Need help switching water heater to electric....

[kramperD]

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

[bncinwv]

Outside switch is electric, inside switch with the light is gas.
Bingo

[Bill-N-Donna]

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.

[kramperD]

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?

[The Weekenders]

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.

[Bill-N-Donna]

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?

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.

[hookman]

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

[BB_TX]

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?

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.

[awaywego]

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.

[Weldon]

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.

[sreigle]

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.

[maximo]

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

[kramperD]

WOW! Great info and a lot of help.....wish you all were with us this past weekend! D