34IK can't shut off water heater

[tcrossan]

My water heater won't shut off on electric. I've never run it on gas. Before I store the trailer I shut everything off but the trailer sits along side my house with power on to keep batts charged. Water is always scalding hot.
We are visiting family and set up in a campsite. Water heater is off. Hot water abounds.

Any ideas?

[fonzie]

Turn the AC breaker off to water heater.

[wmtire]

Originally Posted by tcrossan

My water heater won't shut off on electric. I've never run it on gas. Before I store the trailer I shut everything off but the trailer sits along side my house with power on to keep batts charged. Water is always scalding hot.
We are visiting family and set up in a campsite. Water heater is off. Hot water abounds.

Any ideas?

It sounds like you may have a dual propane/electric Suburban water heater (SWDE model), whereas the switch to the electric heating element is located on the face of the water heater. This thread will show you where this switch is located, and how to operate it.

We have many members who do not know of this. If this switch is on, then anytime you are connected to shore power, the electric heating element will be on also.

http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...ore-36197.html

[Iwannacamp]

One could turn off the breaker....

[tcrossan]

Interestingly, there is no breaker labeled for the water heater. There is, however, a 15amp dc fuse labeled water heater.
We're there a breaker I would indeed turn it off. This doesn't actually address the issue of having a soft key on the InCommand center that says water heater: >Electric or>Propane or > Both. So I have a key (water heater) and it's program that does what?

[wmtire]

Originally Posted by tcrossan

Interestingly, there is no breaker labeled for the water heater. There is, however, a 15amp dc fuse labeled water heater.
We're there a breaker I would indeed turn it off. This doesn't actually address the issue of having a soft key on the InCommand center that says water heater: >Electric or>Propane or > Both. So I have a key (water heater) and it's program that does what?

Ok, if you have an option to turn off the electric heating element in the command center, you may possibly have a suburban swdel model....but we don't know at this stage as you have not told us the make/model of water heater you have and Forest River uses several different ones. It's all kind of guess work without better input of exactly what you have.

If a suburban swdel, you still have an outside switch you may can turn off to the electric element, to stop it at this point since you have not identified the circuit breaker to such. It's explained in the link.

An actual picture of the water heater you have in your RV would help tremendously.

[heavyodie]

We are the proud owner of a 2019 31ik and you're right. You can shut it off in the command center and it doesn't do any good. The switch for the electric is outside on the water heater itself. Don't ask me what good the command center does when choosing.

[CHICKDOE]

so does it go through the command center as part of a load shredding strategy?

[heavyodie]

Not sure what you mean?

[Daycruiser]

Originally Posted by tcrossan

My water heater won't shut off on electric. I've never run it on gas. Before I store the trailer I shut everything off but the trailer sits along side my house with power on to keep batts charged. Water is always scalding hot.
We are visiting family and set up in a campsite. Water heater is off. Hot water abounds.

Any ideas?

My 2020 Hathaway has the Gas/Elec water heater. I have a breaker marked "Water Heater" so not sure why your's doesn't. It does also have the switch on the water heater face as well.

[tcrossan]

I know it has a switch on the WH itself but with the IC keys to choose propane or electric I, of course, figured I could actually choose one or the other.
According to the manual I have a Suburban SWDE.
Will read up on info in the link from wmtire and update this thread.

[formerFR]

many of the newer 'systems' for electronics/touchscreens have the capability to access ON/OFF for certain Water Heaters that provide that option, but it looks like the water heater you have has a physical switch, on the unit itself, and not one that can be 'controlled' by a touchscreen or other input system.

FR may have some coaches that have the Attwood elec/propane water heater, like mine in my Thor Palazzo, which has a remote switch, not one on the unit itself.... this could be controlled by a remote panel, if my unit had one - unlike yours.


yes, remote panels are sometimes confusing because they give you input options that aren't really available, but only because they are programmed that way from the manufacturer to give the RV factory that option, if they so choose. There may be a way to remove this option, but maybe not.
It's like my 'owner manual', which is based 'loosely' on the Palazzo, yet explains features that were never optioned for these coaches, as though the manual is really a 'generic' version for several different models of coaches. : / very confusing.

