience this? I’ll try and capture a photo in a few.Thanks!Kirk (in panic mode ... arrrgghhh)❚ Did you see the "Announcement : &bigstar;&bigstar;READ BEFORE POSTING HERE&bigstar;&bigstar;" at the top? Forum Posting Help and Support is reserved for questions related to "posting" issues with Open Roads Forum sites, member profile and photo testing, and for reporting account issues. Please avoid using this forum for RV related questions, as doing so can delay responses to your thread. Instead, visit the RV Forum which corresponds to the subject of your topic, and click the Post New Topic link. Thank-you!Moved from FORUM POSTING HELP AND SUPPORT

Suburban water heaters have sharp edges. Electric wires run across those sharp edges. Also check the temp limit switches. Also not u common for them to burn.

Check the 110 junction box on side of water heater the wireless burn through very common. If you smelled it inside the unit it could be the 110 junxtion on the ac as well

OK this is what im seeing in the propane burn chamber for lack of a better term. However, we don't smell anything odd when we run it on propane for a few minutes. On the electrical side, there is romex leading into the water heater. That was warm but just barely. Voltages have not dropped below 115v all day so im confident we haven't had a low voltage scenario. The wife said the smell smelled like a hot dusty light bulb, but it was a very strong in the RV at the time it occurred.

Check your ac wiring my bet your hot leg on the ac is about to burn out the wirenut

newman fulltimer wrote:Check your ac wiring my bet your hot leg on the ac is about to burn out the wirenutEverything is off for the night .... but where would i check this? The little junction box on the side of the tank or under the little black cover where the heating element is?

Electrical Smell? Water heater? Need some help!

11 Replies

mchero
Explorer
May 06, 2018
westend wrote:
From your image, it looks like you have spider web or some other debis in that location. I'd suggest to brush or blow out the debris when the water heater is not in operation.

Might be a critters nest that needs cleaned out.
Lynnmor
Explorer
May 05, 2018
westend wrote:
From your image, it looks like you have spider web or some other debis in that location. I'd suggest to brush or blow out the debris when the water heater is not in operation.

That, and I believe that I am seeing some warped sheet metal as well. Perhaps the flame was even worse till the debris was reduced from burning.
westend
Explorer
May 05, 2018
From your image, it looks like you have spider web or some other debis in that location. I'd suggest to brush or blow out the debris when the water heater is not in operation.
mchero
Explorer
May 05, 2018
Loose electrical connection on backside of HWH. I pull the panel on my breaker box once/year and check for loose connections.
newman_fulltime
Explorer II
May 04, 2018
The 110 junction box is in upper corner on the side of the tank inside the trailer toward the front of the water heater . the tube just beeds cleaned out
rvexodus
Explorer
May 04, 2018
Until i have a chance to evaluate the electrical, i'd like to use propane. My concern in the image above is all the debris peeling from the inside of the tube. Can anyone comment if that is a safety issue as is?
rvexodus
Explorer
May 04, 2018
newman fulltimer wrote:
Check your ac wiring my bet your hot leg on the ac is about to burn out the wirenut

Everything is off for the night .... but where would i check this? The little junction box on the side of the tank or under the little black cover where the heating element is?
newman_fulltime
Explorer II
May 04, 2018
Check your ac wiring my bet your hot leg on the ac is about to burn out the wirenut
rvexodus
Explorer
May 04, 2018
OK this is what im seeing in the propane burn chamber for lack of a better term. However, we don't smell anything odd when we run it on propane for a few minutes.

On the electrical side, there is romex leading into the water heater. That was warm but just barely. Voltages have not dropped below 115v all day so im confident we haven't had a low voltage scenario.

The wife said the smell smelled like a hot dusty light bulb, but it was a very strong in the RV at the time it occurred.
newman_fulltime
Explorer II
May 04, 2018
Check the 110 junction box on side of water heater the wireless burn through very common.
If you smelled it inside the unit it could be the 110 junxtion on the ac as well