Suburban Hot Water Heater

HappyKayakers wrote:
I have a different model Suburban and I have to throw 2 switches to get it working on electric. One is on the water heater itself, the other is an inside switch.

Did you already burn out a heating element? That will happen quickly if you try to use the electric side with an empty water heater tank. I believe you could still be getting water from the hot side faucets if you're in bypass mode. I wouldn't know about that personally since I just move farther south instead of winterizing :-)

Since we bought it used and I am new to rvs thr first thing I did was replace the heating element. Still nothing. Hooked up to city water. I have the switch on that is on the heater itself outside. Nothing happens when I flip the switch inside which should be for propane. Propane is running as stove lights. I do not hear anything trying to light. Have hit the reset buttons and nothing. Fuses I should replace? The ones that say 40 on them are not marked.

Removing the switch isn't bad. You just have to lift up under it and slowly work it out. The tricky part is getting the leads out that are plugged up to it so that you can get enough room to work.

My switch was never hard to rock but there was no continuity in the 'On' position.

The outside rocker switch on my water heater got very stiff. I sprayed it with QD electronic cleaner from CRC. I sprayed straight into the front of the switch, as getting that switch out looks like a gut-wrenching nightmare. Rocked it a few times. It now works good as new. Hope this helps a few folks not have to replace that switch.

So you don't hear the DSI igniter trying to light the gas? Your tanks have propane in them and valves are open? The switch for propane heating of the water inside the trailer is on?

There's water in the tank? You'll burn up that element in seconds if it is turned on with no water in the tank for it to heat. Did you see if you didn't need to hit the reset button on the outside of the tank?

I have that same water heater in my trailer. For the electric side I only have the switch behind the access panel on the outside of the trailer. Do you have one inside as well or do you just have that one to flip on? The outside switch for the electric element went bad on mine and I had to replace it.

I have a different model Suburban and I have to throw 2 switches to get it working on electric. One is on the water heater itself, the other is an inside switch.

Did you already burn out a heating element? That will happen quickly if you try to use the electric side with an empty water heater tank. I believe you could still be getting water from the hot side faucets if you're in bypass mode. I wouldn't know about that personally since I just move farther south instead of winterizing :-)