Operating hot water heater on propane

dhort55

Member
I have a new 2011 3670RL and I am trying to figure out how to use the hot water heater on propane. I have full timed in RVs for a lot of years and have never had this much difficulty with the gas water heater. I have the switch on the hot water heater and a switch inside the trailer marked electric hot water heater. I have tried these switches in every combination I can think of. I called my dealer and they said that the switch located on the H/W heater should be off, and the inside H/W heater switch should be on. This does not work, and does not make a whole lot of sense. He said that there should be another switch located inside the trailer, but I am yet to locate it. I am sure that there is a simple solution to this problem, but at this point I feel brain dead. If there is someone else that has had this issue, or knows the answer, any help would be greatly appricated.
 
dhort55,

There is only 1 switch that is needed to use the WH on propane. It's the red switch on the white monitor panel, next to the pump switch. the other wall switch marked WH should only be used when you want to heat water using AC power. Only turn that switch on when you are certain you have water in the WH tank as tested by running a HW faucet. If water comes out of it, albeit cold, you know you have water in the WH tank. "There is" another switch but that other switch is for AC water heating. It's a tiny black rocker switch on the WH itself on the lower left behind the outside WH cover. It has NO affect on heating water using propane but it does need to be switched on before you can use AC power to heat water.

Does your stove light and run well? If it does, that's a decent propane check.

There is a reset on the outside of the WH. I am not too familiar with it but I think it's a push button affair.

Here are two more resources:
1. Heartland Customer Service: 877-262-8032
2. Suburban Water Heater Customer Service: 423-775-2131 / link to water heater FAQs
 

jmgratz

Original Owners Club Member
To use your hwh on electric, be sure it has water in it, then the on/off switch on the back should be on, then turn on the red switch in the panel inside. That should be all you need to do. To use the hwh on propane, turn on the propane at the tank, be sure there is water in the hwh, then turn on the red switch on the monitor panel which says heater. That should make it work. If it does not then it is trouble shooting time.
 
The switch on the water heater can be in the ON position, regardless of whether or not you're running on propane. The switch allows the heater to use electric, if that's the power source you select. If it's OFF, you will not be able to run on electric. As Jim mentioned, there should be three little switches on the bottom of your tank level monitor panel in the cabinet. The red one on the far right, that's labeled HEATER will light an indicator when it's turned ON, indicating propane is being used to run the water heater. With the switch on the water heater in the ON position, you can run the water heater on BOTH electric and propane, if you want a faster heating of the water, by flipping both switches to the ON position.

Doesn't sound like the dealer is really familiar with RV water heaters.
 

dhort55

Member
Jbeletti,
Could not see the forest for the tree's. I looked high and low for the switch that operates the W/H on propane. The switch was located on the monitor panel just where you said it would be. This is the first RV that I have owned that had the switch in this location. In the past, all of my RVs propane switch's have been located on the wall in or near the bathroom area. One of these day's maybe I will have a hard question to answer. That would make me feel a little less brain dead. Thanks for all of the feedback from everyone, this is what sets Heartland apart from the other RV manufacturers.
 

noobee

Well-known member
Another switch to look at: open the outside door... there is a black plastic box that has 2 round, rubber covered switches that are labeled RESET... by depressing these you might be able to fire up your water heater on propane.
On my previous unit I had to do this a couple of times, after longer term non-usage.

I think this is one that JimB mentioned.
 

JohnDar

Prolifically Gabby Member
Another switch to look at: open the outside door... there is a black plastic box that has 2 round, rubber covered switches that are labeled RESET... by depressing these you might be able to fire up your water heater on propane.
On my previous unit I had to do this a couple of times, after longer term non-usage.

I think this is one that JimB mentioned.

According to the manual, those are the HIGH TEMP reset buttons. Looking at the schematic, one is for the 12V system and the other is the 120V reset. I think they trip if the heater exceeds 180 deg. While we were working (I watched, he worked) on my neighbor's water heater element, he pulled the cover off the reset buttons. It looks like they pop out if they trip and you push them back in to reset. So, unless they've popped, pressing on them will do nothing.

The switch for electric power on the face of the water heater is a black rocker style switch, marked ON and OFF (or 1 and 0).
 
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