Electric on H2O heater not working - Montana Owners Club

**Rondo** · 02-24-2016, 05:32 AM

Well the unit is only three years old and the electric side of the water heater has gone belly up! I've checked the breakers and fuses- all are good; I've replaced the element and it still will not work. The element that I took out was coated with calcium deposit but would like to check it to see if it really was bad or not. How do I do that? Any suggestions on what I can do from here? It still works on gas so that's what we're using at the present but would like to switch back over to electric is possible and use the gas as a booster or back up.

BB_TX · 02-24-2016, 05:45 AM

For the element you can disconnect the wires and then check the resistance across the two terminals. An ohm meter should read some relatively low resistance if it is good. Maybe something in the range on 10-12 ohms. If it reads infinite resistance the element is burned open.

Good chance the thermostat or high temp cutout is bad. Or maybe a bad switch on the water heater. Google that water heater model and you should find a schematic diagram of it to assist troubleshooting. Then you can trace where you have power and where you do not.

Is the switch on the water heater on?

jimcol · 02-24-2016, 05:54 AM

If you have a volt/ohm meter check for voltage at the element. If there is voltage it almost has to be your element and yes new ones can be defective out of the package but this is rare. Check that with your Ohm meter. Think it should read like a 5 or 6 on the 200 scale. If you have no voltage there check the switch on the outside, are you sure it is on? If it is on test the switch with your meter on ohms with the switch on should read 00000. Ron if you get stuck call me. You have the number. Jim

K0LCB · 02-24-2016, 06:18 AM

I had to replace the high temperature limit switch on my Montana after the first year

mhs4771 · 02-24-2016, 06:48 AM

With a voltmeter, start at the element and work backwards looking for 120VAC. If you don't have any voltage at that little black switch in the lower left corner and you know you have voltage leaving the breaker panel you'll need to get access to the rear of the water heater and check that 12VDC relay that is controlled by the lighted Water Heater switch inside the Monty. When you enguage that switch it closes a Relay on the back corner of the heater to connect the 120VAC from the breaker panel to that little black switch.
Been there done that

rohrmann · 02-24-2016, 07:52 AM

On our rig, we also had the same problem a couple years ago. Turned out to be the 'Switch Assembly 120 V.A.C. T-Stat/Hi-Limit', part number 232306. Some time after I replaced this part, I found out that Suburban had a bad batch of these things, and may have had a recall on them. The reset button on them was red, and the replacement ones are gray. It is very easy to replace, does not need the tank drained, just be sure the power is off.

rmthelen · 02-24-2016, 11:03 AM

I had the switch on the heater (little black rocker) go bad, bypassed it and all is well.

bigskyjimmy · 02-24-2016, 11:28 AM

Yep just like rohrman says ,I have had 2 go out and it is a cheap easy fix ,take off the black reset cover and it is the switch on the left

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by rohrmann

On our rig, we also had the same problem a couple years ago. Turned out to be the 'Switch Assembly 120 V.A.C. T-Stat/Hi-Limit', part number 232306. Some time after I replaced this part, I found out that Suburban had a bad batch of these things, and may have had a recall on them. The reset button on them was red, and the replacement ones are gray. It is very easy to replace, does not need the tank drained, just be sure the power is off.

**Rondo** · 02-25-2016, 04:15 AM

Thanks to all that have responded to this post. Have replaced the element already but still not working so going to check the two switches and the T-Stat today when I get time. I'll let everyone know what I come up with!

jsmitfl · 02-25-2016, 05:46 AM

Our Tstat was bad on ours and it was only a year old. When I got mine I bought two just in case. You can probably even just look at it where the wires attach and see its gotten hot.

BB_TX · 02-25-2016, 08:04 AM

Probably going to be the switch, thermostat, or hi temp cutout. But if the hot side checks out ok, dig a little deeper. Someone here recently was having a problem with theirs and it turned out to be a loose neutral connection in a junction box on the water heater.

WeBeFulltime · 02-25-2016, 10:19 AM

If all the above fails try the neutral wire connection. I just went through this a few days ago and that was my problem.

richfaa · 02-25-2016, 01:02 PM

problem on this 13 3402 was the sloppy work at the factory installing the tank. The tank was fine but the wireing to tank fried. It is in the back of the tank and hard to see.The wireing was not properly crimped and in time shorted out.

