# Hot Water Heater -gas Only?



## kevman (Mar 5, 2005)

Ok I have read all of the posts concerning who uses gas only electric only or both for heating the hot water. I thought I had been using electric to heat the water until I made a discovery last trip. there is a little red switch on the wall above the stove that says heater and water pump. One of them turns on and off the water pump(which you can hear) and the other one (I thought) controlled the electric heating of the water pump. On my control panel there is another fuse switch labled W/H for water heater. I always turn both of these switches off. When I turn the switch on the wall off the little red light goes out. I assume the light coming on means the element has been turned on.

Last weekend I had both switches off yet to my dismay when I turned on the water I found out I had very heated water. I had expected the water to still be room temperature. This leads to my question. Is there a way for the water heater not to heat using the propane without having the propane turned off at the bottle? There are times I would like the propane to run the fridge, but not the hot water heater. Am I missing something here?

Is there another switch for turning on the gas heat? I am very confused.


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## tdvffjohn (Mar 10, 2005)

3 switches together...one pump, 2 electric water heater, 3 ..propane water heater.

How hot was it? the sun beating on the cover panel could heat up the water easily


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## huntr70 (Jul 8, 2005)

You may have a different set up being that your trailer is a 2002.

The newer one's have a switch for gas and a switch for electric.

Look at the water heater if it is accessible. Some have reported a switch on the water heater for electric.

Steve


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## schrade (May 5, 2005)

I have a 2003 and the switch on the wall controls only the gas hot water heat also.

I have a switch located underneath the bottom bunk that controls the electric. Not real handy to say the least.


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## kevman (Mar 5, 2005)

schrade said:


> 3 switches together...one pump, 2 electric water heater, 3 ..propane water heater.
> 
> How hot was it? the sun beating on the cover panel could heat up the water easily


The water was heated water hot enough to burn your hand if you kept it under very long. The water was tap water coming from the site's faucet. Thanks.


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## Lady Di (Oct 28, 2005)

We have never found any place on ours to use electric. Two switches. Pump and Heater. I lookie inside the water heater space and didn't find any other switches. Do we have one?


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## 2500Ram (Oct 30, 2005)

On our 03 we have a electric switch on top of the water heater, not easy to get to so I use the breaker to control the electric use on the water heater. The switch on the wall will light the gas mode.

Good luck.

Bill.


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## PDX_Doug (Nov 16, 2004)

Kevin,

You will have a means of running the H2O heater on electricity only. To expand on Bills suggestion, have you checked your breaker panel for a H2O heater breaker? That will be first 'clue' in your search.

Happy Trails,
Doug


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## NDJollyMon (Aug 22, 2003)

Here's how it works:

The red switch on the wall is for WATER HEATER/GAS OPERATION. The tiny red light near the lighted switch merely tells you if the WH didn't light properly/flame out.

The other switch is indeed the water pump...only needed when no hose is hooked up outside.

To use it in ELECTRIC MODE, there is a rocker switch on the water heater itself. You'll have to pull up your dinette bench and turn it on if it's not on already. I just leave this switch on all the time, and use the Circuit Breaker in the converter (under fridge) to operate it on/off. Make certain the water heater is full of water when using it this way...or the element burns out quickly.

You can use both GAS and ELECTRIC modes at the same time to heat the water quickly if you like.

SO, to answer your question...yes. You can leave the gas on...and not heat the water. Just make sure the electric and gas switches are off.


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

Good info Jolly..

I'd be thinking hard about rewiring that setup so I didn't have to get under the bunk to turn on the eletrical hot water.


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## PDX_Doug (Nov 16, 2004)

Oregon_Camper said:


> I'd be thinking hard about rewiring that setup so I didn't have to get under the bunk to turn on the eletrical hot water.


Thankfully, so did Keystone before our trailer was built!









Happy Trails,
Doug


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

PDX_Doug said:


> I'd be thinking hard about rewiring that setup so I didn't have to get under the bunk to turn on the eletrical hot water.


Thankfully, so did Keystone before our trailer was built!









Happy Trails,
Doug
[/quote]

..but not before his was built...


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## HootBob (Apr 26, 2004)

Oregon_Camper said:


> Good info Jolly..
> 
> I'd be thinking hard about rewiring that setup so I didn't have to get under the bunk to turn on the eletrical hot water.


I would do the same thing Jim

Don


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## outback21 (Jun 17, 2006)

I assume your owner's manual doesnt mention this or you don't have one?


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## kevman (Mar 5, 2005)

NDJollyMon said:


> SO, to answer your question...yes. You can leave the gas on...and not heat the water. Just make sure the electric and gas switches are off.


NDJollyMon

Thank you so much. That is exactly the type of answer I was looking for. You explained it well.


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## NDJollyMon (Aug 22, 2003)

Don't worry. I had to figure all this out as well. When the OUTBACKS were first built...you would have laughed at the owners manual that came with them. This switch was a big mystery for a lot of people.

For the record...you can just leave that water heater switch on and leave it. You can just use the circuit breaker as your on/off switch. Just ensure it's off so when you drain it you don't fry the element.

This is one of the PITA things KEYSTONE has made better over the years. (see NATIONAL SERVICE MASTER THREAD POSTS)


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