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06-27-2014, 10:19 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: South Mills, NC
Posts: 162
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Water heater
When we did our PDI we were told the water heater worked on both gas and elec. We have run it on gas just fine but can't figure out how to run it on elec. Supposedly we can use both at the same time to get hot water faster. Anyone help with this? Thanks.
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06-27-2014, 10:28 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Franklin County, MO
Posts: 2,652
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Go outside of your trailer and open the access panel to the water heater. Down low, on the left side as you face it, and hidden in behind some other hardware, is a little black electric switch. That's where you turn it on for electric operation.
Crazy, I know... 
__________________
Mike and Yvonne
and Sophie, the little white dog
2017 Columbus 320RSC
2021 Chevy Silverado 3500HD DRW 4X4 Duramax
It's not how old you are, it's how you are old. ― Jules Renard
"It's not the years...it's the mileage." - Indiana Jones
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06-27-2014, 10:28 PM
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#3
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Member
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 31
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There should be a switch on the outside. Remove the panel and look on the left side and turn that on. The 12v switch should also be on.
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06-27-2014, 10:32 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: South Mills, NC
Posts: 162
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Thanks for the info. We'll check it out in the morning.
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06-27-2014, 10:43 PM
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#5
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Site Team
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Goodyear, Arizona
Posts: 33,845
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why didn't your PDI tech show you where the electric switch was, instead of just telling you that you have an electric side to the WH?
another example of a poor PDI when they don't show the customer such a basic and important feature of the RV. 
__________________
Dan-Retired California Firefighter/EMT
Shawn-Musician/Entrepreneur/Wine Expert
and Zoe the Wonder Dog(R.I.P.) 
2016 PrimeTime TracerAIR 255, pushing a 2014 Ford F150 SCREW XTR 4x4 3.5 Ecoboost w/Max Tow Package
4pt Equal-i-zer WDH and 1828lbs of payload capacity
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06-27-2014, 10:50 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Spring, Texas
Posts: 265
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Don't forget to turn the electric switch off after you are done (at least that is what we do).
Sent from my iPhone using Forest River Forums
__________________
2013 Rockwood Roo 23ss
2012 F150 Ecoboost
Camped for 12 nights in 2015 - too many cancellations 
Camped for 25 nights in 2014!
Camped for 24 nights in 2013!
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06-28-2014, 08:10 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 119
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bikendan
why didn't your PDI tech show you where the electric switch was, instead of just telling you that you have an electric side to the WH?
another example of a poor PDI when they don't show the customer such a basic and important feature of the RV. |
Well Put. While my tech was good and helpful, he was new and missed a lot of things. He did use a checklist, but he missed things that I needed to know like the manual over ride for slide out operation. As simple as that sounds, as a new owner I had no idea where it was until I figured it out myself.
I had no idea about that electric switch. I've read most of my manuals and probably over looked it.
Thanks for this information. Now I know about it!
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06-28-2014, 08:25 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Idaho
Posts: 9,839
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kpm
Well Put. While my tech was good and helpful, he was new and missed a lot of things. He did use a checklist, but he missed things that I needed to know like the manual over ride for slide out operation. As simple as that sounds, as a new owner I had no idea where it was until I figured it out myself.
I had no idea about that electric switch. I've read most of my manuals and probably over looked it.
Thanks for this information. Now I know about it!
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Do not turn the power to the heater on without water in the tank.
__________________
2016 F350 6.7L LB CC Reese 28K 2014 Chaparral Lite 266sab
"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." 2014 19 days camping 2015 17 days camping201620 days camping
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06-29-2014, 03:01 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 119
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ford Idaho
Do not turn the power to the heater on without water in the tank.
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10-4
Thanks for the reminder.
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06-29-2014, 03:05 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Clayton, NC
Posts: 695
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I leave the switch on the outside in the "ON" position and operate it electrically from the inside control panel. If you're in a hurry to heat up the water, use both electric and gas. We run usually run it on electric and let the CG pay for the power.
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2007 Dodge RAM 2500 6.7 Cummins
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M.I.L. in Florida for good!! 
