Water heater not working on electric just gas

[ajmurphree]

Just purchased a brand new 2022 HC 351bh and hot water heater is currently only working on gas while hooked up at campground. Will not heat on electric. . Here is a picture of the panel. Are we missing a switch being flipped or something? I figure it’s gotta be something easy on a brand new camper

[BB_TX]

Look outside on your water heater. You will have to remove the cover. If it is a Suburban water heater there will be a small black rocker switch on the lower left corner. That switch must be on for the inside switch to work.

[ajmurphree]

Originally Posted by BB_TX

Look outside on your water heater. You will have to remove the cover. If it is a Suburban water heater there will be a small black rocker switch on the lower left corner. That switch must be on for the inside switch to work.

Sorry tried to upload a picture earlier and it wouldn’t work. Read the manual and it shows a black on off switch but I don’t see that on our panel which is why I’m confused.

[ajmurphree]

Originally Posted by ajmurphree

Sorry tried to upload a picture earlier and it wouldn’t work. Read the manual and it shows a black on off switch but I don’t see that on our panel which is why I’m confused.

Manual

[BB_TX]

Look behind the gas valve in the lower left hand corner.

[ajmurphree]

Originally Posted by BB_TX

Look behind the gas valve in the lower left hand corner.

No switch.

[Carl n Susan]

Apparently, the newest DEL models (which I believe is both gas and electric) no longer have to outside rocker switch we all have come to hate. Refer to Page 6 of this manual.
https://library.suburbanrv.com/wp-co...03-22-2023.pdf

In the File Section here on the MOC there is a trouble shooting manual for the Suburban water heater
https://www.montanaowners.com/forums...?do=file&id=90
It should help, just ignore any reference to the black external rocker switch.

Having just fixed mine, a quick test is to remove the rubber-like cover over the thermostats and check for 120V on the left one (it is the electric side). There should be 120V to the thermostat and if the water temp is low enough (100 degrees???) there will also be 120V on the output side which goes to the heater element. Checking the integrity of the heater element is easy and described in the PDF above.

We didn't by chance turn on the electric side of the water heater using the inside switch when there was no water in the tank did we?

[77cruiser]

Had the same thing on mine last year. On mine a wire had come off the switch behind the control panel.

[Daryles]

On our 3130re, there is a panel in the bottom of the pantry. Take that off and you can see the back of the water heater. Make sure it's plugged into the wall receptacle behind the heater.
One of our members found theirs unplugged on a new unit.

[Bnrc73]

Is it possible that you turned it on before filling it with water? This would burn up your heating rod in about 2 seconds.

[Squarehead]

Originally Posted by ajmurphree

Just purchased a brand new 2022 HC 351bh and hot water heater is currently only working on gas while hooked up at campground. Will not heat on electric. . Here is a picture of the panel. Are we missing a switch being flipped or something? I figure it’s gotta be something easy on a brand new camper

I had same problem with 1st Montana I bought. Took back to dealer. Service rep told me to my face it could take 48 hours to heat water with electric. I told her no way, I have owned previous RVs. She then said I didn't know what I was talking about. Left trailer there, walked out. Several weeks later a different service called said trailer was ready. I asked what was problem. Well, it was wired wrong from factory. Factory should have caught this and dealer should have caught this during checkout. Never saw first service rep again. On my survey I was kind and just said she needed more training.

[Karlwarren]

Pull the panels off in the storage compartment behind the wet bay and locate the electrical plug for the water heater. I took a short 16 gage extension cord and plugged it into the power receptacle for the outside tv and Into the power cord for the water heater and it worked. That told me that the receptacle is bad and will have to be replaced.

[BB_TX]

Originally Posted by Karlwarren

Pull the panels off in the storage compartment behind the wet bay and locate the electrical plug for the water heater. I took a short 16 gage extension cord and plugged it into the power receptacle for the outside tv and Into the power cord for the water heater and it worked. That told me that the receptacle is bad and will have to be replaced.

Likely your outlet is one of those where the wires are pressed between two metal prongs like the link below. Those are supposed to cut thru the insulation and make contact with the metal wire. They don’t always make electrical contact though. Cheaper and faster, but not better.

https://www.amazon.com/RV-Designer-S...a-521834141484

[Bourbon County]

Originally Posted by Squarehead

I had same problem with 1st Montana I bought. Took back to dealer. Service rep told me to my face it could take 48 hours to heat water with electric. I told her no way, I have owned previous RVs. She then said I didn't know what I was talking about. Left trailer there, walked out. Several weeks later a different service called said trailer was ready. I asked what was problem. Well, it was wired wrong from factory. Factory should have caught this and dealer should have caught this during checkout. Never saw first service rep again. On my survey I was kind and just said she needed more training.

48 hours to heat a tank of water???? How many people actually believe the BS we're being fed by this industry?

[77cruiser]

More like 48 minutes.

[Todd & Mary]

We had the same issue in April on our 2021 3761FL. The water heater was plugged into a standard receptacle in the basement right in front of the water heater. The plug had fallen out of the recepticle. All i had to do was plug it back in.