Suburban Hot Water Heater SW10DE

OK let's start form the top.......

Anode Rod has nothing to do with heating.electric or propane.
It is a sacrificial rod that protects the inside of your glass-lined steel tank from corrosion. It dissolves as it reacts to minerals in water instead of your steel tank.

Electric heating.....
120V AC power comes from a circuit breaker (if not tripped) to a junction box on side of tank (right side when looking from backside) to ON/OFF switch in outside compartment. When ON power then goes to ECO/T-stat set (left side under rubber cover in outside compartment). ECO has a 'push to reset' (If tripped----on rubber cover---push hard).
Power goes from the set of t-stats to electric element (if it isn't burnt out from being turned on without water in tank)


Propane heating.....
12V DC power comes from fuse (in DC Dist. Panel...if not blown to an ON/OFF switch then to junction box on side of tank (left side when looking from backside). Then to ECO/T-stat set (right side under rubber cover in outside compartment). DC power then goes to control board which directs DC power to: Gas valve solenoid and spark electrode. Spark electrode ignites main flame and then a 'signal' is generated and goes back to control board to prove main flame has lit. Control board then holds power on gas valve solenoids until heating has completed.

ECO..... (Energy Cut Out) High temp t-stat. Opens if temp reaches 170*F or 180*F---depending on model)
T-stat....Normal thermostat. Opens when temp reaches 130*F. It should do all the temp controlling.


So........need 120V AC power all the way to electric element to heat with electric.
Need 12V DC power all the way to gas valve/spark electrode to heat with propane.
Propane cylinder(s) need to be valved in service and LP Regulator needs to maintain 11" WC with flow thru regulator.

Now that you have a short course in how your Suburban water heater works...........you need to test for 120V AC and 12V DC power. Hopefully it is just a tripped AC circuit breaker/blown DC fuse.
Test each system one at a time.


HERE is a service manual that covers your model.

Read thru it....go identify the different components and then check them out.

bsorro wrote:
I replaced my water heater element and anode rod because we had no hot water on the electric side, had hot water on the gas side before replacing, now no hot water at all and I can't get the water heater to light on gas. Anyone else ever experienced this problem or know what I should do. Also, does anyone that has an Ameri-Camp Summit Ridge Reserve know if the Amana gas range oven has to be lit by hand, because there's no ignitor on the stove. Sorry to sound so dumb, but we just got this 5er and the dealer didn't know squat. Thanks.

.........I'll assume that this is a used trailer ! When you removed the anode rod , you should have turned the water back on so that the heater would self flush all the 'Stuff' that builds up in the tank when the heater doesn't receive regular maintenance !
.........There is a sensor that senses if gas is present to burn , IF it doesn't sense the presence of gas the electricial igniter will not receive power . The dealers Ignorance is to avoid any responsibility for the problems you are having currently . Did you not have the Dealer conduct a PDI, predelivery inspection of all mechanical and electricial systems Before you paid him for the trailer ? This is what happens when you don't use the leverage of 'Non payment' to motivate the salesman\dealership to correct any problems with the trailer . I'm afraid you've lost that leverage from your description of the transaction . I would return that trailer to the seller and do what is necessary to get all problems resolved to your satisfaction . Maybe you should mention your cousin...'Guido' who works for the mafia in resolving buyer complaints relative to RV purchases . , jf

Yes, you have to light the oven by hand, as the water heater did you turn off the gas or pull a wire loose when you worked on it?