electric switch on water heater

[raucnd]

Does anyone know how or have experience changing the on/off switch on the water heater? Mine is stuck in the on position.

Charles Rau

[RailroadMike]

Is the water heater on? or just the light?I know my light stays on all the time not like my previous rig. In the Komfort it was only lit when it was heating. If you find a switch it should be a simple fix...good luck!

[boat391]

are you looking at the switch on the hot water heater itself or your panel light? there are two switches

[tmarshall]

If it is the switch on the water heater itself there is an easy fix. The switch has a lip on it and is designed to be replaced from the inside of the unit which would require removng the water heater from the inside. I had a repair man here that replaced it from the outside. He used a pocket knife next to the lip on the outside and slid it around until he found the tab on the inside that prevents the switch from coming out the outside. Then the switch comes out the outside without messing with pulling the water heater out.

[Cat320]

You guys are confusing me...the switch on the heater itself is electric power only, the switch inside (next to the water pump) is gas power, and a light comes on when it is on...at least that's the way it works on my rig.

[Parrothead]

Bert
You are right, so does ours. I think both of these posts on water heaters are confused. The switch outside by the hot water heater is for electric. The one inside on the idiot panel is for propane. The light on the panel is on as long as the switch is on. That doesn't mean it is burning, just ready to. There is a tiny little light that shows when the ignitor works. The propane will only come on when it is needed to heat the water. BTW all three of our 5ers worked the same way except our on first you could set the temperature.
Happy trails........................

[steves]

My outside switch has stuck several times in the off position. I just continue to put hard pressure on it and it does flip and starts working again.

[bsmeaton]

The outside water heater switch just pops out and can be replaced with the same switch easily. Just have to find the switch which may have to be ordered through the company (Atwood I think). Mine has a cotter pin that gets inserted through a hole when in the OFF position to make sure it doesn't get bumped by mistake.

There is a concurrent thread running that shows actually moving this switch to the inside of the coach, which would eliminate the outside switch altogether.

[bobgay]

As steves said, try pushing real hard on the switch. These switches are somewhat exposed to weather, and I guess it's a little corrosion in there that sometimes makes them really hard to push.
Bob

[G McCall]

My switch was hard to push this past weekend but still worked. I am thinking of spraying it with a light oil or something of the sorts.

[raucnd]

Thank you all for the responses. I think you have told me what I needed to know. I was referring to the electric switch on the outside of the water heater. I will first try the repeated on/off method and then replace if necessary.