# Hot Water Tank Breaker Won't Close!



## David Moen (Jun 7, 2010)

Normally we use propane to run the hot water heater in our '07 23RS but latley we've been using the trailer kitchen a bunch as we renovate our house. Once the electrician installed a dedicated 20amp circuit for us to plug the trailer into, I tried to turn on the electric element in the hot water tank. The breaker popped immediatley, and now it will not reset. The other breakers work normally. Any ideas?


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## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

Could just be a bad breaker but it could also be a shorted element. Try resetting the breaker to the water heater with the main 30 amp breaker turned off If it will reset with no current flow then you most likely have a short. You will need a volt meter to test.


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## Chuggs (Jun 8, 2010)

Are you handy with electricity?

WITH THE BREAKER STILL OPEN >>>
Go out and remove the leads to the water heater element. Insulate the ends with tape so that they can't touch anything.

Go back inside and CLOSE the breaker...

If it stayed closed this time...you need to replace the element...
If it opened again...you have either a short in the line, or a bad breaker...

To identify the short in the line...

****REMOVE A/C power from the camper...**** IMPORTANT STEP!!!

REMOVE the water heater breaker from the panel...

put your DVM on Ohm with the little speaker symbol if it has one (for testing coninuity). With one lead to the wire on the back of the water heater breaker...touch the other one to NEUTRAL bar and then the GROUND bar. There should be NO continuity with the leads outside removed and taped. If there is continuity...the wire to your hot water heater has a short and you'll need to pull a new wire to it.

If there was no coninuity...I think we can safely say your breaker is bad and needs to be replaced. It's holding device has failed internally.

After you're done...replacing the faulty component...

Make sure your breaker is reinstalled correctly
Make sure the leads are reattached to the heater element
Make sure you water heater is FULL of water (allowing the element to heat without water around it will cause it to burn out)
Now you can put A/C power back on the camper...

(sure wish the electrician had installed a dedicated 30amp line)


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## David Moen (Jun 7, 2010)

Thanks! That's some pretty comprehensive troubleshooting instructions! Inside the water heater service panel, how do I identify the leads to the element? All the wires in there seem to be pretty light gague to be running a heater element!


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## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

David Moen said:


> Thanks! That's some pretty comprehensive troubleshooting instructions! Inside the water heater service panel, how do I identify the leads to the element? All the wires in there seem to be pretty light gague to be running a heater element!


The leads to the element are on the back side of the water heater. They will be accessed from inside the trailer and will be the #12 or #14 Romex house wire.


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## David Moen (Jun 7, 2010)

Thanks!

While I had a moment this morning, I unplugged the trailer from AC, the breaker re-set, but as soon as I plugged the AC back in, I could hear it pop. This is all with the control switch on the wall in the off position as well. If that switch is off, a short on the element wouldn't cause the breaker to pop would it?


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## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

David Moen said:


> Thanks!
> 
> While I had a moment this morning, I unplugged the trailer from AC, the breaker re-set, but as soon as I plugged the AC back in, I could hear it pop. This is all with the control switch on the wall in the off position as well. If that switch is off, a short on the element wouldn't cause the breaker to pop would it?


No it should not but the control relay could be failed and it would still power the element.


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