Hot water tank

[Brian10]

Hi, seasonal camper at camp ground with full hook up , what's the best way to operate the hot water tank ie , gas only electric only or both at same time. Thanks Brian

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by Brian10

Hi, seasonal camper at camp ground with full hook up , what's the best way to operate the hot water tank ie , gas only electric only or both at same time. Thanks Brian

Not seasonal, only 3-4 months a year, but we run both at the same time, only time the propane kicks in is when using a lot of hot water. Propane use is minimal.

[TURBS]

Electric for normal use .
propane and electric both for quick recovery during high usages times "showers"


Turbs

[Herk7769]

Depends also on the voltage at your campground.

If your AC seems to "lug" when starting (or a volt meter shows campground voltage 115 VAC or below - USA), then I would turn off the AC portion water heater and use gas. Below 110 VAC; switch the fridge to gas as well.

[Wiscampsin]

You, like me, are on a seasonal site and paying for your electricity seperately unlike weekend/daily use campers so either way it's going to cost you. I run mine on both in the morning to get thru the showers. I then leave it on propane until water in tank is hot again and it shuts off then turn propane switch off. I will have enough hot water in my 10 gal tank to get me thru dinner dishes.

[wmtire]

Originally Posted by herk7769

Depends also on the voltage at your campground.

If your AC seems to "lug" when starting (or a volt meter shows campground voltage 115 VAC or below - USA), then I would turn off the AC portion water heater and use gas. Below 110 VAC; switch the fridge to gas as well.

X2

Another thing to always bear in mind is that the 120 volt electric heating element will draw between 9-13 amps average, when it's heating. If you have a 30 amp RV, or hooked to a 30 amp power outlet, this will limit what else you can run in your RV at the same time........as you are limited to 30 amps total.

You may need to turn off the electric heating element, when using other things in conjunction to keep your total amps at 30 or below......so you don't overload/trip the breakers.

Mark Polk has a list of common AC and DC amp usages (as well as a great explanation on the function of converters) at the following link:

http://rvservices.koa.com/rvinformat...d-amp-draw.asp

[Brian10]

Thanks to everyone for the advise. Brian

[bikepsych]

Where is the switch for the hotwater heater to use AC vice Gas? Sorry for the rookie question. Will be going out for just the third time this weekend.
Thanks.
BG

[TURBS]

Originally Posted by bikepsych

Where is the switch for the hotwater heater to use AC vice Gas? Sorry for the rookie question. Will be going out for just the third time this weekend.
Thanks.
BG

Out at the water heater normally.
If you have a suburban wh anyway.

[BuckeyeChuck]

Not all hot water heaters have the electric option. If yours does there should be a switch inside the camper that will allow you to either run it on AC, gas or both. If you can not locate it inside look at the tank itself as pictured above. If no switch there either you PROBABLY have a gas only water heater.

[wmtire]

Originally Posted by BuckeyeChuck

Not all hot water heaters have the electric option. If yours does there should be a switch inside the camper that will allow you to either run it on AC, gas or both. If no switch you PROBABLY have a gas only water heater.

While it is true that you MAY have an inside switch for the electric heating element option, MANY of the RV's equipped with the Suburban water heater have the electric heating element switch on the front of the water heater itself (which is accessed from the outside of the RV). All three of my RV's had the inside switch for the gas portion, and an outside switch for the electric portion. See Turbo's pic in his previous post.

So it boils down to, you may or may not have an inside switch for the electric heating element portion of a Suburban water heater.

This link may help if you have the Suburban water heater in your RV.

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

[tanddc]

If you do have an outside switch be careful. My switch is "upside down". Up is off and down is on. While you can run a second when the tank has no water in it, the electric is less forgiving and the element will burn up in seconds...or so I hear.

[BuckeyeChuck]

Originally Posted by wmtire

While it is true that you MAY have an inside switch for the electric heating element option, MANY of the RV's equipped with the Suburban water heater have the electric heating element switch on the front of the water heater itself (which is accessed from the outside of the RV). All three of my RV's had the inside switch for the gas portion, and an outside switch for the electric portion. See Turbo's pic in his previous post.

So it boils down to, you may or may not have an inside switch for the electric heating element portion of a Suburban water heater.

This link may help if you have the Suburban water heater in your RV.

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

Reread my post. I think that's what I said. :-)

-BC-

[wmtire]

Originally Posted by BuckeyeChuck

Reread my post. I think that's what I said. :-)

-BC-

BC, you may have still been editing your post, when I posted my clarification. What I quoted was your entire posting at that time. It's all good now.

[BuckeyeChuck]

Probably so....all is good :-)