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06-29-2014, 09:31 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 119
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Quote:
Originally Posted by amxpress
I leave the switch on the outside in the "ON" position and operate it electrically from the inside control panel. If you're in a hurry to heat up the water, use both electric and gas. We run usually run it on electric and let the CG pay for the power.
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So how does it default to electric if the gas is turned on as well? So the wall switch is the master switch I am assuming. I guess my question is does the water heater default to electric if the switch is always on?
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06-29-2014, 09:40 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 3,570
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kpm
So how does it default to electric if the gas is turned on as well? So the wall switch is the master switch I am assuming. I guess my question is does the water heater default to electric if the switch is always on?
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As originally outfitted, Yes
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06-29-2014, 09:50 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Franklin County, MO
Posts: 2,652
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It doesn't exactly "default" to electric, as your refrigerator does once you plug into shore poser. The water heater can run on gas only, even if you are plugged in at the campground, or on electric only, or on both if you want to heat the water pretty quickly. User's choice, not a "default" system at all.
__________________
Mike and Yvonne
and Sophie, the little white dog
2017 Columbus 320RSC
2021 Chevy Silverado 3500HD DRW 4X4 Duramax
It's not how old you are, it's how you are old. ― Jules Renard
"It's not the years...it's the mileage." - Indiana Jones
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06-29-2014, 10:10 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 3,570
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Capt. Mike
It doesn't exactly "default" to electric, as your refrigerator does once you plug into shore poser. The water heater can run on gas only, even if you are plugged in at the campground, or on electric only, or on both if you want to heat the water pretty quickly. User's choice, not a "default" system at all.
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I had the electric thermo fail once. I noted it was set to close at 10 deg. less than the gas stat. That's the "automatic or default" means of elec. before gas.
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06-30-2014, 11:18 AM
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#15
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Junior Member
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 12
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I'm confused. Maybe I'm missing something. How do you run it on both? I'm assuming you have the electric switch on the water heater turned on and the heater switch on the panel turned on?
If so, then how do you run on only electric? Same setup with the propane tanks turned off is the only thing I can think of. That doesn't seem very convenient for using the other appliances.
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06-30-2014, 11:54 AM
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#16
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Spring, Texas
Posts: 265
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If you want to utilize only electricity to the hw heater, flip the switch outside for electric. If you want gas and electricity, flip the switch outside for electric and the inside switch for gas.
We've never run both personally but we are a family of three plus the dog.
Sent from my iPhone using Forest River Forums
__________________
2013 Rockwood Roo 23ss
2012 F150 Ecoboost
Camped for 12 nights in 2015 - too many cancellations
Camped for 25 nights in 2014!
Camped for 24 nights in 2013!
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06-30-2014, 12:18 PM
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#17
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Whereever our Berkshire is Parked!
Posts: 7,082
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bikendan
why didn't your PDI tech show you where the electric switch was, instead of just telling you that you have an electric side to the WH?
another example of a poor PDI when they don't show the customer such a basic and important feature of the RV. |
QFT!!
One note on electric water heating...it is slower than propane. If you have a lot of folks taking showers and so forth you may want to leave it on propane.
__________________
Bob & Anne-Marie [BamaBob & 6 Actual]
| 2017 Berkshire XLT 43A with Ultrasteer Tag | Blue Ox Avail + KarGard II |
| SMI AF-1 Air Brake | 2016 Jeep Cherokee Overland TOAD | Pedego Bikes |
Nights Camped: 2013 - 24 2014 - 42 2015 - 56 Jul 2016 - Fulltime
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06-30-2014, 12:31 PM
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#18
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Mod free 5er
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Concord, NC
Posts: 24,702
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To clarify a little, if you have the electric switch on the outside and are on shore power, the wh will heat with electric. If you leave the electric switch on the outside on and connected to shore power, you can flip the switch on the inside control panel on and the gas will also come on with the electric to heat the water faster. If you leave both switches in the on position and unhook from shore power, the gas will heat by itself. There is NO automatic default to electric. Just make sure that you always have water in the water heater tank regardless of whether you are on electric or gas or both.
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