hot water hearter and onan genset question
- Thread starter schew
- Start date
danemayer
Well-known member
Hi schew,
When running the on-board generator, it's the same as being connected to shore power, except that the number of amps is lower. The Onan 5500 generators typically come with either two 30 amp breakers, or a 30 and a 20. 50 amp shore power provides 2 50-amp legs. So on the generator, it's not too hard to turn on more things than can run concurrently on two 30 amp circuits. If you're running air conditioners, they each pull around 15 amps. The water heater pulls around 15 amps. Coffee pots pull around 15 amps. Microwaves pull around 15 amps. The Power Converter pulls less most of the time, but can pull around 15 at times.
So you can run the water heater on electric.
When running the on-board generator, it's the same as being connected to shore power, except that the number of amps is lower. The Onan 5500 generators typically come with either two 30 amp breakers, or a 30 and a 20. 50 amp shore power provides 2 50-amp legs. So on the generator, it's not too hard to turn on more things than can run concurrently on two 30 amp circuits. If you're running air conditioners, they each pull around 15 amps. The water heater pulls around 15 amps. Coffee pots pull around 15 amps. Microwaves pull around 15 amps. The Power Converter pulls less most of the time, but can pull around 15 at times.
So you can run the water heater on electric.
schew
Well-known member
Danemayer,
Thank you for the quick reply.
I didn't have the time to do a shake down trip and immediately took the RV on an Elk Hunt 1000k miles away. We were at about 8000ft. altitude, and never had hot water. Upon reading the manual, I learned that above 4500ft., the WH needs to be modified. At the time, I didn't realize my WH has an electric element. I troubleshooting the problem the whole time there to no avail.
Arriving home at sea level, WH still wouldn't work.
Turns out that someone from the factory or dealership never shut the winterizing valve off, so the HW tank was never filled with water.
My heating element still works though and can only hope that the temperature sensor shut it off before damage has occurred..
I think there should be a sticky written about the winterizing valve , for when its selected, even though water may flow from the hot water faucet, you are in fact drawing from the cold water, tricking people into believing their HW tank is full...
Thank you for the quick reply.
I didn't have the time to do a shake down trip and immediately took the RV on an Elk Hunt 1000k miles away. We were at about 8000ft. altitude, and never had hot water. Upon reading the manual, I learned that above 4500ft., the WH needs to be modified. At the time, I didn't realize my WH has an electric element. I troubleshooting the problem the whole time there to no avail.
Arriving home at sea level, WH still wouldn't work.
Turns out that someone from the factory or dealership never shut the winterizing valve off, so the HW tank was never filled with water.
My heating element still works though and can only hope that the temperature sensor shut it off before damage has occurred..
I think there should be a sticky written about the winterizing valve , for when its selected, even though water may flow from the hot water faucet, you are in fact drawing from the cold water, tricking people into believing their HW tank is full...
danemayer
Well-known member
The Suburban water heaters have a secondary switch under the outside cover to protect against burning out the electric element if the tank is empty. If the inside and outside switches were both on with an empty tank, the element burns out pretty quickly. Atwood heaters don't have the secondary switch and I'm told may last longer if run on an empty tank. If you haven't checked the outside switch, you may find that's all you need to flip to get the water heater working - assuming you have water in it now.
New trailers are winterized at the factory because they may be delivered to a cold climate and may sit on the dealer lot for an indefinite period. The dealer usually de-winterizes the trailer when he preps it for delivery. And these details are all typically covered by the dealer when doing the walk through with you. Sounds like they didn't do much of a walk-through.
We have a number of owner-written user guides that you may find helpful to fill in the blanks. You can get to them by clicking on the tools tab at top of page, and selecting HUG - Heartland User Guides. Here's a direct link.
New trailers are winterized at the factory because they may be delivered to a cold climate and may sit on the dealer lot for an indefinite period. The dealer usually de-winterizes the trailer when he preps it for delivery. And these details are all typically covered by the dealer when doing the walk through with you. Sounds like they didn't do much of a walk-through.
We have a number of owner-written user guides that you may find helpful to fill in the blanks. You can get to them by clicking on the tools tab at top of page, and selecting HUG - Heartland User Guides. Here's a direct link.
danemayer
Well-known member
Take a look at page 4 of the Water Heater Usage Guide.
schew
Well-known member
Yes, I actually downloaded that PDF last night.
The electric switch I was playing around with is the one outside, accessible once the grill is removed. I do not have any type of "primary" electric WH switch inside the rv, just an LP gas water heater switch and the 110v breaker panel switch.
Which still leaves me puzzled because at one point my 110v breaker switch for the WH was on along with the exterior electric element switch, with a dry tank- for several hours. But the element still produced very hot water.. Hopefully a case of pure dumb luck?
The electric switch I was playing around with is the one outside, accessible once the grill is removed. I do not have any type of "primary" electric WH switch inside the rv, just an LP gas water heater switch and the 110v breaker panel switch.
Which still leaves me puzzled because at one point my 110v breaker switch for the WH was on along with the exterior electric element switch, with a dry tank- for several hours. But the element still produced very hot water.. Hopefully a case of pure dumb luck?
schew
Well-known member
Thank you so much for taking time out of your day to help me...
Tomorrow, I'll search for the switch as well as test the LP gas button. During our trip it would ignite but would shut off a few minutes later. At first I thought it was due to the altitude I was at but now I believe it was the high temp sensor kicking in.
Tomorrow, I'll search for the switch as well as test the LP gas button. During our trip it would ignite but would shut off a few minutes later. At first I thought it was due to the altitude I was at but now I believe it was the high temp sensor kicking in.
