Water Heater Switch - Montana Owners Club

JandDVoss · 08-02-2009, 12:44 PM

OK folks. Bought a gently used 03 Montana. Where do I find the on/off electrical switch for the water heater? have looked in all the books with no success. ended up tripping the CB to keep from frying the heater. All the other RV's I have owned had a very obvious electrical on/off and gas on/off. Found the gas switch but as soon as I plug in electrical power i get hot water. Glad i had water in the tank. Jim.

greener · 08-02-2009, 01:20 PM

Our switch is in the outside compartment behind the door.

H. John Kohl · 08-02-2009, 02:20 PM

Open outside white door and look at the lower left hand corner for a black switch. It may be behind some of the "propane" pluming. Let us know.

grooving grandpa · 08-02-2009, 05:29 PM

These are cheap switches. I burnt mine out. Turn the electric switch on before you plug in to land power. The switch does not like the surge you get when turned on after being hooked up to land power.
I think that was my problem. I am not an electrican. Maybe someone else can correct me.

capn chris · 08-03-2009, 03:38 AM

Ours is on the water heater, itself, in it's outside compartment. Little black rocker switch.

Waynem · 08-03-2009, 06:35 AM

Sure glad they made it simple and standardized everything.

Ours was on the hot water heater as Chris stated.

JandDVoss · 08-03-2009, 06:40 AM

Thanks all!! Found it outside. Little diagram in the owners manual would have been nice huh? See ya on the road.

sreigle · 08-04-2009, 08:11 AM

Ours also is behind the access door on the outside of the coach. It's a bit hard to see and sometimes has a pin in it that you have to first pull out.

We left ours turned on all the time and used the breaker to shut it off those few times we needed to turn it off. If you use the breaker frequently you'll wear out that cheap breaker but occasional use never hurt ours.

Be sure you turn it off before draining the water heater. The element will burn out in a few seconds if not covered with water. I haven't had to do it but have heard it's not difficult to replace the element.

clutch · 08-11-2009, 08:57 PM

Talk about a timely topic. After almost three years I was convinced that out heater was propane only. I found the switch too, right where everyone said it was.

Clemson1881 · 08-12-2009, 03:12 PM

Ours has the outside switch and an inside lighted switch on the main control panel. Both must be on for the heater to work. We leave the outside one on all the time, and use the one on the control panel.

grooving grandpa · 08-12-2009, 05:16 PM

I am a week-ender, not a full timer. I do not leave my water heater switch on, because when I am hooked up to ground power at the house, there is no reason the electric should be keeping my water warm. O.K if I am in the dog house with my DW, I may want hot water in the rig.

padredw · 08-13-2009, 02:31 AM

We too are "travelers" and not full-timers, so I will make a small observation about "leaving the water heater switch on". For us, this applies to the times when we leave home and are on a road trip. While we are 'traveling' we DO leave the electrical water heater ON. That way, when we set up in each campground the water heater operates on electric power when we connect the power line. If we ever needed to turn the water heater off, we could do so.

On our Montana, the switch was in the outside water heater compartment only. When we returned home, part of the set up was to turn the water heater electrical switch off.

**Carl n Susan** · 08-13-2009, 02:28 PM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by Clemson1881

Ours has the outside switch and an inside lighted switch on the main control panel. Both must be on for the heater to work. We leave the outside one on all the time, and use the one on the control panel.

I think Montana started doing this with the 10th Anniversary Edition models. Those of us with older rugs are envious. I am surprised nobody has retrofitted the new switch into an older rig (with pictures of course). Hint! Hint!

**Rondo** · 08-13-2009, 04:30 PM

We have an 04 model and it is as several have said on the outside under some of the prpane piping! I always turn the switch off when not in use and drain the water heater. I also turn off the breaker in the panel just to make sure I don't burnout the element incase I forgot to turn off the outside switch and have drained the tank! I do try and fill the tank before leaving each for an adventure so I have hot water in a few minutes after setting up and I turn both the breaker and the switch back on before leaving also!

OntMont · 08-17-2009, 03:46 PM

Some of us have added an extra indoor switch. This protects the flimsy outdoor switch, and can be used for "power management" purposes when on 30amp supply. I did notice that the new models have an indoor switch as standard equipment, about time!

FLSTS03 · 08-17-2009, 04:43 PM

Hey Jim, At least you knew & remembered to have a tank full of water before you switched on the element. I'm a plumber of allmost 40 yrs, knew better and still fried the element 1st time out. It was couple yrs back- way to excited the 1st night- no hot water- good ole MOC came to our rescue..Steve

sfretts · 08-19-2009, 06:43 AM

Clemson1881.

The outside switch controls the electric circuit of the water heater. The switch inside controls the propane. You can mix and or match depending on what you are using the water for. I turn both off while traveling or stored at home. Usually run just the electric after hooked up, but in the morning at shower time, I flip the propane switch on the water will heat quicker than with just electric.

HamRad · 08-19-2009, 08:51 AM

Steve and Lori,
I believe many, if not all, the newer units also have an electric switch inside. Since I don't have a new unit I'm just going by what I've heard. One of the mods I want to install is just such a switch. I also need a water pump switch move since we cannot reach the switch with the slides in. I believe that is also a change on the newer units. It is my understanding that the reason for these switch changes was because of the input from the members here on the MOC.

Later,
Dennis

scductman · 08-19-2009, 10:23 AM

Guys that was one of the first mods I did was to install a paddle switch at the control panel. now I leave the switch on at the heater outside all the time. you just need to remember to cut off the one inside when you break camp.It also saves the breaker in the panel they do not like to be cut on and off alot jmho. bobby

Clemson1881 · 08-19-2009, 02:43 PM

We have an indoor electric and gas water heater switch. I don't know what year this started, but ours has it.

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by sfretts

Clemson1881.

The outside switch controls the electric circuit of the water heater. The switch inside controls the propane. You can mix and or match depending on what you are using the water for. I turn both off while traveling or stored at home. Usually run just the electric after hooked up, but in the morning at shower time, I flip the propane switch on the water will heat quicker than with just electric.

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