TECHNICAL---RV Hot Water Heater

[john59]

Being new to RVing, I am starting to believe the mention of a RV hot water heater has to be whispered. Problem or non-problem in our Gulf Stream 5th Wheel, Hot Water Heater System
If you lift up the access panel to the water heater you see, an electric on / off switch, the electric element, the anode and the the propane burner assembly. Below and next to the pressure relief valve appears to be a black patch seal (maybe 3X3 inches). On closer inspection of the Suburban hot water heater do-dads are silver dollar size cirlcles, on what I call this black seal/patch. By golly, written is RESET on both that you can push in. This is good. Maybe. I went to my Gulf stream owners manual. UH-OH No mention of RESET. Went to the Suburban Hot Water Heater paperwork UH-OH No mention of RESET.
I talked to a Gulf Stream Rep at the Hershey RV show and maybe 4 Salesman. No one had any answer but all agreed that they are RESET switches to reset something---Since I used to tinker with 400 to 550HP street rods, all my switches had a use. Maybe these HW Heater switches are just conversation items (remember I just whispered that)--Any Ideas--john59

 

[DaveInTN]

I believe Suburban HWH have high temperature limits that will automatically shut the unit down if water temp exceeds a preset limit, such as 180 degrees. The reset button needs to then be pushed to activate the burner again. Of course, if the underlying issue causing the temps to go too high, such as a faulty thermostat, aren't corrected it will only trip again.

I'm not positive if that's the use of the reset on your unit but that's one possibility anyway.

 

[ftwildernessguy]

I figure if the hot water heater isn't working, just press all the reset buttons you can until it works again.

 

[big kahuna1]

Didn't Hillary already push the reset button?

 

[DaveInTN]

Didn't Hillary already push the reset button?

Yep, and now we are all in a lot of hot water. Guess that button works after all!

 

[shirley 38]

I wouldn't touch them if I were you. I think the otters put them there.

 

[Live4FW]

I wouldn't touch them if I were you. I think the otters put them there.

If it resets the beer counter and we can start pouring again....sounds fine with me! Who cares about hot water when there is beer!

 

[ftwildernessguy]

Why can't you guys stay on topic? Hey, I just had some string cheese. Man, I like string cheese. How do you think they discovered cheese that can be formed into a stick, and makes a neat looking stringy appearance when it's pulled apart? Amazing. Beer goes good with string cheese. There are some really neat beers coming out now for the fall. Al and I are going to taste a bunch of beer at Epcot this year along with anybody else who wants to hold us up. That should be fun. Tomorrow I am going to the RV show in Hershey. Maybe I'll see Pirate Jeff there. I'm shopping for a TT now so that makes it even more fun. I just need a big enough frig to hold string cheese, beer and Kungaloosh stuff. My wife worries about the other things. What the heck were we talking about????

 

[DaveInTN]

I hear that string cheese makes a very nice replacement anode for your hot water heater in an emergency. There, we are back on topic. Speaking of which, where did our OP go? I hope he didn't do something foolish, like push that reset button and vaporize himself.

 

[disney4dan]

I googled the water heater manual (sounds kinda dirty, doesn't it?) and it sounds like you are referring to the safety feature that shuts off the heat if the water gets to 180 degrees. Would typically indicate a failure of the temperature sensor relay or a shorted wire if you have to use the reset.

Now, to get back off topic again - Did anyone catch the MythBuster's episode where they tested the theory of turning an electric water heater into a rocket? You got it, they disabled all the safety features (like the aforementioned temperature sensors, mechanical pressure relief valves and other devices designed to save our lives) and enclosed a 30-gallon electric water heater inside a framed structure designed to imitate a single story house with 2x4 construction, fully framed roof with shingles and placed their unfortunate test dummy "Buster" inside a tub next to the water heater.

That water heater got up to more than 300 degrees inside before it blew. Now that's great entertainment. Nothing left of the structure they built AND the water heater reached a height of more than 400 feet! How cool is that !

