Electric Water Heater Questions

[tonynastasi]

My wife and I just bought a used 2014 Jayco Redhawk motor home. I've got some questions about running the hot water heater on electric and the owners manual that I have is unclear. The LP gas works great and we can get hot water within 10 minutes from the LP gas. The electric does not seem to work and I'm wondering if it's something I'm doing wrong.
There are 3 switches that are marked water heater electric: One in the control panel, one at the sink and one at the outside shower. When I turn the switch at the control panel on, it does not light up. When I turn the switch on at the sink, it stays lit. Neither provide hot water using electric.
I think I read or saw on YouTube that the electric water heater light should go on, then off if it's working properly. If it stays on, then there's something wrong.
My questions are:
- Why so many "hot water heater" switches?
- Should the electric hot water heater switch at the control panel light up when it's on, even momentarily?
- What is the correct operating procedure when you want to use the electric water heater?

Thanks

[JimD]

I recently replaced a tankless water heater with a tank model. I picked a model that had both propane and electric but I had to add my own 120 volt line to it.

Anyway, the light on the panel that is suppose to come on and then go off is for the propane. The light comes on when you first hit the switch and goes off when a flame is sensed.

I am not familiar with all the switches in your rig. I can tell you that on mine when I select 120 volt operation a relay energizes that supplies the voltage to the heating element.

If you are only working on propane you may not be feeding the 120 volts to the water heater. All that is required for propane operation is propane and 12 volts. Make sure you are plugged in and 120 volts is getting into the rig. Maybe test an outlet or microwave (if present). Check or reset all circuit breakers. Just because a light on the panel comes on doesn't mean you are feeding it 120 volts. The switch/light may be a 12 volt one controlling the relay.

What water heater do you have? If it is a Suburban I can send you the manual for it.

[EA37TS]

My Dometic water heater never worked on electric. Jayco Factory Service replaced it under warranty this week

[2edgesword]

On my rig there is only one switch to activate the electrical hot water. It's on the same panel as the switch for gas. I usually turn both on when we first get to the campsite and after the first heating turn the gas off and let the electric do the heating (it's just two of us so not a lot of demand for a large quantity hot water in a short period of time). The switches for the heat sources selected will stay lite all the time which only indicates which sources of heat are available for heating the water rather than the system are actually heating at the moment.

[Jagiven]

Have you checked you 120 VAC circuit breaker? I flip mine off when ever the tank is empty to keep from accidentally burning out the electric heating element. With that said, if it was turned on with the tank dry, the heating element could be shot.

Not farmilar with your particular MH. But, you should only have to flip one switch to turn on the electric option.

[Grumpy]

Originally Posted by Jagiven

With that said, if it was turned on with the tank dry, the heating element could be shot.

X-2 .....some also have a switch either on the back of the WH or outside on the front that has to be turned on. Once it's on you don't need to do anymore since the remote switch will control it.

[TCNashville]

Op look a little closer, I believe the 3 switches are for the water pump, not the water heater. There should be only 1 switch for the water heater to work in electric mode and that switch will be in the control panel right next to the switch to operate the water heater on propane.

[tonynastasi]

This is my control panel on our 2014 Jayco Redhawk. It is an Atwood water heater.

[TCNashville]

The switch on the far right will operate the water heater on electric. There should be no other switch located anywhere in your rig to operate the wh on electric, only that one. The other switches you mentioned should operate the water pump as this is somewhat common to have more than 1 switch to operate the water pump in some rigs. You will not get hot water right away operating on electric as it will take a good 30 minutes on electric to heat the tank provided there are no malfunctions.

[Jagiven]

Originally Posted by TCNashville

The switch on the far right will operate the water heater on electric. There should be no other switch located anywhere in your rig to operate the wh on electric, only that one. The other switches you mentioned should operate the water pump as this is somewhat common to have more than 1 switch to operate the water pump in some rigs. You will not get hot water right away operating on electric as it will take a good 30 minutes on electric to heat the tank provided there are no malfunctions.

Not necessarily true. My aunt and uncle's MH have 3 water heater switches. One at the master control center, one at the bathroom and one at the kitchen.

[TCNashville]

Originally Posted by Jagiven

Not necessarily true. My aunt and uncle's MH have 3 water heater switches. One at the master control center, one at the bathroom and one at the kitchen.

Thank you for the correction as I try not to misinform people about their issues. I was unaware of the multiple water heater switches in some rigs. The OP's control panel is identical to the one in my camper so I assumed he had only I switch, my bad and I apologize to the OP.

[JFlightRisk]

I understand there may be a couple of WH switches on the inside of some RVs, depending on the model, but the switch on the outside at the WH itself would be on Suburban heaters. Atwood heaters don't have the outside switch there.

