Hi There Quick question for the exerts:I have a 2014 Coachmen Clipper - Unsure exactly what hot water heater I have. It's definitely a 6 gallon propane unit. Anyway, I winterized my water system (including hot water tank drainage) a couple of months ago. I've since been using the trailer in my backyard for side projects and left the batteries hooked up and the propane hooked up and shutoff valve open to run the furnace intermittently when needed. Yesterday I went to the trailer to grab something and noticed that my water heater switch was turned on and the status light illuminated red. I must have bumped the switch the previous day into the on position. So the question is: Did I ruin my hot water heater? I obviously can't test it with the water system winterized. Thanks!Brett

If your WH is propane only, it may have tripped a reset, if it over heated. If also electric, and electric switch on, you would have burned out the element, which can be replaced.Jerry

Do you normally run your water heater on "Electric" or just propane? (Or both).If propane, as stated above, just a reset and it will be ok.If electric, you burned up your electric heating element.Your water should have an electric on-off switch at the tank. As a double precaution, when there is no water in the tank, you should always flip that switch to off. Then, if the switch inside the camper gets bumped (like probably happened to you), the heat element will not come on.So the thing you need to figure out first, was your heater on propane only, electric only, or both? Go from there.

KFCCaravan wrote: my water heater switch was turned on and the status light illuminated red. I must have bumped the switch the previous day into the on position. So the question is: Did I ruin my water heater?That red light in my coach means the DSI is trying to light. Maybe you got lucky and it never ignited.I don't know if you ruined it. It's lucky it didn't burn to the ground. Depending on how long the switch had been on, it may have exhausted the propane supply and is trying to light. Do you have any propane left?

It's for sure a propane only heater so no electric element to burn out. I'm going to look for that switch at the tank. Thanks for the suggestion. Keeping my fingers crossed until next season when I (attempt) to fire it up for the first time. Brett

KFCCaravan wrote:It's for sure a propane only heater so no electric element to burn out. I'm going to look for that switch at the tank. Thanks for the suggestion. Keeping my fingers crossed until next season when I (attempt) to fire it up for the first time. BrettIf it's propane only, there will not be a switch at the tank. The only switch will be the one inside the camper. The switch at the tank is for electric only.

Hot Water Heater Question | Good Sam Community

KFCCaravan
Explorer
Nov 14, 2015
352 wrote:
If you already have hot water why in the world would you even need a water heater???????

Lol :S

I re-read my post several times like an idiot trying to understand your question before it came to me.
willi4nd
Explorer
Nov 14, 2015
352 wrote:
If you already have hot water why in the world would you even need a water heater???????

I was waiting for someone to say it lol
352
Explorer
Nov 13, 2015
If you already have hot water why in the world would you even need a water heater???????
2oldman
Explorer II
Nov 13, 2015
KFCCaravan wrote:
I'm going to look for that switch at the tank. Thanks for the suggestion.
If you're referring to Dutch's post, that switch (on my coach anyway) is only for electric. And yours is not electric. But hey.. they're all different!
DutchmenSport
Explorer
Nov 13, 2015
KFCCaravan wrote:
It's for sure a propane only heater so no electric element to burn out.
I'm going to look for that switch at the tank. Thanks for the suggestion.
Keeping my fingers crossed until next season when I (attempt) to fire it up for the first time.

Brett

If it's propane only, there will not be a switch at the tank. The only switch will be the one inside the camper. The switch at the tank is for electric only.
KFCCaravan
Explorer
Nov 13, 2015
It's for sure a propane only heater so no electric element to burn out.
I'm going to look for that switch at the tank. Thanks for the suggestion.
Keeping my fingers crossed until next season when I (attempt) to fire it up for the first time.

Brett
2oldman
Explorer II
Nov 13, 2015
KFCCaravan wrote:
my water heater switch was turned on and the status light illuminated red. I must have bumped the switch the previous day into the on position. So the question is: Did I ruin my water heater?
That red light in my coach means the DSI is trying to light. Maybe you got lucky and it never ignited.

I don't know if you ruined it. It's lucky it didn't burn to the ground. Depending on how long the switch had been on, it may have exhausted the propane supply and is trying to light. Do you have any propane left?
DutchmenSport
Explorer
Nov 13, 2015
Do you normally run your water heater on "Electric" or just propane? (Or both).

If propane, as stated above, just a reset and it will be ok.
If electric, you burned up your electric heating element.

Your water should have an electric on-off switch at the tank. As a double precaution, when there is no water in the tank, you should always flip that switch to off. Then, if the switch inside the camper gets bumped (like probably happened to you), the heat element will not come on.

So the thing you need to figure out first, was your heater on propane only, electric only, or both? Go from there.
MFL
Nomad II
Nov 13, 2015
If your WH is propane only, it may have tripped a reset, if it over heated. If also electric, and electric switch on, you would have burned out the element, which can be replaced.

Jerry

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