My water heater will heat water to room temperature, maybe even less, when using electric and scorching hot when using gas (as it should). I took this to my dealer last summer and he stated that on electric, the water shouldn't get very hot at all. Is this true in the BH??? My three previous trailers would heat water to scorching levels on either gas or electric. Please advise.
water heater problem
- Thread starter terawatt
- Start date
katkens
Founding Illinios Chapter Leader-retired
I had problems with mine on the first camping trip and would not get hot on electric, there was a loose wire in a junction box by the water heater. The box was behind the panel where you winterize close to the water heater might check. It should stay hot on electric ,so a problem somewhere. I generally heat mine on start up on propane and then switch over to electric. ---Ken
jpmorgan37
Well-known member
I use electric on mine 95% of the time and it is very hot on electric. Are both switches turned on? You have one on the Hot Water Heater and one on the switch panel in the RV. Also, check for a loose connection at the circuit breaker.
Hope this helps,
John
Hope this helps,
John
ct0218
Well-known member
The actual water heater access panel on the outside, open it up, look for a small rocker switch on the lower left, has a cotter pin thru it. Not sure why they have the double switch, and one with a lockout. I threw away the pin since it seems totally unnecessary. Mine is like John's, very hot on ac, and we seldom use propane to heat water.
HappyKayakers
Well-known member
Mine gets very hot on electric alone. The only time I use gas is for quick reheat. I'm also betting on the outside rocker switch. Unless it's emphasized during the PDI, there's really no reason to think of going in there.
For those who do a lot of boondocking, they may rarely to never use the electric heating element of their water heater.
As a newbie to trailers a few short years ago, once I got that cotter pin out of the rocker switch, switched it on and hit the button inside the trailer, I instantly fried the element. Bad news was not the $15 to replace it.
After staying in a state CG that used GFCI breakers in their service boxes and continually popping their breaker, I spent hours at home with a VOM, tearing the converter and AC circuits apart before I isolated the issue to the water heater circuit.
Long story short, if the water heater tank is not flooded with water first, you will fry the electric heating element and not realize it right away.
That all said and fast-forward a few years, I love and nearly always heat the water using the element. If it's built into the rental fee of my CG site, I'm cookin' water with electricity!
As an aside, this rocker switch on the water heater was off when I went to de-winterize this spring. I think the shop that did the winterization must have switched it off. Anyway, it was super-hard to switch to the on position. I mean, I used the end of a tool and a lot of force to get that thing to snap to the on position. Not sure if I was fighting against a safety mechanism with brute force and ignorance or if it was just stuck.
Jim
(missing camping.....)
As a newbie to trailers a few short years ago, once I got that cotter pin out of the rocker switch, switched it on and hit the button inside the trailer, I instantly fried the element. Bad news was not the $15 to replace it.
After staying in a state CG that used GFCI breakers in their service boxes and continually popping their breaker, I spent hours at home with a VOM, tearing the converter and AC circuits apart before I isolated the issue to the water heater circuit.
Long story short, if the water heater tank is not flooded with water first, you will fry the electric heating element and not realize it right away.
That all said and fast-forward a few years, I love and nearly always heat the water using the element. If it's built into the rental fee of my CG site, I'm cookin' water with electricity!
As an aside, this rocker switch on the water heater was off when I went to de-winterize this spring. I think the shop that did the winterization must have switched it off. Anyway, it was super-hard to switch to the on position. I mean, I used the end of a tool and a lot of force to get that thing to snap to the on position. Not sure if I was fighting against a safety mechanism with brute force and ignorance or if it was just stuck.
Jim
(missing camping.....)
jpmorgan37
Well-known member
Check the heating element (power off) with an ohm meter. If it reads infinity, the element has fried. Most hardware stores have compatible replacements.
Good luck,
John
Good luck,
John
wfwilson
Founding Canadian Region Director - Retired
Does the outside rocker switch shut the heater down completely or is it only for the Gas? IE on ele only. With ele switch on inside and rocker switch off will the unit still heat?
I am going to try but just wondered if someone knew!
Thanks
Wayne
I am going to try but just wondered if someone knew!
Thanks
Wayne
