# Hot Water Heater



## perry6217 (Feb 20, 2008)

We just purchased a 2005 29FBHS. Where and How do I determine which power source my hot water heater is using, LP or Electric?


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## jozway (Jan 28, 2008)

When you got full hookups i would use the electric and not the gas. The gas however does recover much quicker than the electric. A friend of mine uses both and claims it recovers even quicker.


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## wolfwood (Sep 19, 2005)

dylan said:


> We just purchased a 2005 29FBHS. Where and How do I determine which power source my hot water heater is using, LP or Electric?


I don't know if your specific model may be different, but many (most? all?) Outbacks have a control panel of switches - this includes switches for the electric or gas power for the water heater. The one in use will be lit. Hope this helps


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## perry6217 (Feb 20, 2008)

You've given me way more credit than I'm due. Is there a switch I am to use to change from Lp to Electric? If so any idea where to find it?


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## jozway (Jan 28, 2008)

Reading your post again i realized that i did not answer what you asked







Ther should be two switches on your control panel for the water heater one for electric and one for LP (gas) when there turned on they illuminate red with these you can choose gas or electric. Also if you use electric you need to turn on the switch on the tank itself acessed from outside.


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

dylan said:


> You've given me way more credit than I'm due. Is there a switch I am to use to change from Lp to Electric? If so any idea where to find it?


Ours switch is located on the wall next to the stove...just below the microwave.


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## perry6217 (Feb 20, 2008)

Thank You, I will check there.


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## NC RVer (Feb 18, 2008)

Our switches are inside a cabinet door----just inside entrance door.

Dennis


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## mswalt (Sep 14, 2004)

> Our switches are inside a cabinet door----just inside entrance door.


Same here.

Mark


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## kyoutback (Jul 12, 2004)

Just make sure there is water in the water heater before using the electric or you will burn out the heating element.


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## Sayonara (Jul 23, 2007)

kyoutback said:


> Just make sure there is water in the water heater before using the electric or you will burn out the heating element.


X2 !! Good thing to remember!


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

mswalt said:


> > Our switches are inside a cabinet door----just inside entrance door.
> 
> 
> Same here.
> ...


Do you like it being in the cabinet? Seems like a hassle to have to open/close the door.


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## folsom_five (Jan 10, 2008)

Oregon_Camper said:


> > Our switches are inside a cabinet door----just inside entrance door.
> 
> 
> Same here.
> ...


Do you like it being in the cabinet? Seems like a hassle to have to open/close the door.
[/quote]

I have only been camping in ours 1 night, and think it's inconvienent to have the monitor panel in that cabinet.

In our last SOB TT the panel was above the kitchen sink. It was in a great location. Could easily check out the tank levels while cleaning up after meals.
The other nice thing about having it out in the open is being able to easily see the water heater fault light BEFORE you try to take a shower.


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

folsom_five said:


> I have only been camping in ours 1 night, and think it's inconvenient to have the monitor panel in that cabinet.
> 
> In our last SOB TT the panel was above the kitchen sink. It was in a great location. Could easily check out the tank levels while cleaning up after meals.
> The other nice thing about having it out in the open is being able to easily see the water heater fault light BEFORE you try to take a shower.


That is exactly what I was thinking and why I asked. Seems like I'd be doing a quick MOD on that monitor panel and putting in outside of the cabinet.


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## California Jim (Dec 11, 2003)

On the switch panel.....Little lightning bolt = electric, little flame = gas. You can use either or even both simultaneously. If the red light comes on it means a failure to ignite or energize. Red light off = OK.


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

California Jim said:


> On the switch panel.....Little lightning bolt = electric, little flame = gas. You can use either or even both simultaneously. If the red light comes on it means a failure to ignite or energize. Red light off = OK.


Ok..it's March and it has been a long time since we've camped, but I think our red light come on the moment I fire up the hot water heater. Always thought RED = Hot. I could be wrong, but that is how I remember it right now. Seem to remember laying in bed and seeing the light and getting up to turn it off as we don't need hot water at night.


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## folsom_five (Jan 10, 2008)

Oregon_Camper said:


> On the switch panel.....Little lightning bolt = electric, little flame = gas. You can use either or even both simultaneously. If the red light comes on it means a failure to ignite or energize. Red light off = OK.


