Replacing the Water Heater DIY

[sunshineduo]

Sprung an internal leak in the Suburban SW12DE water heater this week. A small stream shoots right down into the burner can area when pressurized. Full-timing with cold water in the winter, yum
I did a search but didn't readily find that anyone had tackled the remove-and-replace chore on the water heater but I'm going to give it a try. If anyone has done this would you mind giving some tips/tricks? It looks pretty straightforward except for the external trim ring (can't tell if it is just sealed on or if there is some other attachment method).

First order of business is to find a replacement item somewhere in the area (Washington DC).

I'll take a couple of pics once I get going on the project.

Gary-n-Robin

[southern thunder]

Good Luck. I hate plumbing. I always get connections too lose or too tight

[sunshineduo]

Here's the culprit ... probably won't get it to light.

[nailbender]

The January issue of Trailer Life has a detailed article on how to replace a leaking inner tank of a RV water heater. Replacing the inner tank is about half the cost of replacing the complete water heater. Trailer Life does not appear to have back issues available on line. If you don't subscribe to magazine, maybe you can get a copy from a friend or a public library.

[The Oldguard]

Here is a site with a video not the same tank but may help

[1retired06]

Biggest problem is access to connections. Hope you have small hands!!

[sunshineduo]

Thanks for the info on the magazine and the video! Makes feel a bit more comfortable about the yanking/tugging/prying part of this operation.
There seems to be pretty good access to the water connections and as near as I can tell, it is a continuous copper line to the outside junction with the propane. Not sure about the control wiring just yet. Hopefully there is enough slack to deal with that when the unit is out.

Nobody has one in stock, but a dealer in Northeast DC will have one in tomorrow morning. Prices varied well over $200 between dealers, this one being in the middle and sold because of a pretty courteous parts sales person.

[8.1al]

I'm still not sure whether you are replacing the tank of the whole unit. If you are replacing the whole unit you might want to salvage the gas valve assembly off of the old one. Those valves are pricey and if just one of the electric coil goes bad they want you to buy the whole thing

[sunshineduo]

OK, just an update. Only took a couple of days for a new tank to get to a local dealer. The best on-line price was right at $500, but then added another $125 for shipping. Figured I'd just pay around that and pick it up at the dealer (just in case it turned out to be the wrong one).
The first box they showed me didn't look right so I asked to open it and sure enough it was someone else's order. They did find mine in short order and I was soon back at home prying the old water heater out of it's niche.
Powered down the coach, depressurized and drained the water and pulled the anode to drain the tank. The tank is secured in place by four screws sunk into the framing. There is a trim ring with screws (about 3" long) that tighten the unit and the the ring together. All that is sealed in place but came apart reasonably easily with due care given to not scratching paint.

There were a lot of wires so I wrote the connections down and then, after the water connections were loosened from inside the coach (just enough room to get in there .. a slow process), the unit slid out and on to the ground.

The new unit did not have exactly the same connections as the old one (model ended in a "DE" instead of a "DEL" ...) but after about an hour of snipping, stripping and crimping all the connections were re-made and we slipped the thing back in it's slot. It is a tight fit and I am glad for the help I had to wiggle from the inside whilst my neighbor Danny pushed from the outside.

It notched into place, connected up (with a new check valve ... no more singing! (for a while)) and after carefully wrestling the propane line back in place I seald it all up and it fired up fine.
The electric option switch is cotter-pinned to the 'off' position, so don't forget to pull that out and flip it to 'on'.

Project took about 5 hours all told, including a'my-gosh-it's-cold-and-wet-and-miserable-out-here" break or two.

I think there is a secret microchip on these devices that trigger in conjunction with a sales receipt so that 3 months after the warranty expires they die .. still working on that hypothesis .

Now, about the air conditioner... NEXT!

Thanks for the ideas, feedback and suggestions!

[CORattler]

Glad you were able to "git 'er done" with no big glitches. As a hint for the future, with wiring harnesses or any other connections, I take digital pictures before I pull anything apart and as I'm taking it apart. I can then see them on my computer and even enlarge them for detail. Of course writing stuff down is good too because pen & paper don't "crash" and fit's in your pants pocket a bit easier...