Operating water heater pn gas

[GASPEDDLER]

I'm getting the RV ready to head back home this morning and I switched my refrigerator back to gas so that the food will stay cold until I get home. I've been running it and the water heater on electricity over the weekend. However we are still hooked to power and I was wondering if the water heater defaults to electric or will it also switch to gas as the frig does? Do I need to cut off the electric to the water heater or will it simply continue on electric until I disconnect the electricity? I don't care which it runs on as Iong as it stays working while the kids get their showers for the next hour or so. Thanks for the help.

[MtnGuy]

Most water heaters will not automatically switch from 1 to the other. The electric element in the water heater will only work when you are plugged into 110 volt. You can leave the outside switch on if you want, but beware if you forget and leave it on (and hooked to shore power) with an empty water heater, it will burn up the element. As long as you have water in the heater, you are good to go.

[GASPEDDLER]

Thanks mtnguy, I wondered about that for some time. I usually hit the on switch once we arrive at the campground and are hooked to water and electric and have purged all the air from the system.
Thanks again.

[MtnGuy]

Using both at the same time is not usually necessary, unless you are looking for a little quicker recovery. Nothing wrong with that, but I prefer to use the campground's energy instead of my propane when I have shore power.

[LadyWindrider]

As I read this, maybe you are confused. The water heater does not switch back and forth. It has a gas switch inside, and that is the one you are activating. The electric switch is outside, in the lower left corner, and must manually turned on and off. If the electric switch is on, and you hook to shore power, your water heater is on electric. If there is no water in the tank, you will fry an element withing seconds. The only thing the switch n the inside does is control propane to the water heater.

Just trying to answer the original question in post #1 "I was wondering if the water heater defaults to electric or will it also switch to gas as the frig does?"

[GASPEDDLER]

Thanks wind rider!

[pbrackney]

I am looking at getting a 2012 V-Lite 30WTBS. My current trailer, "2008 Jayco Feather LGT 311" has the water heater controls on the control panel on the inside. If you want to use propane you switch the propane button, if you want to use electric, you switch the electric button.

Is it different in the v-lite? Do you actually have to go outside to turn it on with electricity? That seems a little strange to me and very inconvenient.

[sherdep]

Originally Posted by pbrackney

I am looking at getting a 2012 V-Lite 30WTBS. My current trailer, "2008 Jayco Feather LGT 311" has the water heater controls on the control panel on the inside. If you want to use propane you switch the propane button, if you want to use electric, you switch the electric button.

Is it different in the v-lite? Do you actually have to go outside to turn it on with electricity? That seems a little strange to me and very inconvenient.

The only control you have it a switch for propane - the electric is outside.
to put the water heater on electricity the switch is on the bottom left corner of the water heater when you flip the door on the outside down you will see it with a pin in it from the factory.
If you want to heat the water from Gas you will have a switch inside

I doubt you will find it an inconvience cause you have to hook the water up and purge the air out of the system - I use the pressure relief valve to purge the air before I turn on the water heater to electric

[VTX Al]

Originally Posted by sherdep

The only control you have it a switch for propane - the electric is outside.
to put the water heater on electricity the switch is on the bottom left corner of the water heater when you flip the door on the outside down you will see it with a pin in it from the factory.
If you want to heat the water from Gas you will have a switch inside

I doubt you will find it an inconvience cause you have to hook the water up and purge the air out of the system - I use the pressure relief valve to purge the air before I turn on the water heater to electric

Not exactly correct. Depends on the trailer manufacturer. While our 2010 Rockwood 8315BSS has the "outside" switch for electric water heater operation, our good friends who we regularly camp with have a different manufacturer 2010 model (name escapes me right at the moment) which has the electric operation switch remoted to the inside. It is part of the control panel which also includes the DSI switch and indicator.

...VTX-Al

[sherdep]

Originally Posted by VTX Al

Not exactly correct. Depends on the trailer manufacturer. While our 2010 Rockwood 8315BSS has the "outside" switch for electric water heater operation, our good friends who we regularly camp with have a different manufacturer 2010 model (name escapes me right at the moment) which has the electric operation switch remoted to the inside. It is part of the control panel which also includes the DSI switch and indicator.

...VTX-Al

He was asking about the V-Lite which is a Forest River Product

I realize other manufacture's are diffrent - I dont comment on those