water heater problem

My water heater will heat water to room temperature, maybe even less, when using electric and scorching hot when using gas (as it should). I took this to my dealer last summer and he stated that on electric, the water shouldn't get very hot at all. Is this true in the BH??? My three previous trailers would heat water to scorching levels on either gas or electric. Please advise.

I had problems with mine on the first camping trip and would not get hot on electric, there was a loose wire in a junction box by the water heater. The box was behind the panel where you winterize close to the water heater might check. It should stay hot on electric ,so a problem somewhere. I generally heat mine on start up on propane and then switch over to electric. ---Ken

I use electric on mine 95% of the time and it is very hot on electric. Are both switches turned on? You have one on the Hot Water Heater and one on the switch panel in the RV. Also, check for a loose connection at the circuit breaker.

Hope this helps,

John

I didn't realize that there was a switch on the water heater as well. Can I get to it from the storage bay by removing the panel on the non-door side? Is this the panel you are talking about?

The actual water heater access panel on the outside, open it up, look for a small rocker switch on the lower left, has a cotter pin thru it. Not sure why they have the double switch, and one with a lockout. I threw away the pin since it seems totally unnecessary. Mine is like John's, very hot on ac, and we seldom use propane to heat water.

I think the switch is inside the WH access door, mine was turned off when I brought it home. If you are getting hot water with gas your valves are probably ok......

Mine gets very hot on electric alone. The only time I use gas is for quick reheat. I'm also betting on the outside rocker switch. Unless it's emphasized during the PDI, there's really no reason to think of going in there.

For those who do a lot of boondocking, they may rarely to never use the electric heating element of their water heater.

As a newbie to trailers a few short years ago, once I got that cotter pin out of the rocker switch, switched it on and hit the button inside the trailer, I instantly fried the element. Bad news was not the $15 to replace it.

After staying in a state CG that used GFCI breakers in their service boxes and continually popping their breaker, I spent hours at home with a VOM, tearing the converter and AC circuits apart before I isolated the issue to the water heater circuit.

Long story short, if the water heater tank is not flooded with water first, you will fry the electric heating element and not realize it right away.

That all said and fast-forward a few years, I love and nearly always heat the water using the element. If it's built into the rental fee of my CG site, I'm cookin' water with electricity!

As an aside, this rocker switch on the water heater was off when I went to de-winterize this spring. I think the shop that did the winterization must have switched it off. Anyway, it was super-hard to switch to the on position. I mean, I used the end of a tool and a lot of force to get that thing to snap to the on position. Not sure if I was fighting against a safety mechanism with brute force and ignorance or if it was just stuck.

Jim
(missing camping.....)

Jim-
With my Landmark being in FL I haven't needed to winterize it. Now I see the reasoning behind the extra switch and lockout, and I'm sure you're right about the price of a RV element. I guess I need to look for a small cotter pin when I bring it up this winter...

I pulled out my cotter pin and set it beside the switch and about 6000m later it's still there!

Thanks for the responses. I'll check if the rocker switch in on or off. If it is on, then I will start checking for loose connections.

I was able to get over to the trailer today and the rocker switch IS turned on at the unit, so that isn't the problem. I guess I need to start checking for good connections. Stay tuned.

Check the heating element (power off) with an ohm meter. If it reads infinity, the element has fried. Most hardware stores have compatible replacements.

Good luck,

John

Sounds like the heating element may be blown. It's worth picking up a 1.5" heater element socket at Ace Hardware to check it out. then you'll have one in your toolbox for later.

Jim

I got a chance to check the heater element today and it read 20Mohms on my meter (definately an open circuit). I picked up another one at Camping World and it reads 10.1ohms. Thanks everyone for helping me find the problem (or what appears to be the problem).

Does the outside rocker switch shut the heater down completely or is it only for the Gas? IE on ele only. With ele switch on inside and rocker switch off will the unit still heat?
I am going to try but just wondered if someone knew!
Thanks
Wayne

Shuts off the electric element only.

Jim