sensor panel - 2007 Silverback

[a74429]

I've searched and found several threads with similar questions, but I'm still struggling to get a clear answer on this white sensor panel above my kitchen sink. When I have my HTR toggle flipped on (so that the red light stays on), what exactly does that mean for my water heater? We're full timing and plugged into shore power. Would it benefit me any to flip the switch off? I've read similar threads where a light would indicate an issue with the water heater, but that does not appear to be the case. We've always got piping hot water available.

Its an '07 Cedar Creek Silverback 35l4qb and I'm attaching a picture of the sensor panel.

Thanks!

[Mr. Dan]

Can you post a pic so we can see all the switches/lights/etc. on the panel?


A FLT light would indicate a problem.

[a74429]

I thought I adding a picture originally. Guess not. What am I'm doing wrong to upload a photo?


here's a link to what my panel looks like. Its a standard KIB with two red toggles at the bottom.
https://pdxrvwholesale.com/products/...tallation-kits

[rockfordroo]

Originally Posted by a74429

I thought I adding a picture originally. Guess not. What am I'm doing wrong to upload a photo?


here's a link to what my panel looks like. Its a standard KIB with two red toggles at the bottom.
https://pdxrvwholesale.com/products/...tallation-kits

Clicking on the link to the switch from your link

https://pdxrvwholesale.com/products/...witch-swokled1

It looks to me like the light in the switch just tells you that you've turned the water heater on.

Do you know what make and model water heater you have? Knowing that may help someone help you better.

If your's has a pilot light, you wouldn't have/need another light, but of course, you wouldn't need this switch, either, I wouldn't think.

[a74429]

thanks for the quick reply. I'm not sure on the make or model of the water heater. I've played around with the switch and seem to have hot water when I have the light switched on, and when I have the light switched off. Its been on for the past week, but I did have it off for several days before that. Both times I had hot water.

[Mr. Dan]

Sorry it took so long for me to get back to you. Hotspot phone was out of juice. The HTR lighted switch turns its light bulb on when you activate the switch... and, as has been said, it activates the PROPANE side of your water heater. Assuming yours is a dual fuel source (electric and propane) heater, you have hot water because the electric side is on. If it's a Suburban water heater, the electric side switch is most likely on the face of the heater behind the little door on the outside. This is no problem. Many people run both sides simultaneously to provide faster recovery. I do not. If I'm hooked to electrical power, I turn on the electric side and leave the propane side off. The little red LED light between the two switches is the FLT light. If it STAYS on after start-up, it means your propane side did not light.

[a74429]

Thanks Mr Dan, I think that is exactly what I was looking for. That would also explain why my propane seems to have depleted so quickly over the past few days.

[rockfordroo]

Looking at pics of your unit for sale on line, it appears your water heater is located either under your entertainment center or under your shower. Pics I saw show the water heater access panel directly in front of the main livingroom slide on the drivers side. Looks like this:


Find that panel outside, open it, and see if you can figure out make/model.

Most Suburbans look a lot like this:


The switch shown is to heat the water with the 110VAC electric element instead of gas (which may be what's been heating your water!).

Apologies if you already know all this.

[Mr. Dan]

Regarding posting pics using the full site accessed via browser:
How to add photos to a post

• Click reply and scroll down to bottom of text box.
• Click "go advanced" add text to message window and then scroll down.
• Click "Manage attachments" A separate window will pop up.
• Click "browse" Then select the file to be uploaded. Be sure that the photo is appropriately sized. 620 x 620 pixels (or smaller) and no more than 50K. Forums software will automatically reduce the size, but smaller size photos will upload much faster. You may select several photos to upload at the same time by repeating the last step.
• Click "Upload" After pics have loaded close the pop-up window
• Click "submit reply" to mount the text of your message - photos will automatically appear at the bottom of your post.

Some people read "After pics have loaded close the pop-up window" to mean "Do not wait for the pics to upload." but you must!

[rockfordroo]

Originally Posted by a74429

I thought I adding a picture originally. Guess not. What am I'm doing wrong to upload a photo?


here's a link to what my panel looks like. Its a standard KIB with two red toggles at the bottom.
https://pdxrvwholesale.com/products/...tallation-kits

To load a pic, click on "Go Advanced," then scroll down to the Attach Files box and click on the "Manage Attachments" button and go from there.

[a74429]

so if the light is on, its heating via shore power? or its heating via propane?

[Mr. Dan]

Originally Posted by a74429

Thanks Mr Dan, I think that is exactly what I was looking for. That would also explain why my propane seems to have depleted so quickly over the past few days.

