Moron trying to figure out water heater

[Hutch606]

Second owners of Geo pro g19fd model.

Gas furnace and stove work dandy as does 120 shore or battery.

However, I cannot get the water heater to warm anything via electric or gas.

Freshwater tank is half full. Valves appear (?) to be set correct / not in bypass.

On gas heat I get the red fault light, but no warm water.

On elec heat I get no warm water.

Becker to ensure both showers are not in bypass or mixing cold/hot.

And when holding the hot PEX line it’s seeming the same temp as inbound cold line.

Finally outside the switch is currently ok but doesn’t seem to make any difference.

Suggestions??? Thanks!!

[NavyLCDR]

Have you tried the reset buttons on the water heater itself, accessible from the outside grill/vent panel? One reset is for electric and one is for gas.

[Hutch606]

Tried to push but not very positive. Do you have to push really hard?

[NavyLCDR]

Originally Posted by Hutch606

Tried to push but not very positive. Do you have to push really hard?

I don't think you have to push very hard. Never had to reset mine :-). Have you checked the 12v DC fuse going to the water heater? If that is blown you won't get electric or gas heat because the control board needs 12 volts. But, if that fuse was blown, I don't think you would get the fault light. Pull the fuse, see if the fault light goes out, check the fuse with a continuity checker.

[Hutch606]

Fuse...at the inverter? Otherwise I see a 10a fuse at water pump but nothing else for the heater.

[NavyLCDR]

Originally Posted by Hutch606

Fuse...at the inverter? Otherwise I see a 10a fuse at water pump but nothing else for the heater.

Yes, where all the other DC fuses are.

[kenandterry]

For gas operation, the light should come ON just as you activate the switch.
The system will try to light the heater on gas up to 3 times, and if it’s successful, the light will go out. During this time, you should hear the igniter trying to spark and cause the flame to start.

For electric, you would turn ON the switch located in the very bottom left corner of the heater outside. This switch is typically opposite to what you would think to turn ON a switch. That means down is ON, and up is OFF.

The reset buttons for both gas and electric are located under the rubber boot in your exterior water heater. These switches hardly move at all.

For electric, check the breaker is ON at your service panel inside. If you have a digital meter, you should measure voltage across the heating element which you will need to remove the rubber cover to meter.

[dcheatwood]

Make sure this switch is on. Mine were always "down is on, up is off." Look close.

[dcheatwood]

That's the electric power switch.
Also, I once had an element burn out that showed no damage. There are videos online about how to check the heating element.
Also, there is at least one glass fuse behind the black cover in your picture abbiv6e the power switch. One screw removes the cover so you can check fuse. WARNING! Live wires in there so I'd unplug from power to check this.

Originally Posted by dcheatwood

Make sure this switch is on. Mine were always "down is on, up is off." Look close.Attachment 235085

[dcheatwood]

One more thing. Sorry[emoji16].
Make sure it's still plugged in. The plug may have worked loose.

[Mr Towed]

You see that valve on the top of the water heater in the outside access panel? I like to open that up and let the air bleed out of the tank so I know it’s all water in there. I don’t that that’s your problem or if it’s even necessary but it feels like good practice to me.

[phipps33]

Originally Posted by Mr Towed

You see that valve on the top of the water heater in the outside access panel? I like to open that up and let the air bleed out of the tank so I know it’s all water in there. I don’t that that’s your problem or if it’s even necessary but it feels like good practice to me.

I used to do that, but then when reading my WH manual it said not to do that. Somethjng about wanting a small air pocket inside to cushion the water as it expanded.

[Hutch606]

Thanks y’all.

Was ultimately a combination of factors.

1. me not knowing anything about a damn RV combo heater.
2. Gfci had tripped
3 was told by PO that it water heater would swap like fridge. After realizing switch (and that it’s semi-backward) it seems to work dandy!

[CHICKDOE]

how does a gfci affect the water heater? they are normally wired directly to a circuit breaker in the power panel.

i don't think that the electric side of the water heater used the 112 volt control board at all.

but glad you have it working

[Hutch606]

My heater’s electric is directly plugged into 120v gfci protected circuit.

[BillyBass]

Originally Posted by dcheatwood

Make sure this switch is on. Mine were always "down is on, up is off." Look close.Attachment 235085

Thats for elec only .He isnt getting any hw with gas to

[NavyLCDR]

Yep, your right!

[CHICKDOE]

Originally Posted by Hutch606

Thanks y’all.

Was ultimately a combination of factors.

1. me not knowing anything about a damn RV combo heater.
2. Gfci had tripped
3 was told by PO that it water heater would swap like fridge. After realizing switch (and that it’s semi-backward) it seems to work dandy!

from your post it looks like you have it running on both gas and electric.

you mentioned a swap from electric to gas. the water heater does not swap. there are two separate heating sources, gas and electric. they are controlled by two different on/off switched. gas by the one in the trailer that has the fault light. electric heating is controlled by that little black switch in the lower left corner of the heater itself.

these two heating methods are independent of each other. you can heat with either one with the other off, or you can turn them both on to heat with both simultaneously. it's up to you!

[NavyLCDR]

You have to be careful with the outside switch, because as stated, whenever turned on and the trailer is connected to a source of AC power (shore or generator), then electric heating element will energize. If the water heater is empty, the heating element will burn out.

Some water heater models do have an inside switch for the electric side, or you can also turn off the AC circuit breaker to the water heater as well, if you want to control it from inside.

[BillyBass]

Originally Posted by Hutch606

Second owners of Geo pro g19fd model.

Gas furnace and stove work dandy as does 120 shore or battery.

However, I cannot get the water heater to warm anything via electric or gas.

Freshwater tank is half full. Valves appear (?) to be set correct / not in bypass.

On gas heat I get the red fault light, but no warm water.

On elec heat I get no warm water.

Becker to ensure both showers are not in bypass or mixing cold/hot.

And when holding the hot PEX line it’s seeming the same temp as inbound cold line.

Finally outside the switch is currently ok but doesn’t seem to make any difference.

Suggestions??? Thanks!!

does the tank start up on gas