[tcrossan]

Ok, two things going on. 1. wmtire is correct. We do not have control over any part of our W/H through the IC. The W/H is completely manual in operation. The only way to turn off the electric operation is to, a. turn off the power at the heater itself or b. turn it off inside by switching the circuit breaker off, which brings me to number 2. When we picked up our unit from Lazydays it had a broken electric panel door. I asked them to replace it so they removed an entire door and frame assembly from another CC they had on the lot. Might have been a different model than this 34IK so there is a really good chance that none of the labels on the fuses or circuit breakers are correct. Hence no label for a water heater breaker. Ugh!
When I get time I will trace it all out and maybe try to wire in a separate switch for the W/H. Breakers aren't made to be switches and I find it annoying to need to remove the cover on my heater to turn it on and off.
Thanks wmtire. Your input was valuable.

[dieselguy]

Scores of us have owned RV's with water heaters having the outside 110 VAC switch easily over the past 15 years or more so it's not new. You're right about a breaker not being made to be used as a switch. You also have a point about the misleading function on the In Command panel. Several of us have wired in a 20 amp lighted switch mounted in an interior wall to control the HWH's electric element. Pretty easy to do and eliminates the need to go outside to turn the electric HWH source on and off.

[Iwannacamp]

Here is where my SWDE is... Lower left

[Iwannacamp]

FWIW I seriously considered adding another switch so I could turn off and on without forgetting so easily.

[wmtire]

Originally Posted by tcrossan

Ok, two things going on. 1. wmtire is correct. We do not have control over any part of our W/H through the IC. The W/H is completely manual in operation. The only way to turn off the electric operation is to, a. turn off the power at the heater itself or b. turn it off inside by switching the circuit breaker off, which brings me to number 2. When we picked up our unit from Lazydays it had a broken electric panel door. I asked them to replace it so they removed an entire door and frame assembly from another CC they had on the lot. Might have been a different model than this 34IK so there is a really good chance that none of the labels on the fuses or circuit breakers are correct. Hence no label for a water heater breaker. Ugh!
When I get time I will trace it all out and maybe try to wire in a separate switch for the W/H. Breakers aren't made to be switches and I find it annoying to need to remove the cover on my heater to turn it on and off.
Thanks wmtire. Your input was valuable.

Yes, there is a good chance the labels do not correctly identify the electric components in your RV. The model they took the cover from may have actually had an on-demand tankless type water heater (which is propane only) hence why you do not see a circuit breaker label for the water heater.

[KyDan]

OK I will concede that circuit breakers are not exactly switches BUT-- My previous rig had the same type water heater.
I also hated to have to go outside to switch it on or off.
I used the easy to reach inside circuit breaker for that duty.
It worked fine doing that for over 4 years.

I worked in maintenance in a major factory. We had "personal" fans over many of the work stations. These fans were often controlled by circuit breakers which were flipped on and off daily for DECADES. Once in a great while we'd have to change one out but it was rare.

The circuit breaker in your rig costs less than 5 bucks. Chances are you will NEVER wear it out. If you do- it's not gonna break you to replace it. I'm betting you don't have to --- ever.

Don't sweat the small stuff and

Happy Trails!

[wmtire]

I glanced at the specs for your Cedar Creek. It does show that it comes mandatory with an on-demand propane water heater....but you can get an optional 12 gallon electric/propane one.


Cedar Creek Hathaway Edition | Forest River RV - Manufacturer of Travel Trailers - Fifth Wheels - Tent Campers - Motorhomes


This confirms post #17 on why you do not see a circuit breaker label on the replacement distribution panel. Your RV has the optional 12 gallon tank type electric/propane water heater....whereas the replacement one had the on-demand type.


You may want to see if you can get the dealer to send you a pic of the original distribution panel to your RV, if they still have it so you can relabel yours correctly. Hopefully they did not keep your old one in the other RV, as then that owner will have his stuff incorrect too..... Maybe trying to trace down an electric heating element he does not have if he looks at the labels. LOL


This is one of the problems that happens when dealers cannibalize other new RV's to make a sale.

EDIT: Daycruiser in post #10 stated he has the same RV with an electric/gas combo water heater. He may can provide you with a pic of his circuit breaker panel.

[Iwannacamp]

Won’t the water heater be a 20 amp? That would eliminate most of them.

We too have breakers in all 4 of our warehouses... that’s how we turn all the lights on...most have no switches or I haven’t seen them in 13 years. The number one warehouse has been there since ‘71.