Water Heater Electric Magic!

[DAF44]

I found an easy solution, at least for me, to turning on the water heater on electric without going outside or flipping the breaker on/off.

There is a remote control adapter normally sold to control outdoor Christmas lights that works like a charm. The specs for the adapter: 3-wire, 120 volts, 15 amps, 1875 watts. The specs for the water heater are 3-wire, 120 volts, 12 amps, 1440 watts. It's a match made in heaven. Just unplug the WH, plug in the adapter and then the WH to the adapter. Easy as pie.

In my TT the water heater electric plug is easily accessible under the sink cabinet. In some rigs it will be more difficult to access.

Now I can turn my water heater electric element on/off with a push of a button!

The adapter is the Stanley model 31171 (less than $20).

[wmtire]

Very interesting. The remote will work thru the cabinet without being line of sight?

[DAF44]

I tried it first at home, works through walls up to about 60 ft.

[wmtire]

Originally Posted by DAF44

I tried it first at home, works through walls up to about 60 ft.

Cool deal. I guess it would be wishing for the moon for the remote to have some kinda indicator that it was on/off.

Looking at the product, you could plug some kind of light into one of the other outlets maybe, but would have to figure out how to run it out from the cabinet to visually see it.

Interesting

[DAF44]

The adapter has a red led light when it is on but it might be difficult to see inside a cabinet. Your idea of plugging in a light is awesome! I'll get a small 120v panel light and install it somewhere visible.

Great Minds Think Alike!

PS. About getting that 120v panel light, Where is my Radio Shack??

[mark0224]

Good Idea I have a couple of those laying around and right after Christmas you can get them for very little.

[DAF44]

Make sure you check the electrical ratings for the adapters. Looking online most of them were about 1000 watts. The Woods 3255 is 13 amps/1625 watts which is ok but the Stanley 31171 at 15 amps/1875 watts is the champ. The Suburban 6 gal WH is rated at 12 amps/1440 watts.

[twiggw]

Thanks for sharing

[Flybob]

Not trying to cool off you water, but be careful that the guy next to you does not do the same mod and his remote turns on your WH when it is empty. The remote codes are not all the same, but there is a very limited number of codes.

[OldCoot]

Sorry to rain on the parade, but don't really see a need for it as you need to, or at least I do, go outside and release the relief valve to bleed the air out of the tank and then just flip the switch to on.

[DAF44]

Originally Posted by Flybob

Not trying to cool off you water, but be careful that the guy next to you does not do the same mod and his remote turns on your WH when it is empty. The remote codes are not all the same, but there is a very limited number of codes.

I hear you, but the odds of someone camping with an empty WH and having a remote control on it are nil to none.

[DAF44]

Originally Posted by OldCoot

Sorry to rain on the parade, but don't really see a need for it as you need to, or at least I do, go outside and release the relief valve to bleed the air out of the tank and then just flip the switch to on.

For many years I know of a lot of people looking to have a way to turn the WH electric element on/off from inside the RV. Why they would want to do that is a matter of personal preference. Maybe it is because you can do the same for the gas burner. One simple way of doing it is by flipping the WH breaker on/off but breakers are not really designed to be switches. Others have gone through elaborate mods to install an independent switch inside the RV. I think this remote control idea is a very simple and inexpensive solution for anyone looking to have the ability to control the WH on electric from inside the rig. I know I do.

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by DAF44

For many years I know of a lot of people looking to have a way to turn the WH electric element on/off from inside the RV. Why they would want to do that is a matter of personal preference. Maybe it is because you can do the same for the gas burner. One simple way of doing it is by flipping the WH breaker on/off but breakers are not really designed to be switches. Others have gone through elaborate mods to install an independent switch inside the RV. I think this remote control idea is a very simple and inexpensive solution for anyone looking to have the ability to control the WH on electric from inside the rig. I know I do.

Maybe it's an age/memory problem, but I want to make sure the water heater is full before turning on the electrical side. Didn't one time and fried the element. I now carry a spare element, but I'd rather carry it than have to use it due to not checking the wh tank is full. Don't know how you do it with a remote.

[wmtire]

Originally Posted by OldCoot

Maybe it's an age/memory problem, but I want to make sure the water heater is full before turning on the electrical side. Didn't one time and fried the element. I now carry a spare element, but I'd rather carry it than have to use it due to not checking the wh tank is full. Don't know how you do it with a remote.

OC, it's no different than anyone with an Atwood or even the Suburban water heaters where both have an inside switch for the electric element.

Nor is there really a difference for those who have made other mods with Suburbans to have inside electric element switches. Same can be said for those who control the element via the circuit breaker.

All aforementioned scenarios usually bypass the inconvenience of stepping outside to either flip the switch and/or the pressure relief valve.

It's the owners responsibility to know if there is water in the tank...and their fault if there isn't. Remote or manual doesn't change that in the least.

I guess you can ask Turbs if he has problems, since his Suburban came factory with both inside switches.

It's all about personal convenience, and what level of risk an owner wants to take of burning up an element is his own preference. This is just another members showing of an optional and easy way to do this.

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by wmtire

OC, it's no different than anyone with an Atwood or even the Suburban water heaters where both have an inside switch for the electric element...It's all about personal convenience, and what level of risk an owner wants to take of burning up an element is his own preference. This is just another members showing of an optional and easy way to do this.

I make enough new mistakes without repeating old ones.

[savi18]

Originally Posted by DAF44

For many years I know of a lot of people looking to have a way to turn the WH electric element on/off from inside the RV. Why they would want to do that is a matter of personal preference. Maybe it is because you can do the same for the gas burner. One simple way of doing it is by flipping the WH breaker on/off but breakers are not really designed to be switches. Others have gone through elaborate mods to install an independent switch inside the RV. I think this remote control idea is a very simple and inexpensive solution for anyone looking to have the ability to control the WH on electric from inside the rig. I know I do.

I have been using the breaker switch inside my Apex RV to kill the power to the heater element, had no problems as yet, and so simple to do.

[DAF44]

Originally Posted by savi18

I have been using the breaker switch inside my Apex RV to kill the power to the heater element, had no problems as yet, and so simple to do.

Like you, many other RV owners use the WH circuit breaker as a switch. The reason this is not recommended is that standard breakers used as switches will eventually see their internal mechanism weaken thus reducing the tripping value of the breaker.

There are breakers available especially designed for switch duty but that's not the case in RV's.

Cheers!

[cpaulsen]

I just install a lighted switch inside the 5vers I have owned. Very simple.....and not like I turn it on and off every day.