I was hooking up my class A Winnie coach to an electrical panel as I have done numerous times before with no problem. This time I was distracted and I hooked it up wrong. Considering I have done a bunch of electrical work in the past, I completely disregarded the fact that I was working with a 120V coach, and did what was natural with the heavy wires I was holding. OH Yeah!! I sent 240V into the 120V coach. I am OK with replacing the old TVs. The microwave... Fine. I'll get a new one. The only remaining issue is the water heater.How much of the gas/electric water heater do I need to replace? Is it just an element, a control board, or the whole thing? I currently get nothing when I try to use it in either mode. I haven't even opened the access panel yet to see. I would rather have parts in hand when I get started.By the way, No amount of teasing can compare to how badly I cussed myself out once I realized my mistake.

Probably just the water heater element. Still should run fine on propane.Check the converter that charges the battery.Absorption fridge also has an electric heater.

If the water heater was not ON, then no damage. If ON, then only the 120 element "may" be damaged. Doug

Every combination Gas/Electric hot water heater that I've seen have totally independent systems for the line voltage section and the LP section.Line voltage side is simply a line voltage T'stat and a line voltage High-Limit, no control board. Any damage would most likely be the element.LP section is powered by the 12 V battery system. Incorrect power to coach does not seem likely to have affected it.Doug

My vote: BEST THREAD TITLE OF THE YEAR AWARDPersonal Highlights for your enjoyment..."Nahhh I don't need to disconnect battery bank negative when connecting this sixteen diode 32 volt 120 amp alternata.....NYATTTT ZOOT CRACKLE POOF" Back to the rebuilding bench with a personal cumulo nimbus sparkling and raining on my head""Ah jeez, I don't wanna walk all the way back to the shop and get my meter to see if these two wires are 120...I'll just touch them to this here light bul...KA POW!""I wonder if this Dodge alternator is spinning full fielded open circui....SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECH!" (270+ volts)"Damn and I cudda swore that rectifier bridge was negative ground""That figures. It comes from China. Deader 'n a doornail. Oooooooo what's that little slider switch way down in that slot on the side? 220/115 what the hey?" Oh by the way the great revelation came the week after I cursed the power supply.MANURE HAPPENS.Keeps me humble and grumbling at myself.GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR FIXES. JOIN THE CROWD :)

Of course the water heater was on when I did this. I reset the tripped breakers a few times to make sure I completely fried things, just in case they survived the first surge. I believe I will purchase a new element and install it. In the event that works, I will wait until the new element heats the water just short of boiling and then stick my hand into it to test it. Seems fair.

OK, I was stupid. FINE ! | Good Sam Community

sh410
Explorer
Jan 24, 2015
Carving King wrote:
So now I need to look at the converter too. I rarely use it, since I think it may not have worked previously. Good thing is that they are much less expensive than they used to be. You can burn one up for under $100 now. It used to cost several hundred to not be able to use them.

The converter converts 120V to 12v so you can turn on most of the lights in your RV, also the water heater has a control board that needs 12V.
wa8yxm
Explorer III
Jan 24, 2015
IF the water heater is a modern Atwood, and you did not have the electric turned on, You may wish to thank the engineers at ATWOOD...

With Surbura, I do not know, but I strongly suspect the same is true.

IF it was turned on,, With Atwood, the heat element may or may not have survived,, You will have to test it

With Surburan I do not know.
Matt_Colie
Explorer II
Jan 24, 2015
Carving,

Thank you for being honest up front, but now.....

I have some things that you should check out carefully before you spend money.
- The converter may have survived. The newer are switcher types and don't really care a lot about input voltage. Check it carefully.
- The water heater probably popped a breaker before the element fried, but even if it tests sort of good, check the heater to ground resistance. (This will required that you disconnect it.)
- The A/C will be OK if it was off.
- The Microwave, the TV and anything else that is always powered on AC could be toast.
- If you have an RV reefer, you may have taken out the control board and the AC heater.

I did a lot of boat work before the depression. I saw this more than one might think. In one case, the marina screwed up and spiked the dock AC with 168V. Another time, lightning struck a service pole and did just an amazing amount of damage.
Bobbo
Explorer II
Jan 24, 2015
rockhillmanor wrote:
Been there done that only "I" did not do it.
Silly me I trusted a license electrician to install my RV outlet.:R

I installed my own pedestal at home for my RV, so I KNEW it was wired right. And I STILL tested it with a multimeter for voltage before plugging in.
rockhillmanor
Explorer II
Jan 24, 2015
Been there done that only "I" did not do it.
Silly me I trusted a license electrician to install my RV outlet.:R

Anyway....
Open up and look at all your GFI outlets., even if they still work.

I did not and down the road months later I started smelling burning wires. This is what I found inside the wall from my 220 punch to the coach.

AND also open up the wall outlet that your micro was plugged into. Mine is located inside the cabinet. It too still worked BUT had burned wires to it behind the plate. Months later the resistance from the lunched wiring actually started melting the cover plate.

So get in there and open up and check/replace your GFI's and micro outlets even if they are still working. Could save you from a fire down the road.
Heisenberg
Explorer
Jan 24, 2015
There is protocol to make sure this never happens.
wareagle30
Explorer
Jan 24, 2015
Have you checked to make sure you're getting power from the breaker? You may have simply fried it instead of the element.

ETA: I'd take a multimeter to the whole shebang to isolate the problem before spending money throwing parts at it.
RJsfishin
Explorer
Jan 24, 2015
OK, I was stupid. FINE !
--------------------------------
I can agree w/ the 1st part, but not near so sure about the 2nd !:(
Carving_King
Explorer
Jan 24, 2015
The place did not have a plug in. I go there once a year and have to wire directly into the panel. I made a pigtail with a plug on one end and wires on the other. The issue is that the wires are colored black, red, and white even though they are hooked to a 120v female plug on the other end of the pigtail. Very easy mistake if you are a bit too comfortable inside the panel.
The wires are now tagged hot, neutral, and GROUND DUMMY.
64thunderbolt
Explorer II
Jan 24, 2015
depends on the receptacle he used