Big Horn water heater 120 volt wiring

[renewal101]

I have lost the neutral side of the 120 volt to the water heater. I have a 5 wheel, 3538RL. The wiring bundle is so messy that it will be painful to trace the wiring. I was hoping that someone has the experience to give me info on where the wiring goes from the breaker center. Does it go to the "electric water heater switch" inside the coach before going to the water heater junction box? Any help greatly appreciated. Andy

 

[danemayer]

There are 2 wiring schemes.

If your control panel switch is a wall-type switch that illuminates when ON, it's getting 120V AC from the circuit breaker panel. The power then goes to a junction box on the front inside corner of the water heater. From there it goes to the small secondary switch in the outside lower left corner of Suburban water heaters (a small black rocker switch). From there to the Emergency Cutoff and Thermostat, then to the heating element, and finally to the neutral connection back in the junction box. The neutral wire from the junction box likely goes back to the neutral buss at the circuit breaker panel (my assumption).

If the control panel switch is 12V DC, there's likely a relay behind the switch. That relay sends the 120V AC to the junction box on the water heater.

Loss of neutral is most likely going to be a problem inside the junction box on the front inside corner of the water heater.

 

[renewal101]

Thanks Dan...your info is very helpful. I'm hoping I can get to that junction box on the heater without pulling the heater. I did open the inside, lighted switch and found that it has a white romex wire with the 120 volts and then has a yellow romex leaving with both hot and neutral. The neutral is OK at that point. So your assumption is most likely right that the problem is in the junction box. Again thanks so much.

 

[renewal101]

With much distortion and painful body positions (I'm 77 years old), I was able to gain access and remove the junction box cover on the water heater. After removing the cover and several wraps of electric tape, I pulled on the wires under the wire nut. Both hot and neutral seem to be firmly in place, but I gave both wire nuts a couple twist. I crawled back out to discover the heater was working. So there must have been a bad neutral connection under that wire nut. Now I unfortunately have to go back in there and check those connections and put the cover back on.

So the info from Dan really helped in finding where the wires and terminations were. Thanks Dan. It looks like all may be well. I can't say that I'm impressed with Heartlands wiring techniques and workmanship. Thanks to the forum.