rocker switch on hot water heater

I am new to this forum and also a new wildcat owner, I will be living in my wildcat for weeks at a time due to my work. and my question is in the hot water heater panel on the outside of my camper, ( a 2007 32 qbbs ) there is a rocker switch that is froze up in the off position, and I am wanting to know what that switch is for,. I bought the camper second hand and it came with no manual. I am hoping the hot water heater can go both ways gas and electric, but i am not sure . Any help would be great. thanks very much Bobby

That would be the on/off switch for the electric heater element. Make sure it is turned off when there is no water in the hot water tank.

As Ken indicated, the rocker switch is the on off switch for the electric element in your hot water heater. There should be a miniature hitch pin stuck through it to prevent accidentally turning it on. Remove the pin, turn the switch on and you're good to go as long as there is water in the tank.

The electric element will save you a ton of propane. We live full time in our 29RLBS and leave the electric element on all the time. We leave the propane on too for quick recovery when taking showers. Otherwise the electric element does most of the work.

Luck to ya'

Welcome to the forum, Bobby.
Like Mike said, meke sure the small pin is out and that you have water in the tank. There should also be a breaker in the panel that you could use to shut off your hot water heater.

I always do a double precaution in case I forget one.


I use the little switch, which you are talking about, and always flip the breaker also. Wouldn't be the first time I forgot just 1 switch!!!


Steve

I mounted a pilot light switch near the sink to turn the WH on and off. Many have done this mod, it saves going out side to turn on the switch for the electric element. Search under Electric water heater on the forum. I posted this sometime ago. 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.

Thanks so much for the replys. I guess i am old and blind, the clip was still in the switch, pulled it out fliped switch and all is well. Now my only question is the switch by the sink with the red light. Is that only to control the gas side of the water heater?.. like i say I am new to the forum and have a couple more issues i would like to ask about but dont want to over stay my welcome .. thanks again bobby

bboze wrote:Thanks so much for the replys. I guess i am old and blind, the clip was still in the switch, pulled it out fliped switch and all is well. Now my only question is the switch by the sink with the red light. Is that only to control the gas side of the water heater?.. like i say I am new to the forum and have a couple more issues i would like to ask about but dont want to over stay my welcome .. thanks again bobby

Yes, that one controls the gas side of the water heater. There are a few of us who have installed a separate switch for the electrical side of the water heater on the inside.

cool, again thanks so much!!!!!

bboze wrote: like i say I am new to the forum and have a couple more issues i would like to ask about but dont want to over stay my welcome .. thanks again bobby

ASK AWAY!!!! thats what keeps this forum alive, dont be afraid to ask anything. No one here will flame you, we are not that kind of a group. Everyone here is more than happy to answer your question.

Mine actually rusted in the On position, it started out frozen in the Off position but I managed to get it turned On, after weeks of fiddling with it, and have left it there. Can't flip the switch, wire clip is laying there with a pair of forceps holding it. I rely on the breaker in the electrical box to control it. Switch isn't in a place where I can get to it to replace it. Since I have a RK model it's about 6" from the rear of the RV, meaning I'd have to pull the whole heater to get to it. Gonna stay broken/rusted.

I use the electric heating element unless I am using the AC. It is great. Question I have is when the propane is needed to assist the electric the lighting cycle has to cycle at least 4 times before the burner will light. If I do not use the electric the burner lights first time every time. Any suggestions or comments.

Here is what I did for an inside water heater switch.

Water Heater Switch

I did the same thing bdaniel did. I ran a 3 wire to a junction box behind the water heater which was controlled by a pilot light switch under the sink. You need a 3 wire for the pilot indicator light to work.