[EA37TS]

Originally Posted by JFlightRisk

I understand there may be a couple of WH switches on the inside of some RVs, depending on the model, but the switch on the outside at the WH itself would be on Suburban heaters. Atwood heaters don't have the outside switch there.

Some Dometic and Attwood water heaters have a switch on the back of the water heater as well as the switches inside the coach. It's a real pain to get to the switch on the back and usually entails going through a drawer or an inside access panel. The positioning of the switch is dependent on whether the water heater is a 6 gallon or 10 gallon.

[JFlightRisk]

Ours is a 6 gallon, and is inside a plywood box, way under the bed. The access panel's only big enough to get to the valves...almost. The top one is by feel only. If there's any switch on the back, it'll never get used...or even seen. I'll have to get the manual out to satisfy my curiosity if they buried a switch back there. Of course, getting to the magic switch on our furnace is MUCH worse. I hope I never have to reset that one.

[Route 66 Traveler]

My Atwood 6 gallon has no switch on the heater itself, only the 12 relay that turns on the 120 volts to the electric heating element. The relay is in a black plastic box on the rear of the heater.

[JFlightRisk]

Originally Posted by Route 66 Traveler

The relay is in a black plastic box on the rear of the heater.

Ha, can't see that either! I may have to redo the rear wood panel to be completely removable, or hinged to open. That means having to get completely under the bed. If you never hear from me again, the DW will have let the whole thing down on top of me.

[Cavie]

Originally Posted by tonynastasi

My wife and I just bought a used 2014 Jayco Redhawk motor home. I've got some questions about running the hot water heater on electric and the owners manual that I have is unclear. The LP gas works great and we can get hot water within 10 minutes from the LP gas. The electric does not seem to work and I'm wondering if it's something I'm doing wrong.
There are 3 switches that are marked water heater electric: One in the control panel, one at the sink and one at the outside shower. When I turn the switch at the control panel on, it does not light up. When I turn the switch on at the sink, it stays lit. Neither provide hot water using electric.
I think I read or saw on YouTube that the electric water heater light should go on, then off if it's working properly. If it stays on, then there's something wrong.
My questions are:
- Why so many "hot water heater" switches?
- Should the electric hot water heater switch at the control panel light up when it's on, even momentarily?
- What is the correct operating procedure when you want to use the electric water heater?

Thanks

You will not have 3 switches to operate the electric element. Just one. The 3 switches you are referring to are the Pump switches. Especially the one at the outside shower. The WH gas switch has a red light that will go out when the heater is on. If it comes on by it's self, the heater did not light and is probably out of gas. If you have a Suburban heater there is a small outside electric
switch behind the outside door on the bottom left corner. Hard to see. it must be on. Never turn the WH on electric with no water in it.

[shloubrew]

Typical setup for most RV’s is your water heater switches are in your main control panel. One for gas one for electric. Light stays on when turned on. Perhaps your rig is a bit unique - but still seems odd to have electric water heater switches all over the place. Can’t think of any purpose to that. Multiple water pump switches maybe..

In any case, if your electric water heater switch isn’t lighting up in the main panel odds are quite good that somewhere along the line someone turned it on with an empty tank, and it burned out. Super common mistake. If you can access it check the back of your water heater where the wires come in and see if anything looks burnt up or melted. Often if the relay is cooked it’s obvious.

Someone a few posts back had a good idea turning off the breaker whenever the wh tank is empty. I may start doing that myself.

[arobinson6]

Originally Posted by tonynastasi

My wife and I just bought a used 2014 Jayco Redhawk motor home. I've got some questions about running the hot water heater on electric and the owners manual that I have is unclear. The LP gas works great and we can get hot water within 10 minutes from the LP gas. The electric does not seem to work and I'm wondering if it's something I'm doing wrong.
There are 3 switches that are marked water heater electric: One in the control panel, one at the sink and one at the outside shower. When I turn the switch at the control panel on, it does not light up. When I turn the switch on at the sink, it stays lit. Neither provide hot water using electric.
I think I read or saw on YouTube that the electric water heater light should go on, then off if it's working properly. If it stays on, then there's something wrong.
My questions are:
- Why so many "hot water heater" switches?
- Should the electric hot water heater switch at the control panel light up when it's on, even momentarily?
- What is the correct operating procedure when you want to use the electric water heater?

Thanks

I have a Jayco 2020 RedHawks 24 B, I turn on the switch for the electric water heater 30 mins before I take a shower and its so hot!!!! No complaints

[gymracer]

My Seneca MH has same setup. Yes it has 3 water pump switches. I usually use electric any time my generator is running. Electric seems to heat quick. Only bus LP when not running generator, (we seldom are hooked to shore power).