Switch labeled water heater

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Merc123

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What is the "water heater" labeled wall switch in the camper?  Im not sure what model it is but I know it does use gas as it has pilot settings.  Does it also run off electric instead of gas when needed or is it used to light the pilot?  The manual didn't cover it at all


It looks like a regular light switch:  http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hLNiePx6FOI/T3Bq4dTj-UI/AAAAAAAABg4/y_5R0kgwrLU/s1600/largeWSS0S-D0.jpg
 
You don't really give us any information to base an answer on...

What kind of "camper" do you have? (year, make and model)

However, unless someone has retrofit the switch, that's not the "normal" switch for a water heater.

Depending on the water heater make and model, (that info SHOULD be inside the water heater on a label...just open the exterior door/cover/hatch to find it) Your water heater COULD run on propane and electric, or just electric, it could have electronic ignition instead of being a "pilot light" style...

More info for better answers, please.
 
BoomerD said:
Your water heater COULD run on propane and electric, or just electric,
Click to expand...

Or just propane.
Like Boomer said, we need the make and model number of the heater.
I would venture to say that the previous owner may have installed what they call a "Hot Rod" to heat up the water using 110 volt AC and installed a typical household switch to turn it on and off. Open the outside access door. Look at the drain plug at the bottom of the heater. If it has wires coming out of it, it's a Hot Rod.  Of course that's only speculation on my part.  We really need to know the model number etc..
 
Mostly agree with the others, though that type of switch may indeed be used for electric mode of the water heater. It's pretty much up to the RV maker to determine what type of switch to use for that, and a residential type light switch works fine to switch the 120v power.

But a heater model that uses a pilot light rather than DSI for ignition typically does NOT have electric alternative.  So please identify the make & model water heater, or at least the year/make/model of RV, to help us figure out what you have.
 
I have a switch like that to in the kitchen area of my travel trailer.    It's their so you can trun off the electric heater element in the hotwater heater so you can use you microwave or other high draw kitchen appliance like a toster without overloading the 30amp shoure powers
 
2002 Timberland Timberlodge M255RLS

ATWOOD GC6AA-8 Water Heater, 6 Gal. Gas/Electric with a white rogers control. 

Does not have wires coming out of the drain plug either. 
 
That the same unit I have.  On the outside pannal  you going to see a typical standing pilot gas only water heater...... when you go the pannal where the bypass valves are on the inside of the camper. You should see the electric heater  and possibly a. On off switch.    Their should also be a cirket brakers labels hot water heater in your load center.    Assuming no one accidentally turned the unit on without water.  All you need to do is fill with water. Turn on brakers. Turn on light switch also referred to as the master switch.  And the switch on the hot water heater.    And you should have have hot water in about 10 min....    I always turn the brakers off when not in use. Bacase it's so easy to accidentally turn on and burn out heating element....... and even if that has happened it's a easy fix. And the part is found at home depot or lowea rather then the RV center
 
OK, so you have a combo gas & electric heater. That switch turns on the electric heating element, which is thermostatically controlled just like the gas heater. You can use gas only, electric only, or both gas & electric at the same time for faster heating. Your choice.

It's only easy to burn out an element if you have drained the water from the tank. Not a concern otherwise.
 
I dewintereized finally and got to messing around with it. I turned the switch on the WH on then flipped the wall switch on. 10 minutes I had hot water.

I also figured out the pilot light and got the heater working on gas.

It doesn't look like it has an electronic ignition so I'm guessing I couldn't use one of those Atwood switch panels?
http://www.adventurerv.net/atwood-water-heater-gas-electric-switch-camper-p-194.html

 
ive had several different water heaters, propane only with pilot light, propane/electric with pilot light and now an atwood propane electric with electronic ignition and the twin switch shown by the po

pilot light models can be a pain, they get blown out on a real windy day but they are pretty fail safe. they can be a pain to relight on a cold windy night, been there done that!!  nova scotia one summer, right on the atlantic coast!!

that convinced us to upgrade the wh to an electric/propane, found a used one from a wrecked tt.  now we have the electronic ignition/electric atwood in our new to us tt

get in the habit of turning off the electric(120v) supply when you're not on a campsite and the water is hooked up.  an empty tank will burn out the element in seconds.  we turn ours off/on regularly, its on just for "shower/dishes hour", rest of the time its off.  the thought of sleeping on top of 6 gallons of very hot water doesn't feel right

 
Thanks.  I figure it only takes about 10-15 mins to heat up so my plan is to turn it on and off with use (shower..washing, etc) like you say Steve.

Here's another question.  There is an on/off switch on the water heater itself plus the wall switch. 

To use the propane does the on/off switch on the heater itself need to be on or is that just a secondary switch to make sure you don't accidentally turn it on via wall switch with it empty?  Basic logic would tell me that the on/off switch probably doesn't control the propane in any way (the White Rodgers unit does).  Amy I correct?

 
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