hot water heater switch confusion

Boomerweps wrote:
My water heater looks a lot like the ones pictured. It did not come with a pin in the electric element switch. Yes, it is a key teardown item to make sure the electric water heater gets turned off since I keep my TT powered at home. That pin seems foolish anyways unless there was a big streamer tag on it like the "remove before flight" ones on aircraft.

The RV manufacturers that leave the pin installed typically provide one of these coupons in the paperwork packet.

Boomerweps wrote:
My water heater looks a lot like the ones pictured. It did not come with a pin in the electric element switch. Yes, it is a key teardown item to make sure the electric water heater gets turned off since I keep my TT powered at home. That pin seems foolish anyways unless there was a big streamer tag on it like the "remove before flight" ones on aircraft.

I bet it "had" a pin. My last trailer had a pin when I bought but it left here without one.

Bobbo wrote:

SoundGuy wrote:
In some cases a trailer manufacturer may take it upon themselves to install a 2nd switch inside the rig in parallel with this tank mounted switch. Most don't, K-Z being one, so I added my own switch to my K-Z Spree 240BH-LX ...

I think you mean in series. If the switches are in parallel, either switch, alone, would turn on the water heater regardless of the position of the other switch. If they are in series, both switches must be on to get power.

Series, at least on our 17 Rockwood. You leave the outside switch on then use the inside switch to control operation.

And after looking the outside switch does have a hole for a pin, but I assume the pin was pulled either at the factory or by the dealer and tossed. I guess a good idea for people who are total idiots.

Thank you thank you thank you!!!!
The switch is inside the hot water heater and somewhat hidden. Thanks for the help on this problem!
I did not list the hot water heater make and model because its in storage and could not get to it. I also know there are only 2 manufactures, so I thought someone would know something, and someone did, SoundGuy was on point! Thank you!

SoundGuy wrote:

2edgesword wrote:
If there is only one switch I would have to imagine it's not electric OR propane but electric AND propane meaning when the switch is off you're going to get neither electric or propane.

Never heard of any water heater with just one switch controlling both functions - makes no sense at all.

The only time a gas-electric water heater with one switch makes sense is if that one switch turns both features on and off at the same time (faster heating of water). Every dual operating water heater I'm aware of allows you to select only gas, only electric or the combination of gas and electric, and they all come with two switches. The only way to have all of these features with one switch would be by using a switch that can be positioned in four positions (off, gas only, electric only or gas/electric).

My water heater looks a lot like the ones pictured. It did not come with a pin in the electric element switch. Yes, it is a key teardown item to make sure the electric water heater gets turned off since I keep my TT powered at home. That pin seems foolish anyways unless there was a big streamer tag on it like the "remove before flight" ones on aircraft.

SoundGuy wrote:

bob2194 wrote:
The hot water heater is both electric and propane. I only have one switch. My older TT had 2 switches, this one has only one one and its electric, off and its propane.

SoundGuy wrote:
If you have a gas / electric water heater with only one switch inside the trailer then it's a Suburban SW6DE whereas your previous water heater with 2 switches inside the trailer was an Atwood.

Ralph Cramden wrote:
With a pin through it? That's a new one here, as I have had 3 Dometics and none had a pin through the outside switch for electric operation.

Read my post again - I said if you have a water heater with 2 switches inside the rig then it's most likely an Atwood. If there's just 1 switch located inside and it is a gas water heater with an electric heating element option then it's a Suburban with the electric switch located on the water heater itself, and yes Virginia there is a pin through it to prevent accidentally turning on this switch when there's no water in the tank. Here's a pic ...



In some cases a trailer manufacturer may take it upon themselves to install a 2nd switch inside the rig in parallel with this tank mounted switch. Most don't, K-Z being one, so I added my own switch to my K-Z Spree 240BH-LX ...



For those who still doubt that Suburban water heaters have a switch on the unit itself for activating the electric heating option even though the pic above clearly shows that it does :S here's a discussion about this very issue.

My Suburban 2017 vintage WH has the electric element
switch outside, but no pin and no provision for one.

Ron3rd wrote:
Like stated above, the switch for the electric function is ouside; open the heater outside panel and look for a black rocker switch I've got the same water heater and it's the dumbest setup I've ever seen. No reason why both switches can't be inside

The idea is to prevent inadvertently turning on the 120v element when there's no water in the tank.

Ralph Cramden wrote:

SoundGuy wrote:

bob2194 wrote:
The hot water heater is both electric and propane. I only have one switch. My older TT had 2 switches, this one has only one one and its electric, off and its propane.

If you have a gas / electric water heater with only one switch inside the trailer then it's a Suburban SW6DE whereas your previous water heater with 2 switches inside the trailer was an Atwood. That one inside switch when switched on means the water heater is running on gas, the switch that turns on the electric heating element is on the water heater itself, accessed by opening the outside water heater hatch. It's a rocker switch with a pin through it so you don't inadvertently turn the electric element on when there's no water in the tank - do that and you'll instantly burn out the element.

With a pin through it? That's a new one here, as I have had 3 Dometics and none had a pin through the outside switch for electric operation.

Some RV manufacturers do it right and will install another switch inside marked as water heater electric. That way you can leave the outside switch in the on position and control it inside. Rockwood is one. If you have a Dometic and an inside switch both switches need to be on for electric operation.

DOMETIC ......acquired ATWOOD last year
Atwood has never had an On/Off Switch in outside compartment for the electric element.
Prior to 2004 they did have On/Off Rocker switches on backside on WH where electric element is located which had to be ON for electric element to function.

Suburban HAS the On/Off Switch in outside compartment and it was pinned to lock it out.

Atlee wrote:
That's one of the dumbest things I've ever heard. A water heater that both electric and propane, yet you must go outside to switch on the electric.

If it's a "feature" of a Suburban brand, those people are stupid as rocks.

SoundGuy wrote:

bob2194 wrote:
The hot water heater is both electric and propane. I only have one switch. My older TT had 2 switches, this one has only one one and its electric, off and its propane.

If you have a gas / electric water heater with only one switch inside the trailer then it's a Suburban SW6DE whereas your previous water heater with 2 switches inside the trailer was an Atwood. That one inside switch when switched on means the water heater is running on gas, the switch that turns on the electric heating element is on the water heater itself, accessed by opening the outside water heater hatch. It's a rocker switch with a pin through it so you don't inadvertently turn the electric element on when there's no water in the tank - do that and you'll instantly burn out the element.

Yes, dumb but true. Don't ask me how I know