"*SOMEONE*" elbowed my HTR switch and the switch wasn't wired correctly so the bulb didn't turn on so we didn't notice it was on so we had unnecessary hot water for several days after we parked the trailer in the shed. Sorry for the run-on sentence but it gives some sense of my frustration!

[Mr. Dan]

Originally Posted by a74429

so if the light is on, its heating via shore power? or its heating via propane?

This switch has nothing to do with shore power. If this switch is ON AND the propane thermostat calls for the water to be heated, the heater will burn propane to heat water.

See this from my post #6 above: "The HTR lighted switch turns its light bulb on when you activate the switch... and, as has been said, it activates the PROPANE side of your water heater."

[rockfordroo]

Originally Posted by a74429

so if the light is on, its heating via shore power? or its heating via propane?

To add to Mr Dan:

The electric heating element is controlled by the outside switch in my pic. The gas heating is controlled by the inside switch in your pic. They are independent of each other, and you can run either one alone or both together. Running both will get you a LITTLE bit more hot water before you run out and will shorten the time it takes to reheat (i.e., shorter recovery time).

Some units DO have an inside switch in addition to the outside switch for electric. If so, you would usually have TWO water heater switches close together, something like this:


For the electric to work, you would need to have BOTH the outside switch ON and the inside switch ON. Note that the outside switch passes 110VAC, but the inside switch is 12VDC that closes a relay that supplies 110VAC to the outside switch.

I've attached some Suburban manuals that may help.

[Murbella7]

Originally Posted by a74429

I've searched and found several threads with similar questions, but I'm still struggling to get a clear answer on this white sensor panel above my kitchen sink. When I have my HTR toggle flipped on (so that the red light stays on), what exactly does that mean for my water heater? We're full timing and plugged into shore power. Would it benefit me any to flip the switch off? I've read similar threads where a light would indicate an issue with the water heater, but that does not appear to be the case. We've always got piping hot water available.

Its an '07 Cedar Creek Silverback 35l4qb and I'm attaching a picture of the sensor panel.

Thanks!

If you are talking about the water heater switch inside the van on the control panel, it switches on the 12v heater in your hot water tank. It is NOT needed when you use shore power. It is redundant in this situation and all you are doing is using two heating elements (12v and 110v) to heat the water. The water will probably heat faster but eventually with use, the 12v element will fail and need to be replaced. So, don't shorten its life by using it when hooked up to shore power, it's not needed.

The same goes for the fresh water pump, which should only be used when you are not connected to a park's/mains water supply and so would not have mains water pressure.

[rockfordroo]

Originally Posted by Murbella7

If you are talking about the water heater switch inside the van on the control panel, it switches on the 12v heater in your hot water tank. It is NOT needed when you use shore power. It is redundant in this situation and all you are doing is using two heating elements (12v and 110v) to heat the water. The water will probably heat faster but eventually with use, the 12v element will fail and need to be replaced. So, don't shorten its life by using it when hooked up to shore power, it's not needed.

The same goes for the fresh water pump, which should only be used when you are not connected to a park's/mains water supply and so would not have mains water pressure.

I have NEVER heard of a 12v water heater element. Your battery would last about 30 min, I'd guess. I believe you are mistaken; unless they do things differently down under.

The usual "inside" switch is 12v, but it simply turns on the brains that operate the direct spark ignition that lights off the gas, as well as opening the gas valve.

As described in my previous post, you MAY have a 2nd inside 12v switch, but it closes a relay that supplies 110VAC to the outside switch and then to the 110VAC heating element.

[bikendan]

Murbella, since you're from Australia, RVs in North America don't have 12v heating elements in the water heaters.
The only heating element is 110v AC.
The propane side uses 12v DC power to ignite the flame.

I don't know if Australia has different codes for RV water heaters, than here.

[Murbella7]

Originally Posted by rockfordroo

I have NEVER heard of a 12v water heater element. Your battery would last about 30 min, I'd guess. I believe you are mistaken; unless they do things differently down under.

The usual "inside" switch is 12v, but it simply turns on the brains that operate the direct spark ignition that lights off the gas, as well as opening the gas valve.

As described in my previous post, you MAY have a 2nd inside 12v switch, but it closes a relay that supplies 110VAC to the outside switch and then to the 110VAC heating element.

You are most probably correct. Living upside down from the rest of you means our brains are also backwards. Usually when I peruse these forums and wish to respond, I have to stand on my head, forgot to do it that time.