Hot Water ByPass Switch - Help

[Chip]

What is this exactly for?
There is an ON position and an OFF position. What do you do with this?? Can't find instructions that clearly explain this switch.

I have the hot water heater going now but do not know what position to place the switch.

Thanks,
Chip

[awaywego]

Chip
The switch is for the water heater to work on propane. With the switch off and if the switch inside the water heater door on the water is heated by electric. If you turn the switch on and wait about 10 seconds you should hear a clicking and the water heater will light on propane.
Hope this helps.

[Searchers]

Chip,

You mentioned the water heater bypass switch, but I'm not sure if you mean the actual plumbing bypass valve, the toggle switch on the monitor panel, or the on/off switch on the water heater tank itself under the outside access panel.

My rigs a 1999 so it may be plumbed different than yours, but here's a brief explanation.

The plumbing bypass switch is near the water heater on the cold water supply line. When closed it prevents water from entering the tank. It's handy when winterizing because when closed the tank can be drained, the anode rod removed amd you don't have to fill the tank with antifreeze.

The swith on the monitor panel controls the igniter for propane operation.

The outside switch on the tank controls 120v AC operation when available.

Caution, you don't want to operate on gas or electric when the water heater tank is empty, but you can operate on both at the same time if needed.

Hope this helps,

Don

[Chip]

Ok I get the small switch on the heater itself is ON for propane and OFF for electric operation. Mine has a carter pin through the switch locking it in the ON position.

The other switch in the Panel Area where the water hooks up. I am still not quite sure I understand this. It is labeled BYPASS. So I want to run this in the OFF position? But turn it to ON when I winterize the system?

An then there is the on off switch in the coach itself which I assume is to completely shut off the water heater - yes, no?

Thanks,
Chip

[robb]

The switch on the heater is your ELECTRIC heat plug. The safety stitch should by pinned in the OFF position not the on.
The inside switch on the wall is for gas operation.

[snfexpress]

As Robb stated, the black switch inside the hot water cavity with the cotter pin is for electric only. The bypass is for water. Turn bypass off so that water will fill the hot water tank and THEN turn black switch on (once the tank has FILLED with water or else you will burn out the element).

The purpose of the cotter pin is to make sure the switch CANNOT be turned on without removing the pin, thus ensuring an additional safety measure against turning on the electric element without the hot water tank being full of water.

The red toggle switch inside the 5er (the one that has the water pump switch), is for propane to heat the water.

[Chip]

Cleared up now

Thank you very much. The PDI did not cover this very well.

Chip

[sreigle]

The bypass switch on the control panel is for use during winterizing. If you leave the switch in the current position, when you fill the water lines with antifreeze you'll pump ten gallons of antifreeze into the water heater. That is a big waste. Flip that bypass switch and the incoming (to the water heater) water line will connect to the outgoing line and bypass the water heater. That way you do not fill the water heater with antifreeze. You then drain the water heater and just leave it empty for the winter. Hope this helps.