**Rondo** · 02-27-2016, 04:32 PM

Well we're back to stage one on the water heater problem. I've replaced the heating element and we pulled the electrical panel, the switch board where all the lighted switches are, the off/on switch on the outside of the water heater and also checked the t-stat for the electric side of the heater. All have checked good EXCEPT when we turn on the switch on the inside of the unit for the electric side of the water heater we hear a click outside somewhere behind the water heater. Anyone know if there is a board on the side or back of the water heater that controls the t-stat? Thanks for any answers in advance!

BB_TX · 02-28-2016, 04:51 AM

Check the post by mhs4771 on page 1. The Suburban manual does not show a relay. That may be something Keystone installs so that they can use a 12 vdc switch inside to operate a relay to send 120 vac to the water heater outside. Sounds like it is located on the back of the water heater though. May have to pull it to see it though.

Same with the wiring Rich speaks of above.

Mudchief · 02-28-2016, 07:09 AM

Rondo, when I was doing a mod on my unit I saw there is a box on the top middle of the water heater that had wires coming from the outside of the heater.

Irlpguy · 02-28-2016, 07:50 AM

Rondo I am enclosing a picture of the top of my Suburban water heater, mine is a 12gal but suspect the wiring will be the same or similar.

In my opinion and all indications are there is NO 120V relay. The junction box allows for both 12V and 120V hookup and does not contain a relay of any sort.
This box allows the installer to bring both voltages to the heater where they continue on as wired at the factory. If over time one of either the neutral or hot 120V wire connections in this box has come loose and is now not providing voltage to the heater then the 120V element will not work. You will need to get at this junction box and open it up and see what is going on inside of it.
You will also be able to confirm you in fact do have 120V to the junction box.

The junction box as you can see in my picture is located on the top of the heater, you can see it and the related wires going into it on the right side of the picture below the black hose.

Ensure there is no power going to the box when you work on it until you have secured the wiring within it.

Since you have pretty much eliminated all the other sources of problem then this would be the only thing you have not looked at, good luck with working on it as it is in a horrible place to get at and you might have to remove the heater to get at it.

The Erwins · 02-28-2016, 05:21 PM

On our last unit the element went bad, and we had never even used it!

We discovered it when we stopped being able to plug into the GFCI protected outlet in the garage.

I don't think its uncommon for the elements to go bad.

WeBeFulltime · 02-29-2016, 10:25 AM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by WeBeFulltime

If all the above fails try the neutral wire connection. I just went through this a few days ago and that was my problem.

I'll try again to help you. There is an electrical junction box on the side of the water heater close to the end that is outside. If you can't access it from inside your Monty you will need to remove the water heater from the outside about 6-8 inches. Inside that box you will likely find a bad neutral (white) wire connection. I just went through the same thing!

WeBeFulltime · 02-29-2016, 12:42 PM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by Irlpguy

Rondo I am enclosing a picture of the top of my Suburban water heater, mine is a 12gal but suspect the wiring will be the same or similar.

In my opinion and all indications are there is NO 120V relay. The junction box allows for both 12V and 120V hookup and does not contain a relay of any sort.
This box allows the installer to bring both voltages to the heater where they continue on as wired at the factory. If over time one of either the neutral or hot 120V wire connections in this box has come loose and is now not providing voltage to the heater then the 120V element will not work. You will need to get at this junction box and open it up and see what is going on inside of it.
You will also be able to confirm you in fact do have 120V to the junction box.

The junction box as you can see in my picture is located on the top of the heater, you can see it and the related wires going into it on the right side of the picture below the black hose.

Ensure there is no power going to the box when you work on it until you have secured the wiring within it.

Since you have pretty much eliminated all the other sources of problem then this would be the only thing you have not looked at, good luck with working on it as it is in a horrible place to get at and you might have to remove the heater to get at it.

The box in this photo on top of the WH is not a junction box for 120 volts AC. This box is the control board cover and it controls LP functions only. The 120 volt AC junction box cannot be seen in this photo.

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