Hot Water Heater

[beetleman]

I am asking this information for a single lady friend. She has a 2000 Kountry Star 5th wheel. Her hot water tank is a 10gal electric/gas water heater. Since she is hooked up to electric, she has been using the electric to heat up her hot water heater. She has not had any problems having hot water until now. Today she went to use hot water and did not have any. The electric was not working. I will tell you that the area has been saturated with rain and storms. Up to 4 inches in a matter of couple of hours. A lot of flooding. I have tried to walk her through some steps, but when the water recedes a little I will try to get out to her campsite. Any suggestions of what I can check on. I have a 2007 Mountaineer and can kind of trouble shoot. Thanks for helping this elderly lady.

[BB_TX]

Agree with above. Typical when public water supply is shut off, water drains from pipes, water supply is reestablished, pipes are repressurized with air inside, and air blows out faucets next time they are opened. Even happens at our house sometimes in our semi rural area.

[beetleman]

Thanks for info. Just waiting for chance to get out there.

[94-D2]

Sounds like air in the system. If the city water supply has been compromised by flooding, there may be an interruption in supply that has put a large air pocket in the WH (not to mention contamination) Verify city water, bleed the WH (whole system actually) and reset everything. If the element went bad it stays bad. Never seen one self correct.

[beetleman]

Visited with my friend and she did get hot water. However this morning she was rinsing dishes, heard a loud thump, and air shot out of faucet. Reset light came on. I haven't been able to find out if heater is Atwood or Suburban. Water is starting to recede, so someone can get to her campsite. Any ideas about what is going on. I told her to turn off heater.

[Old-Biscuit]

Does she have a Suburban or an Atwood Water Heater?

2000 year model
Suburban
*Electric On/off switch in outside compartment. They fail/exposed to elements
*High Temp T-stat trips at 170*F ...manual reset (Push To Reset cover above gas valve----Left button is for 120V AC element)
*Connecting wire between High t-stat and normal temp t-stat can burn into
*Element under cover below gas valve-----with 120VAC circuit breaker off disconnect the black/white wires
Check continuity between the 2 terminals. NO continuity...element bad.
Check continuity between white wire terminal and element flange...Got continuity---element shorted


Atwood
That vintage has separate controls for electric & propane
120V AC circuit breaker>>>>>On/Off switch on backside of Water Heater
On/Off switch to set of t-stats....ECO (High Temp has manual rest button in center of t-stat)
Element...same continuity tests as above

(Element and set of t-stat UNDER the cover on backside of water heater)

[laknox]

If the heater hasn't been cleaned in a while, it could be full of sediment, which doesn't play well with electric heating elements. She should still be able to have hot water by switching to gas.

Lyle

[BB_TX]

Some problems that have been reported in the past.
-Bad heating element
-Tripped circuit breaker
-Bad or tripped thermostat/hi temp cutout
-Bad little black switch at bottom left corner of water heater if Suburban
-Burned or loose wiring in junction box on back of WH if Suburban

[Lynnmor]

beetleman wrote:
Yes, everything else works. Her hot water switch as a reset light. If she runs her finger along the reset light it will comes on. It is not a button. But if she touches it light will come on or go off. Wondering about a short.

That light may be normal and may be for the gas portion of the heating.

A short will trip a breaker, cycle the breakers off and on, then retest. If the water was off, perhaps the water heater was not full and that will smoke a heating element in seconds. Bring a meter and check for voltage at the element, if voltage is present then replace the element, available at most hardware stores. A cheap tool is also available for changing elements.

If you have no success, come back with the make and model,

[beetleman]

Water is connected and hot water tank has water in it.

[beetleman]

Yes, everything else works. Her hot water switch as a reset light. If she runs her finger along the reset light it will comes on. It is not a button. But if she touches it light will come on or go off. Wondering about a short.

[agesilaus]

The electrical heating element is an obvious thing to check. They can burn out often caused by operating the heater w/o water in it. Otherwise anything in the electrical chain can fail so a multi meter would be handy and a copy of the heater manual which you should be able to get online.

[MFL]

The obvious thing is to check the breaker inside at converter. Most WHs have a reset on the outside as well, to check when rain lets up.

Is the WH the only electric not working?

Jerry