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TruckinRazor's avatar
TruckinRazor
Explorer
Oct 19, 2013

Water heater operation question

I have a 2014 Eclipse Attitude 32IBG, We used the trailer once so far. We set up camp at a RV resort with Water and Electric hook ups. We tested the water heater by pressing the button once and some time later tried the water out of the hot side and it was so hot it almost burned my hand. So I thought ok it works. The next time I tried to use it I pressed the button and waited some time 10 minutes and the water was only luke warm.I thought ok doesn't work now...great. I then forgot about it until the next day. I tried again and same result. When I press the button the light stays on about a minute then it would go out.Since the resort had showers i decided to worry about it when i got home.
Does anyone know if the light is supposed to stay on while the heater is on?
Any indication as to if it's on Propane or Electric?
Toy Haulers
  • sch911's avatar
    sch911
    Explorer
    Oct 19, 2013
    The light should go out after a few seconds. If it stays on that indicate a fault. It's takes longer than 10 minutes to heat the water in the tank. Generally we leave the switch on from the time we setup until the time we pack up. It sounds like yours is working just fine.
  • Strabo's avatar
    Strabo
    Explorer
    Oct 19, 2013
    Make sure propane is on also unless your using electric to make hot water, in that case you dont use the propane switch on the wall.

    How do you have it setup, propane or electric?
  • Old-Biscuit's avatar
    Old-Biscuit
    Explorer III
    Oct 20, 2013
    What BRAND & MODEL?

    Typically it takes 20 mins to heat the water.
    T-stats control when to heat the water
    On some the light comes on at first until propane lights....some the light only comes on when a fault occurs

    Better info with BRAND & MODEL
  • TruckinRazor's avatar
    TruckinRazor
    Explorer
    Oct 20, 2013
    Old-Biscuit wrote:
    What BRAND & MODEL?

    Typically it takes 20 mins to heat the water.
    T-stats control when to heat the water
    On some the light comes on at first until propane lights....some the light only comes on when a fault occurs

    Better info with BRAND & MODEL

    I'm not sure the brand or model I'm going to the storage unit monday and will find out, the next week I'm using the trailer and won't be able to "test" the heater until I get water in it. Which will be about 39 miles from camp and about 200 miles from any RV dealer..lol
  • TruckinRazor's avatar
    TruckinRazor
    Explorer
    Oct 20, 2013
    Strabo wrote:
    Make sure propane is on also unless your using electric to make hot water, in that case you dont use the propane switch on the wall.

    How do you have it setup, propane or electric?

    To better explain, I just switched from a Jayco to this Eclipse and everything is completely different. On the Jayco both propane and electric switches for the water heater we nect to each other and you could choose. This Eclipse has one switch and I'm assuming it switches itself to whatever is available? If no electric is detected then it uses propane? Does this sound right or is the propane switch somewhere else?
  • Old-Biscuit's avatar
    Old-Biscuit
    Explorer III
    Oct 20, 2013
    TruckinRazor wrote:
    Strabo wrote:
    Make sure propane is on also unless your using electric to make hot water, in that case you dont use the propane switch on the wall.

    How do you have it setup, propane or electric?

    To better explain, I just switched from a Jayco to this Eclipse and everything is completely different. On the Jayco both propane and electric switches for the water heater we nect to each other and you could choose. This Eclipse has one switch and I'm assuming it switches itself to whatever is available? If no electric is detected then it uses propane? Does this sound right or is the propane switch somewhere else?


    Sounds like it is a Suburban......inside switch is for propane operation and then in the outside compartment is a switch for electric element..lower right hand corner. If that switch is ON and no water in WH Tank...need new element. They don't last very long without being immersed in the water in tank.

    Sounds like it was working on propane....light comes on when igniting then goes off.
    Water takes about 20 mins to get hot.

    Good luck!
  • TruckinRazor's avatar
    TruckinRazor
    Explorer
    Oct 20, 2013
    It has always had water in it when hooked to electric, So I don't believe the element would have been "dry,on". So the one switch inside is not like the fridge? That only has one switch aswell.
  • Old-Biscuit's avatar
    Old-Biscuit
    Explorer III
    Oct 20, 2013
    TruckinRazor wrote:
    It has always had water in it when hooked to electric, So I don't believe the element would have been "dry,on". So the one switch inside is not like the fridge? That only has one switch aswell.


    No..not like fridge
    Water heaters have separate switches..no 'auto' select
    One ON/OFF switch for electric element
    One ON/OFF switch for propane

    With only one switch inside I suspect you have a Suburban Brand and the electric ON/OFF switch is located in the outside compartment
  • TruckinRazor's avatar
    TruckinRazor
    Explorer
    Oct 20, 2013
    Old-Biscuit wrote:


    No..not like fridge
    Water heaters have separate switches..no 'auto' select
    One ON/OFF switch for electric element
    One ON/OFF switch for propane

    With only one switch inside I suspect you have a Suburban Brand and the electric ON/OFF switch is located in the outside compartment

    That has to be it then, the propane was turned off after the first day and if the switch is outside then we never turned it on.
    Thanks I will check that when I get home.
  • Arch_Stanton's avatar
    Arch_Stanton
    Explorer
    Oct 21, 2013
    I have a new Eclipse Attitude 32AKLG and unless you upgraded the water heater I believe the standard unit is propane only, no electric element. Our heater is an Atwood. Ours is propane only. I always make dang sure the water tank is full before firing up the burner. Takes about 15 for it to heat up nicely.
    Also, my propane-only unit came with a plastic drain plug, no sacrificial anode attached to the plug.
    I changed that out right away.

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