SOLVED: Lack of Hot water with Electric

[murry135]

I am having an issue with not enough hot water while on electric mode of our Suburban SW12DE water heater. I changed the element, made sure to be in NORMAL position on by-pass valve and checked the UDC faucet to make sure that is in the off positions. I hit the reset on the HIGH LIMIT switch and thermostat switch and still luke warm water. Presently running on GAS and ELECTRIC to supply enough hot water for showers. Any ideas where to go next? Try another element or trouble shoot HIGH LIMIT switch?

 

[travelin2]

Re: Lack of Hot water with Electric

Make sure your outdoor shower is off and not mixing cold water with hot water

 

[danemayer]

Re: Lack of Hot water with Electric

Sounds like it's working ok on propane. If so, the problem is not with bypasses or mixing of the hot and cold water somewhere in the system.

We do have a troubleshooting guide that will help if you have a volt/ohm meter. Here's a link to the troubleshooting folder.

 

[Apropdoc]

Re: Lack of Hot water with Electric

Just a thought, if the electric heating element has any mineral buildup on it, it will severely degrade its ability to heat up. Another thing to check, as stated before, shoot for continuity through the element, a dropped element can crack allowing water in and or preventing proper current flow.

 

[Roller4tan]

Re: Lack of Hot water with Electric

There may be an issue with the thermostat for the 120v ac side.

 

[jnbhobe]

Re: Lack of Hot water with Electric

Jim, How about the one way valve at the top of the tank being stuck open. Be carefull it's plastic. Is propane working right.

 

[travelin2]

Lack of Hot water with Electric

On electric only, if you "crack open" the TP relief valve is the water hot or just lukewarm??
If it's HOT it's nothing in the HW heater. Likely mixing with cold somewhere.


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[boatto5er]

Re: Lack of Hot water with Electric

If working OK on propane, but not on electric, I would check the High Limit switch. They can "malfunction". New ones are pretty cheap on Amazon.


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[9-larry]

Re: Lack of Hot water with Electric

I am having an issue with not enough hot water while on electric mode of our Suburban SW12DE water heater. I changed the element, made sure to be in NORMAL position on by-pass valve and checked the UDC faucet to make sure that is in the off positions. I hit the reset on the HIGH LIMIT switch and thermostat switch and still luke warm water. Presently running on GAS and ELECTRIC to supply enough hot water for showers. Any ideas where to go next? Try another element or trouble shoot HIGH LIMIT switch?

did you drain hot water tank the last time out out?if so and you didn't bleed air off you may have burnt up electric coil,one second out of water will burn up coil need to replace it

 

[JohnDar]

Re: Lack of Hot water with Electric

If the 120V High Limit thermostat has tripped (or is defective) the element will not heat up. It's about a $30 part. Same for the 12V one for gas operation.


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[JohnD]

Re: Lack of Hot water with Electric

Check the hot water heater bypass valve in front of the water heater in the basements.

If that is open then you'll get lukewarm water . . .

 

[cookie]

Re: Lack of Hot water with Electric

Check the hot water heater bypass valve in front of the water heater in the basements.

If that is open then you'll get lukewarm water . . .

His Landmark does not use that style bypass.

Peace
Dave

 

[rxbristol]

Re: Lack of Hot water with Electric

Make sure you're getting a steady 120 volts to the RV. I was in a park where there was a bad circuit breaker, on a distribution box, and the voltage fluctuated between 122 to 107 volts. This caused my water heater, on electric, to be not produce really hot water at times.

 

[travelin2]

Re: Lack of Hot water with Electric

Jim, any resolution to your HW issue???


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[Jesstruckn/Jesstalkn]

Re: Lack of Hot water with Electric

You can test your heating element with a oms meter. Disconnect the wires and test from 1 post to the other it should read 10 oms. I think it's 10 :/ 8 or 10 now I can't remember.

 

[cookie]

Re: Lack of Hot water with Electric

A few years back my water heater quit working on electric. I did the element ohm test and it showed it was good.
I checked every thing and it was all good.
I replaced the element and got hot water.
So my conclusion is that the ohm test is not the best test.
For the cost of an element I would just replace it.

Peace
Dave

 

[murry135]

Re: Lack of Hot water with Electric

Jim, How about the one way valve at the top of the tank being stuck open. Be carefull it's plastic. Is propane working right.

Plenty of hot water on propane. New element came in today and will be changed by me tomorrow updates to follow.
Thanks Jon and everyone else for you ideas.

Murry135

 

[murry135]

Re: Lack of Hot water with Electric

Plenty of hot water on propane. New element came in today and will be changed by me tomorrow updates to follow.
Thanks Jon and everyone else for you ideas.

Murry135

New element installed this morning and still no change to luke warm water. I ordered a new thermostat/HiTemp switch from Amazon for my next process of elimination. Standby for updates but not till the end of December, travelling home for the Holidays on Monday.

Murry

 

[danemayer]

Re: Lack of Hot water with Electric

Murry,

If you have a voltmeter, you don't have to use an "easter egg" approach to fixing the problem. Have you looked at the Water Heater Troubleshooting Guide? It will walk you through this problem.

 

[murry135]

Re: Lack of Hot water with Electric

Murry,

If you have a voltmeter, you don't have to use an "easter egg" approach to fixing the problem. Have you looked at the Water Heater Troubleshooting Guide? It will walk you through this problem.

I ordered a 120volt HiLimit/Thermo because when I removed the switch cover I found a fried terminal on the 120volt switch. It appears that the 2 wires to that switch rubbed against one another enough to short out. Will take picture and post my findings when new switch is delivered and installs after I get back from trip North for the holidays.