Water Heater Electric ?

We have a 2007 RL, our electric side of the water heater does not work. The switch at WH does not have power. There is a electrical outlet in the cabinet behind the WH,but no plug. I can not find the power source for the WH, any ideas. The WH is located under the entertainment center. Thank you

Mine is hard wired with the wires connected to the top of the WH. But then, mine is a 2006. I think Scruffy & Tater has the plug and theirs is an 07.

Check the breaker?

My water heater plugs in. I'll second the vote for checking the breaker.

John

Mine plugs into an outlet. That outlet is controlled by a
breaker, 15A IIRC, in the panel. Somebody kindly ID'd the
breakers for me, even if their abreviations are as cryptic as their
handwriting.

Have you looked around under the WH to see if the power cord/plug are
there but out of sight? Yeah I know, that's probably the first
thing you did.

I checked the breaker, ( WH) even tested to see if it had power. The outlet behind the WH is controlled by that breaker. I looked again under the WH and no wire/plug. Maybe they did not hook up the electric side?? Any idea where that connection would be made?
Thanks Ken

It's possible your WH doesn have an electric element. Most WH with the electric element have a black switch on the outside near the drain plug. Does yours have the switch?

Yes our water heater has the black switch. I pulled it out also and there is no power at the switch, also check the heating element and no power.

I agree with Cardinal Bill recheck to see if there is a cord that is not plugged in. Also does the outlet at the WH have power? Occassionally they are hardwired and it may be tied into the outlet.

I called Forest River, talked with a Rod, He explained where to find the power box. It was located up near the front and side of the WH. I could not get my head in the drawer opening, so I cut a mirror and used more light in the back of the cabinet. Sure enough, there was a power cord still wrapped up from the factory. It was behind some pipes and other wires, used a flex grab tool and was able to fish it out. Plugged it in and the WH started right up. Its been that way since 10/24/06, the last owner never used the electric side of the WH. Thanks for the help

I went out and look at mine and it will not work, I have no 110 at the elment. Ken where did you drill the hole to see the plug ?? I have a 07 24rl also. Tim

Tim I pulled the drawer out under the TV and placed a 8x8 mirror in the drawer opening. Placed a flashlight so it lit up the back side of the water heater, this would be to the front of the trailer. My electrical wire was located up front and up against the street side of the trailer. Question, is you heater located on the street side, not under the sink area? I did not have to drill any holes.

Yes it is on the street side, just in front of the slide. But I have no draw under the tv. I have two draws to the right side below the (JUNK) Radio-DVD player. I will go out and take a look tomorrow to see. I am parked were I can't open the slide to see things. We are going to the ocean in Dec. (New Brighton State Beach, Santa Cruz). I will dig into things then. Thanks for the come back. Tim

I had one drawer under the radio and that is were I used the mirror.
Also under there, is the water heater by-pass and you should also have a 110 outlet. The outlet is switched in your breaker/ converter box, make sure you have a breaker marked WH. I think in ours it is the 2nd one down. Also do you have a switch out side in the water heater, its just a little black switch, you will need to make sure that is turned on.

And yes I have the breaker inside and it ia #2 also. The switch at the WH is a small rocker with a safety pin in it. Thanks for the help Ken, Tim

Tim,

That safety pin should be locking the switch in the OFF POSITION.

You need to take the pin out and flip the switch ON. Otherwise, you are still not going to work on electric.

Thanks Tom. Tim

timflood wrote:Thanks Tom. Tim

Tim,

your welcome.

Have you ever checked your anode rod?

Tim, I am sure you will find the power cord wrapped up in the far corner like I did. I also put a junction box with a male end, which I plugged into the the water heater outlet, and than ran a 3 wire out into the basement, into the furnace cab,next under the drawer below the stove and into the cab. under the sink. I wired up a switch with a pilot light to control the junction box that the water heater would be plugged into. This way I can leave the breaker and small rocker switch on and control the water heater from there.

Thats a good idea, Thanks Tim

Tim, Make sure you use a wire that has 3 wires plus a ground. You can split the white and black to control the junction box outlet, plus use the red wire to hook up the neutral for the red pilot light on the switch. The red pilot light helps to remind me that the water heater is on. Some just use the breaker, but you have to get down to switch it on and off. You could use the out side switch ( black rocker switch) on the water heater but than you have to go out side.

Cool Thanks. Tim