Hot Water Heater - Electric

[EagleRunner]

Just thought I would pass this on for anyone having issues with the electrical side of the Hot Water Heater on their Montana. I have a Suburban SW10DE Hot Water heater and recently the electric side failed. Gas worked just fine. Figuring it was the element, I jumped at replacing it but when I did it looked ok and later checked out ok. What I found then was the switch mounted on the outside left lower corner of the water heater was intermittent. Sometimes it worked, other times it failed. Eventually it failed altogether.

When I pulled the switch out to replace it I found that the Hot side wire had burned through its insulation and was starting to burn through the neutral wire running next to it. Caught that just in time. The lug on the switch was also causing the plastic housing of the switch to melt. Bad switch contacts caused high current to overheat the switch and eventually melt the hot side wire insulation.

The problem is with the switches. They are really cheap and when they start to fail, you best replace them at that time or you may wind up doing a rewire for the water heater the hard way. Don't ask me how I know! Either you pull the entire water heater out and do it where you can work on it or you see how flexible your body is in crawling under the cabinet and cut a hole in the cabinet side (inside wall) to get to the junction box on the water heater. I took the latter being too lazy to disconnect the gas and electrical to pull it out.

The switches are cheap, approximately $9 with shipping if you order them online. Don't rely on Camping World to have them. I tried that route in Portland OR and all they could provide me was a 12v switch even after I brought the old switch in. The parts clerk didn't understand the difference between a 12vDC and 120vAC switch! Even after giving them the Suburban part number for the switch they still could not find one in their shop.

If you need one do a google search for "Suburban 232362". I bought mine through Amazon.com. I purchased three of them so I have spares should it fail again.

Happy Travels!

Tom

[racerjoe]

I was hopeing to remove switch completely and put a regular 110v switch inside either this fall or in the spring. your right that switch is junk

[scductman]

I put a 110v switch in mine a long time back mounted it on the wall where the other switches are never turned the outside sw again and no problems. I never wanted to go outside to turn the sw on and off and its easy to put one inside.
Bobby

[bigmurf]

What Bobby said.

[Trailer Trash 2]

the problem I have found with the switch is moisture and it rust out the inside of the switch so I am going to see about a rubber switch cover at a good electronics store, or a switch rated for weather.

Bobbie do you know which wires to pick to do that change over from the back side of the heater?

[scductman]

Don I pulled the breaker panel inside the door and all I did was break the hot leg from the WH breaker to the heater then ran the wires up the wall where the other switches were. I cut a neat hole and mounted the sw there. On my 3650 the panel is rite inside the door and below the other switches so it was easy to fish the wires up after I cut the hole. The good thing is Susie cuts it on and off rite inside no problem. One other benefit is you don't use the inside breaker as a SW they don't like that IIRC.
Bobby

[Trailer Trash 2]

Thanks Bobbie,
1 more Q did you disconect the little rocker switch on the water heater or leave it conected.

[scductman]

Don I just left it turned on as long you don't operate it they seem to last just fine. Now that I said that mine will probaly quit working!! LOL. But if you want you can just pull the sw and splice the wires together with stacons or good wire nuts and bypass the sw after installing the new one inside.
Bobby

[Trailer Trash 2]

Thanks Bobbie I like that idea.

Don