Electric water heater help

[brookside]

Getting ready for first trip this year. Un mothballed the trailer. Have never run hot water off electric before. Saw the thread in the other forum, found switch in heater (outside) and pulled pin that locked it into off position. Switched it to "on" outside. Feel dumb - what do I do now? Turn the switch on or off on 12v panel inside? Is water heater smart enough to know when to go f gas to electric? Can't find any of this in the manual


Thx

[TURBS]

I sure hope the tank is full !
and you would have had to turn bypass valves for it to fill if it was winterized .
if theres no water in it you may have burned out the electric element .


do you have a gas and electric switch on the inside ?


also it would be helpful to know year make and model to help you better .
most of us put it in our signature line

[brookside]

Yes it's full thought that was clear. It works find on gas and the gas heater is on right now. How do I complete the switchover to electric?

Have pulled the pin and flipped external switch to on.. What else do I do?

Thx

[jtstromsburg]

That's it. If you have one wh switch inside, it is for gas. turn it off to use just electric, but like was said before, make sure there is water in the wh before switching to electric offer the element can be burned up quickly. I use electric and switch on the gas when we are all showering for a faster recover.

[brookside]

Originally Posted by jtstromsburg

That's it. If you have one wh switch inside, it is for gas. turn it off to use just electric, but like was said before, make sure there is water in the wh before switching to electric offer the element can be burned up quickly. I use electric and switch on the gas when we are all showering for a faster recover.

Thanks - any obvious way for me to tell my hot water heater is full other than the fact that there is full pressure and hot water comes out?

[jtstromsburg]

Flip the pressure relief valve on the wh and if water comes out of it, it is full. Just be careful as the water may be very hot!

[brookside]

Yep - full of water as I suspected. When I switch HTR on on the 12 v panel do I have to turn the external heater switch for electric to off, or can I ignore that now?

[jtstromsburg]

Personally, I switch off the outside switch when hitching up, for fear of burning up the element when I next plug in, just in case our isn't full for some reason. But you can also use the breaker in the panel to turn the electric off. The inside switch is just for gas.

[bob213]

When we are breaking camp I try to follow a routine. I unhook the city water and immediately turn off the electric switch outside on the water heater. Unless breakers are designated as on/off type breakers, you will wear it out by using it to turn off the electric element.

[cstover]

I turn it off at the hw heater outside. When I first started with my Grey Wolf that is just how I did it. No need to change my routine now, it works.

[brookside]

Everything's working perfectly now - thanks for all the responses... While im at it.. why is the fresh water tank filling connection not something that fits the standard hose? Seems larger. I just shoved my hose in the hole to fill it.

[bob213]

Originally Posted by brookside

Everything's working perfectly now - thanks for all the responses... While im at it.. why is the fresh water tank filling connection not something that fits the standard hose? Seems larger. I just shoved my hose in the hole to fill it.

I'm just guessing, but maybe to keep us from over pressurizing the fresh water tank when the tank gets full and the hose is still trying to deliver more water?

[Sockman]

Originally Posted by bob213

I'm just guessing, but maybe to keep us from over pressurizing the fresh water tank when the tank gets full and the hose is still trying to deliver more water?

Good point. If there is no breather then it would be like trying to force water into pop bottle.