Ok..it's March and it has been a long time since we've camped, but I think our red light come on the moment I fire up the hot water heater. Always thought RED = Hot. I could be wrong, but that is how I remember it right now. Seem to remember laying in bed and seeing the light and getting up to turn it off as we don't need hot water at night.
[/quote]
I have 2 seperate switches for the WH. 1 for Gas and 1 for Electric. Each one lights up red when turned on, but there is also a small little round light next to the switch that lights up red if there is a fault.
It would be nice if they could use a color changing LED so that when the switch is fliped on it is green and if there is a fault then it would change to red.

--Greg


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

folsom_five said:


> On the switch panel.....Little lightning bolt = electric, little flame = gas. You can use either or even both simultaneously. If the red light comes on it means a failure to ignite or energize. Red light off = OK.


Ok..it's March and it has been a long time since we've camped, but I think our red light come on the moment I fire up the hot water heater. Always thought RED = Hot. I could be wrong, but that is how I remember it right now. Seem to remember laying in bed and seeing the light and getting up to turn it off as we don't need hot water at night.
[/quote]
I have 2 seperate switches for the WH. 1 for Gas and 1 for Electric. Each one lights up red when turned on, but there is also a small little round light next to the switch that lights up red if there is a fault.
It would be nice if they could use a color changing LED so that when the switch is fliped on it is green and if there is a fault then it would change to red.

--Greg
[/quote]

Thanks Greg...that must be what I have as well. Guess buying all red LED's makes it easier for them...Gillian can't screw that up if there is only one to pick from.


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## California Jim (Dec 11, 2003)

I suppose that as the years progress, they have changed the panel. For us old schoolers, the single red light between the switches does indeed indicate a failure. It may light up briefly when you first hit the switch, but should ultimately turn off if all is well.


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## TennesseeOutback1 (Feb 1, 2008)

jozway said:


> ....Also if you use electric you need to turn on the switch on the tank itself acessed from outside.


We are camping in out new Outback Sydney RQS31 for the first time. As bad as I hate to say it, it's not really been all that enjoyable. I've got a few issues with the camper. I won't go into detail in this post of them all but one is the water heater. It's just me, wife, and the little man. Well when one of us takes a shower and then the other takes one the last one runs out of hot water. I do know about using both electric and gas to recover faster but with my FIL's camper we never had an issue with running out of hot water and sometimes there were 4 of us.

SO!!! in reading the quoted statement above I didn't know there was a switch on the tank it'self. When I push the switches (on control panel) for both I get the red lights, indicating both gas and elec. are in use. Would these lights still show even if the elec. swith on the tank isn't on. I guess I can check once I get off work and back to the camper.


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## H2oSprayer (Aug 5, 2006)

dylan said:


> We just purchased a 2005 29FBHS. Where and How do I determine which power source my hot water heater is using, LP or Electric?


The easiest way; if the water is cold, and you think that it is on, go outside an listen near the water heater. If it is running on LP you will hear the burner.


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## folsom_five (Jan 10, 2008)

TennesseeOutback1 said:


> ....Also if you use electric you need to turn on the switch on the tank itself acessed from outside.


We are camping in out new Outback Sydney RQS31 for the first time. As bad as I hate to say it, it's not really been all that enjoyable. I've got a few issues with the camper. I won't go into detail in this post of them all but one is the water heater. It's just me, wife, and the little man. Well when one of us takes a shower and then the other takes one the last one runs out of hot water. I do know about using both electric and gas to recover faster but with my FIL's camper we never had an issue with running out of hot water and sometimes there were 4 of us.

SO!!! in reading the quoted statement above I didn't know there was a switch on the tank it'self. When I push the switches (on control panel) for both I get the red lights, indicating both gas and elec. are in use. Would these lights still show even if the elec. swith on the tank isn't on. I guess I can check once I get off work and back to the camper.
[/quote]

YES, even if the switch outside is in the OFF position, the inside light will still be red.
The outside switch does not need to be switched off every time. It is there to ensure that you don't use the electric heating element with an empty hot water heater tank.

My plan is to keep it switched on unless I empty my water heater. If the heater is going to be emptied, I will switch it off.

--Greg


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