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05-01-2011, 02:06 PM
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#1
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Montana Fan
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Mansfield
Posts: 330
M.O.C. #8078
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Need help switching water heater to electric....
I'm still unclear on how to switch over the water heater from gas to electric. Went the whole weekend on gas and couldn't remember how to use the electric we were paying for at the camp site. I talked with 2 other campers, one a Montana owner, but his was a simple switch from elec to gas on the wall......un like mine.
When I turn the switch on on the wall, it turns red and then the burner kicks on. Ok, but I remember on our walk thru, unfortunately back in early Feb., that somehow we can switch over to electric.....but the "how to" escapes me. Nothing in the owners manual or in the water heater pamphlet.
There is a switch outside, a black toggle near the bottom left with "on, off". I just didn't have the time to let the water heater cool off and then try this or that to see if the electric kicked on. Thanks, D
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05-01-2011, 02:12 PM
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#2
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Montana Master
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Winfield
Posts: 7,327
M.O.C. #6846
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Outside switch is electric, inside switch with the light is gas.
Bingo
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Bingo and Cathy - Our adventures begin in the hills of WV. We are blessed by our 2014 3850FL Big Sky (previous 2011 3750FL and 2007 3400RL) that we pull with a 2007 Chevy Silverado Classic DRW CC dually.
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05-01-2011, 02:28 PM
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#3
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Montana Master
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: South Shore
Posts: 6,009
M.O.C. #7110
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All you need to do is simply go ahead and turn the black switch on. You don’t need to wait until it cools off it will still heat and keep the water warm. You can use both the electric and the gas but you don’t have to. However, when using the electric just make certain there is water in the tank before turning it on.
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2011 GMC 4X4 dually CC, 6.6 Duramax with Allison Transmission. Formally 2001 Montana,2007 3400RL Montana, presently 2018 3401RS Alpine.
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05-01-2011, 02:35 PM
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#4
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Montana Fan
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Mansfield
Posts: 330
M.O.C. #8078
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Bingo or others, does that mean if I leave the inside switch on, and the outside on, I will super heat it by both electric and gas heat at the same time or will one on cancel the other?
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05-01-2011, 02:38 PM
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#5
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Montana Fan
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Harvey
Posts: 329
M.O.C. #8863
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You can turn the propane (inside switch) off and leave the outside one. For really fast "heating" of the water if both of you take showers, turn on the propane as well.
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05-01-2011, 02:40 PM
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#6
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Montana Master
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: South Shore
Posts: 6,009
M.O.C. #7110
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by ddettorre
Bingo or others, does that mean if I leave the inside switch on, and the outside on, I will super heat it by both electric and gas heat at the same time or will one on cancel the other?
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One won’t cancel the other out. It will help you recover the heating faster. The hot water will also last a little longer or heat up quicker.
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05-01-2011, 02:45 PM
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#7
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Montana Master
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Kelowna
Posts: 1,475
M.O.C. #6237
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Open the cover on the water heater and on the lower left is the switch turn it on then your electric is on and it doesn't take that long to heat the water.h
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05-01-2011, 03:06 PM
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#8
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Montana Master
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: McKinney
Posts: 7,159
M.O.C. #6433
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by ddettorre
Bingo or others, does that mean if I leave the inside switch on, and the outside on, I will super heat it by both electric and gas heat at the same time or will one on cancel the other?
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With both switches on, it heat on both gas and elec at the same time. We spend about 3 weeks in the mountains every June and always turn both switches on. The incoming water is very cold and by using both elec and gas, the heat recovery rate is much better.
__________________
Bill & Patricia
Riley, our Golden
2007 3075RL (recently sold, currently without)
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05-01-2011, 03:08 PM
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#9
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Montana Master
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Midlothian
Posts: 956
M.O.C. #40
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I only use the electric and do not turn the gas switch on except when I do not have electric.
You can turn both on at the same time and the thermostats will cut both off when satisfied, but why waste propane? We can take showers one behind the other if we just give it a few minutes to reheat.
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05-01-2011, 03:45 PM
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#10
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Montana Fan
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: San Angelo
Posts: 115
M.O.C. #11213
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On ours the breaker on the far left (last one on the left) will turn the WH on & off if you leave the small switch on the outside on. I do know what if anything else is on this line.
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05-01-2011, 04:11 PM
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#11
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Montana Master
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Oceanside
Posts: 20,028
M.O.C. #20
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We leave that outside switch turned on all the time. On the rare occasions we need to turn it off we just turn off the breaker inside the rig, the one for the water heater. There is nothing else on that circuit. i know doing this will, with enough use, weaken the breaker but we turn that breaker off maybe once or twice per year.
The only time you want to be sure it is turned off is when you drain the water heater. The only time I'd suggest you do that is when you winterize the rig. Otherwise, leave it full even between trips. I use the breaker in the rig to turn it off in that case.
The reason to turn it off when you drain the water heater is if there is power to the electric heater element when there is no water covering it then you will burn out that element in seconds. It is replaceable without removing the water heater and the element is something like $10 or $15 but, still...
As others said, you can use the electric side, the propane side (via the wall switch) or both. If you use both, it will reheat the water more quickly but we find that 20 minutes between showers is enough when using just the electric side.
If more questions, don't hesitate to ask.
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05-01-2011, 05:00 PM
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#12
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Montana Master
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Ione
Posts: 582
M.O.C. #11371
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I have not even looked at the water heater switches in my new Big Sky.
The 2007 5th I just sold had a switch on the controls to have either the electric or gas on the water heater and it worked automatic.
Frank
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05-01-2011, 05:05 PM
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#13
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Montana Fan
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Mansfield
Posts: 330
M.O.C. #8078
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WOW! Great info and a lot of help.....wish you all were with us this past weekend! D
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