Red light switch on control panel wall

Capgains

Member
Okay, so maybe the walk-through was a little more overwhelming than I remember. There is a standard light switch with a clear red light in the switch part mounted down below my slide activator switch on my 2010 RW 365rw. Turing it on with no shore power connected does nothing. Could it be a shore power/generator switch?
 

jimtoo

Moderator
That should be the switch for shore power for the water heater. If your hooked up to shore power DO NOT TURN IT ON until you are hooked up to water and make sure the water heater is full of water. The electric element must be submerged in water or it will burn out.
 

danemayer

Well-known member
If you have two switches like that, one could be for the electric element in the water heater and the other for holding tank heating pads.
 

pegmikef

Well-known member
It is like Jim said, it is for running your HW heater on 120 volt when hooked up to shore power. Heed is warning.
 

Capgains

Member
Okay so there is an on/off switch on the water heater itself. I'm guessing that must make it able to power off the unit right at the WH. And what you are telling me is that that switch will do the same thing only from an inside switch. So I can fire up the water heater either with electricity (if available) or gas from the same location. Got it. Wonder why they couldn't just label it? Thank you for your help.
 

Capgains

Member
Thank you. I guess that makes sense to have the red "on" light so you can remember to turn it off when not in use.
 

danemayer

Well-known member
Okay so there is an on/off switch on the water heater itself. I'm guessing that must make it able to power off the unit right at the WH. And what you are telling me is that that switch will do the same thing only from an inside switch. So I can fire up the water heater either with electricity (if available) or gas from the same location. Got it. Wonder why they couldn't just label it? Thank you for your help.
Suburban Water Heaters have a black rocker switch on the water heater. This is usually left OFF until a trailer is sold. If someone walking through the trailer at the dealership turns on the inside switch with no water in the water heater, it'll burn out the heating element. Some people turn it off after winterizing to make sure the heating element doesn't get damaged by mistakenly turning the inside switch ON while the unit is winterized.

Up to you how you want to leave yours when winterized.
 

Westwind

Well-known member
Careful - Don't ask me how I know this - I know cover that outside switch with Gorilla Tape when I'm draining the HW Heater to winterize, somehow last year water got into it and it corroded the switch. When we got to Florida this year it wouldn't come on and I spent a day without Hot Water and a few bucks getting it fixed because I wasn't able to figure out
what was wrong. I was definitely thinking I had burned out the elements.
 

ppieplow

Member
I am confused as well. I have a Gateway 3650BH. On my control panel, I have a water heater switch for 9 volt, a water heater switch for 120 volt. I know the 9 volt is for the propane water heat, and the 120 volt is for the electric water heat. But, on the far left of the panel I have 3 switches, the bottom is for the slide, the top switch is for my LED outdoor strip, but the switch in the middle is not labeled. It is a normal switch that when turned on has a red dot at the top. I have no idea what it does.

If anyone knows, please advise.
 

pegmikef

Well-known member
. . . or an outlet for awning lights (usually mounted on the wall near the pin box end of the awning and higher than the utility outlet). It is a switched outlet.
 

GWRam

Well-known member
On our Gateway 3650BH the middle switch on the left side is the holding tank heater switch. Above the slide switch and below the awning switch.
Make sure there is fluid in all 5 tanks before turning on. Don't forget the fresh water tank.
Dave


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
 
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WestPat

Member
This is an old thread, but we are new owners of a 3650BH. Thank you for answering the mystery of the left middle switch!
So much goo info to be found!
David West
 
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