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Old 09-20-2021, 01:37 AM   #1
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Water heater questions newbie

I seem to have two water heaters, and am not sure how to start either of them. Thanks to those who helped me get my stove and furnace going. Which of these heaters do I use (or both?), and how do I start them?
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Old 09-20-2021, 07:13 AM   #2
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Well now! that is definitely a different setup than most RV have.
I would assume this is something a person staying at campgrounds where electrical is not metered installed to use electricity and save propane??

So how do you want to fly? Propane if using the top one or electricity if the bottom one.

For simple operation using electricity, the lower would seem simple, so let's start there.
But do check that there is a safety item called a temperature and pressure relief valve installed as this is definitely not the standard and somebody may have skipped that part, making a potential bomb!

The top drawing shows a valve next to the orange tag. The thing with the little lever to flip it open for testing? Make sure there is one of these on the lower tank as well!!

First get the lower heater filled with water by connecting to city water, opening any valves to fill the tank and letting air out of the tank through a faucet inside or using the little lever until water comes out.

Then to get the lower going just make sure there is power to the coach by plugging in and then the breakers used to feed the heater are on. I see a grey breaker box on the back wall beside the heater but there may be others, so look along the line from it to the power supply if it doesn't begin to heat.

One might think that they went this way when the top heater failed, so maybe try this one first and then deal with the second but more standard RV water heater?
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Old 09-20-2021, 08:55 AM   #3
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Please tell us year, model and floor plan designation for your RV.

As Richard said… what you show in those photos is highly unusual. The first photo is the common RV water heater. The second photo is a first for me in an RV.
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Old 09-20-2021, 09:45 AM   #4
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Going to the owner profile, I see a 90 Sunflyer 32 foot?
Hard way to have to get the info but works for guys like me that spend way too much time here!
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Old 09-26-2021, 05:30 PM   #5
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Safety relief valve is in the middle of tank behind the tags on the space saver. Grey box to left of space saver looks like circuit breaker going to water heater.
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Old 09-26-2021, 06:03 PM   #6
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Am waiting for other RV owners to visit (this week) and they may have ideas also. Thanks for the answers.
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Old 09-27-2021, 09:50 PM   #7
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I too have a Sunflyer with the same heater as your upper photo. To light the gas heater, first turn on your propane supply and see that the tank isn't empty. Next turn the Water Pump switch (generally on the little panel above the stovetop) to ON, and then turn the Water Heater switch to ON. Within a few seconds the igniter should start clicking and lights the propane. If it doesn't start the first time, just wait and within a few minutes it should try again. It will try three times before shutting down.

I've been having a problem in that mine would light right up, run for 3.5 minutes and the ECO (emergency cut-off) would turn off the propane. After about ten minutes it would start up again and get the same 3.5 minute results. I chased those demons for days, so if you experience the 3.5 minute blues, let me know and I'll tell all I did to get it running.
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Old 10-04-2021, 10:56 AM   #8
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Problems 1/4 solved. On the propane heater we attached a battery directly to the heater and it sparked and lit. However, the switch inside the vehicle has no power to it. Of the 5 switches there, only the water pump switch has power.
On the electric water heater there is no power, so may pull the heater and take it to shop.
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Old 10-04-2021, 11:54 AM   #9
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The records show there are 31 and 33 foot in that year and model, any idea which you have since there is no 32 foot shown having been built?
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Old 10-04-2021, 02:14 PM   #10
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Problem 3/4 solved by replacing heating element in electrical heater. Only problem now is to get power to propane heater through the electrical panel above the stove. (It works by hooking up a remote battery directly to the heater but not by using hw switch in coach. The only switch in the coach that works is the water pump.)
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Old 10-05-2021, 10:17 AM   #11
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Since you have multiple switches not working, I would check the wiring harness. There are connectors in the harness that may have worked loose. I have had this happen, where several of the pins within the connector had not been seated correctly within the housing and over time had worked out enough to cause a disconnect.
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Old 10-05-2021, 10:45 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RV Tinker View Post
Since you have multiple switches not working, I would check the wiring harness. There are connectors in the harness that may have worked loose. I have had this happen, where several of the pins within the connector had not been seated correctly within the housing and over time had worked out enough to cause a disconnect.
Yes, this is a pretty simple thing to look up on the drawings and sort out where those connections are but only if you can find out what RV they have!!
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Old 10-29-2021, 01:29 PM   #13
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Heater problems solved. Had to replace a fuse near the circuit board above stove for the propane to spark; and had to replace the burned-out electrode in the electric water heater. Two problems with two different solutions.

Also, took a day to learn that the "On" position on the interior heater thermostat is to the "Left." Spent one cold night learning the hard way.
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