 

[bigdisneydaddy]

Technically its not a "hot water heater" if the water was already hot you wouldnt need to heat it. Its more likely a "water heater"

 

[medic9016]

Being new to RVing, I am starting to believe the mention of a RV hot water heater has to be whispered. Problem or non-problem in our Gulf Stream 5th Wheel, Hot Water Heater System
If you lift up the access panel to the water heater you see, an electric on / off switch, the electric element, the anode and the the propane burner assembly. Below and next to the pressure relief valve appears to be a black patch seal (maybe 3X3 inches). On closer inspection of the Suburban hot water heater do-dads are silver dollar size cirlcles, on what I call this black seal/patch. By golly, written is RESET on both that you can push in. This is good. Maybe. I went to my Gulf stream owners manual. UH-OH No mention of RESET. Went to the Suburban Hot Water Heater paperwork UH-OH No mention of RESET.
I talked to a Gulf Stream Rep at the Hershey RV show and maybe 4 Salesman. No one had any answer but all agreed that they are RESET switches to reset something---Since I used to tinker with 400 to 550HP street rods, all my switches had a use. Maybe these HW Heater switches are just conversation items (remember I just whispered that)--Any Ideas--john59

Depending on what Suburban water heater you have, there is not anything behind the the black plug that reads reset. All the Suburban 6 gallon and 10 gallon water heater are made the same except for volume, added or subtracted componets is what changes the model #.

 

[ftwildernessguy]

Depending on what Suburban water heater you have, there is not anything behind the the black plug that reads reset. All the Suburban 6 gallon and 10 gallon water heater are made the same except for volume, added or subtracted componets is what changes the model #.

If I was an engineer, I would design things with as many fake buttons as I could, cause everybody knows the more buttons the more you can charge.

 

[des1954]

Technically its not a "hot water heater" if the water was already hot you wouldnt need to heat it. Its more likely a "water heater"

Thank you, Scott. Whenever people come to THD and ask me where the hot water heaters are, I tell them we don't carry HWH, just water heaters. Then I explain the difference. You'd be surprised at the amount of people who shake their heads in complete agreement after I have enlightened them!

 

[big kahuna1]

Thank you, Scott. Whenever people come to THD and ask me where the hot water heaters are, I tell them we don't carry HWH, just water heaters. Then I explain the difference. You'd be surprised at the amount of people who shake their heads in complete agreement after I have enlightened them!

Yeah but what if I wanted my hot water hotter than my water heater can make it. Would I then buy a Hot Water Heater to heat the water the water heater heated to make it heatier?

Yes that is a word becasue I said it is!

 

[john59]

Now I understand why Hot Water Heater/Water Heater has to be WHISPERED.
Since I have been beaten and bruised with this thread I am considering taking up drinking beer. It would dampen the excruciating pain. There is one obstacle. Being a Girls' HS Basketball Coach---Does Root Beer count ???? Or
is the sacrilegious to some who have replied. Let me amend that---to just about everybody that replied !!!!!!!
With wrench in hand I am off to my 5'r (I am statrting to grasp the RV lingo) to dig up some more mystery of life questions.
john59

 

[ftwildernessguy]

John - come on over to my house and I'll let ya rip on my camper floor - you can learn about trailer construction from the bottom up.

 

[Pirate-Jeff]

1 of our MH's had a suburban water heater with electronic ignition. When you turned it on if it did not light the gas on the first 3 attempts you had to go outside and press the reset button to get 3 more attempts to light it. This happened every time we shut off the propane gas at the tank. Every time I had the gas off my wife would light the stove to cook something and empty the lines that why the water heater needed resetting she let air into the lines after the gas pressure ran out.

I see you live in Lebanon PA.

Do you have any Lebanon Bologna to go with Jim's string cheese and BEER...

 

[john59]

Lebanon bologna = Baloney

YO ADRIEN (or is Adrian) !!!!!!!! Soft pretzels and cheesesteaks.

From Philly to Lebanon PA. I had to make a wrong turn.
john59 (aka Rocky)

 

[ftwildernessguy]

do they still drop the baloney on New Year's Eve?