John sigmone

[John Sigmone]

Recently purchased 2014 Big Sky Montana trying to figure out the hot water system relief valve is stuck on and off switch for the element is stuck unit is very Rusty needing some suggestions on what to do here are some photos

[AZ Traveler]

John,

Both the relief valve and switch are fairly easy to replace. I would try that before replacing the entire water heater.

[John Sigmone]

Thank you for your quick response very helpful I appreciate it but with the looks of the pictures that I sent do you think all that rust is a problem and another question where would the water tank be is it accessible from inside the RV or only behind the unit

[Carl n Susan]

That appears to be surface rust on the cover plate based on your photos. I agree with AZ_Traveler, change the pressure valve and the on/off switch. They are easy and relatively inexpensive. Replacing the entire water heater is not.

What model Big Sky do you have? You should add the year and model to your Signature to ensure it is always attached to your Posts.

When you ask about the "water tank" are you referring to the hot water tank or the fresh water tank? I assume you mean the hot water tank and it is attached to the back of the cover plate. Depending on your model and where the WH was installed, it might be accessible from the inside under a cabinet, or in the pass through area after you remove the back wall. Hence knowing what model you have may help determine the location and access to the WH.

Finally, it is better to create new Threads for each different issue rather than mixing them together in one common Thread. It make things neater withing the Thread plus making the information easier to find later.

[John Sigmone]

Thank you for all the good info very new to this it is a 2014 Keystone Montana Big Sky

[Carl n Susan]

There were numerous models of the Big Sky. Which model do you have?
Look at the placard on the left of the entry door for the answer.

[dhuhn]

you should also take the anode rod out and flush tank this will show you what the inside of the tank looks like. As Carl has said it looks to be surface rust, and those other two parts are easy to replace and a lot cheaper than a new tank.

[twindman]

I inquired to the cost to replace a water heater on Friday. Dealer said only 2 hours of labor but the tank cost is out of site these days- around $2000!!!!!
My heater is not working on electric - hopefully just the element as I may have had it turned on when I plugged in the trailer. But I also screwed up the threads on the anode port, so thought about a whole tank - guess not.

[John Sigmone]

3625RE is the numbers on the place card to the left of entry door

[Carl n Susan]

The WH on a 2014 3625RE is (unfortunately) located on the drivers side between the refer slide out and the couch slide out. Access to the rear, which you need to do to remove it, is going to require disassembly of a portion of the peninsula island cabinet.

All the more reason to start with replacement a pop off valve and the switch.

Does the WH work on propane?

[John Sigmone]

Don't know if electric or gas work haven't tried either because i don't know yet if the WH tank has water in it.

[John Sigmone]

When you say the Peninsula Island cabinet are you referring to the cabinet that has my fuse box on it?

[Carl n Susan]

I have no idea where the fuse panel is on your rig. It probably is close to the front door but that is a guess.

The WH is located on the exterior wall between the couch slide and the refer slide. That peninsula island with the quasi curio cabinet above it covers the body of the WH. That lower cabinet is the one that has to be opened up to access the back of the WH. There may be a removable shelf in the lower cabinet whose removal will allow access.

[John Sigmone]

Thanks for all the great replies. They will be very helpful..

[Kfinnert]

Good morning -

I have a similar floor plan in my rig and I had similar issues as you. I absolutely agree with all of the recommendations here. It is fairly straightforward to perform maintenance on your hot water heater and a lot cheaper than having the tank replaced.

First and foremost, pull the anode and flush the tank - there are Youtube Videos on this process and the wand you may use. If you have cross threaded the anode rod, it is easy to rethread it with the new anode rod IF you had not torque the old rod into place and REALLY crossed the threads. Just take your time to line up the threads and go slowly installing the replacement. I would wait on reinstalling the new anode rod until you finished the maintenance as described below.

Next, remove the hot water relief valve. Purchase new one from Lowes, Home Depot of an RV Parts Store. Use the old one as your example of the replacement one you will need. With the release valve removed, flush the tank again and do so from the top so any debris may flow from the lower port where the anode had been. This will get any remaining junk out.

Using a flashlite, place it over the top port where the release valve had been located to lite the interior of the tank. Look through the lower port and you should be able to inspect the interior of the tank. This will provide you with a bunch of information as to the condition of the interior of the tank! I have a 2008, and my tank interior looked great...

Next, replace the hot water heater switch. This is straightforward process to and can be found on Youtube as well.

Once the switch is in, then replace the hot water relief valve and then the anode. Use plumbers tape and be careful when threading the components.

Finally, WITH THE TANK SEALED, you can address the rust, if it bothers you. Look for a rust removal product. It is absolutely critical to have the water tank sealed to ensure you do not have contamination of the tank's interior by solvents or metal shavings.

If you are uncomfortable with this process, then I would ask an RV Maintenance shop/person to that you trust to perform the maintenance. This would be option two if you chose not to perform the work yourself.

Best of luck!

[Daryles]

There is a Suburban Water heater service manual in the files section. It has wiring diagrams and how to test the components like the element. You will need a multimeter.