Hot Water Heater

[srae]

First time out in our 3150 Big Country. My old trailer had the switch which read for gas and one for electric. This one has a switch for 12V and one for 120V. Which one runs the electric? I had the 12V switch on thinking this is to run the water heater off the electric, but no hot water.

 

[SeattleLion]

The 12v switch is for propane heating. Odd label but that is what it means.

 

[danemayer]

Hi srae,

120V is the electric side, using 120V AC provided by shore power or a generator. 12V is actually a combination of 12V DC power to the circuit board and gas valve, along with propane.

I realize it's a little late, but before turning on the water heater, it's critically important to ensure that the water heater is not bypassed (as part of winterizing) and that it's full of water. If the electric side (110V) is turned on when the tank is empty, you can burn out the heating element very quickly.

If there was water in the tank but the 12V switch you tried didn't produce hot water, you should make sure at least one tank has propane and that its valve has been opened very slowly.

We also have an owner-written Water Heater Usage Guide that may be helpful to you.

 

[JohnDar]

If you do desire to run the water heater on 12V/propane, you should first turn on a stove burner to clear the air from the lines. Let it run for a few seconds until the flame is steady. Then turn on the 12V switch. Otherwise, if there is air in the lines, the water heater will try to ignite 3 times and then go into lock-out (the tiny red LED next to the switch will come on). If this does happen, turn off the switch and wait 5 minutes before turning it on again.

Running on 120V, the red wall switch will light up when it's in the on position.

 

[Bob&Patty]

Make sure the little black switch outside behind the W/H inspection cover is turned on. You can run both 120V and the 12V side at the same time for faster hot water recovery.

 

[srae]

Thank everyone for the help. It works when you push the right button!

 

[Birchwood]

The propane side of the water heater in out Landmark says heater and the electric side says Electric W/H.We knew it was a dual source of water heating but(darn) we had to read the manual to clarify the propane side of the water heating

 

[Bob&Patty]

The 110V switch looks like a residental lite switch with a red knob.

 

[Crumgater]

Also... you can both gas and electric at the same time, if you need fast hot water recovery (for dual showering, etc).