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Old 01-03-2018, 03:45 PM   #1
sunvger79
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Default Water Heater Electrical

i have a 2004 sun voyager with a suburban water heater, the heater works on electric but stopped working on gas. pressing the switch in the coach doesn't get the light on. i checked at the heater , there is no 12v present. Does anyone know how the wire gets there or where it is fused from? all the 12v fuses are good and none are labeled water heater. thanks
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Old 01-08-2018, 10:51 AM   #2
McKannick
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You're probably going to have to trace that ignition wire back to the switch and then all the way back to the fuse panel to check for broken wire or loose / off spade connector(s). Easiest thing first, try pulling the switch out of the wall and check for 12v there. If good, then it's between the switch and the heater. If dead at the switch, then it's "upstream" to the fuse panel. When you're checking the fuses at the panel you must check both sides of the fuse access contact points, because one side will still show OK because that's the feed side, but if the other side doesn't you have a popped fuse. This guy shows the trick with a single in-line fuse, but the premise is the same for an entire panel
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Old 01-08-2018, 11:16 AM   #3
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so you're pretty sure it goes straight from the switch to the heater, that helps. i still don't know which fuse it is coming from. thanks
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Old 01-08-2018, 11:43 AM   #4
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Yes, in RV 12v wiring (or even your house wiring) the fuse is at the supply panel, 'upstream' from switches & appliances. But the quickest way to check it without taking anything apart is to start with the fuse panel, checking all the fuses on both sided like in the video. You may find the unidentified fuse dead on one side. If you do, have the heater switch turned off and swap it out for the same amperage new fuse and see if you're working after that. If it pops as soon as you push in the fuse with the switch turned off, you have wiring issues where the wire is damaged and touching something it's not supposed to before it gets to the switch (with the switch turned OFF). If it pops as soon as you switch on the water heater, it could be something in the 12v part of the heater or the wiring to the unit between the switch and the unit. One last idea, if the fuse blows as soon as the switch is turned on, turn off the switch and try disconnecting the wire to the 12v point on the heater and put a new fuse in then turn the switch back on. If the fuse remains intact with the switch on and the 12v unit at the heater disconnected, the suspect item is now isolated at the heater.
If you're unfortunate enough for this to be an actual wiring issue, there's no point in sugar coating the fact you'll just have to trace the wiring through the guts of your rig until you find the problem. That will take pulling out drawers, maybe unscrewing access panels and just doing what you can to see any damages.
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Old 01-08-2018, 11:48 AM   #5
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i checked the panels already and they have a light to show if they are blown. also like i said none are labeled water heater
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Old 01-08-2018, 01:37 PM   #6
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But if you have power at switch, you know fuse/ wire is good; check switch operation... (pretty sure separate switch/relay shuts off 12v-ignition when it turns on the 120v?) Get you brand and model # and find the owners manual on the internet?
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Old 01-08-2018, 01:40 PM   #7
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i have used both gas and electric at once before
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Old 01-08-2018, 01:43 PM   #8
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just tried it, i shut off the electric switch and the gas part started. thanks for you help anyway but it used to work both at once if you wanted a quick turn around. i don't know what changed but it is good enough like this. thanks again
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Old 01-08-2018, 08:33 PM   #9
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Programming logic sometimes unknown, becauseTHEY (GS) do not write it in the owners manual, but, as example, plugged into shoreline, and generator cranked (on my 1999 motor home), the ATS (Transfer Switch) switches to gen, even if it is surging... not a lot of protection built into those control circuits ($$$) JAYCO, OTOH, provides 200-page manuals vs GS at 37-pages... I LIKE my GS, but....
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Old 01-08-2018, 08:54 PM   #10
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I did look at the manual of the Suburban SW6D, shows gas/ electric NOT interlocked at factory, so if yours are/ were, it is in the field wiring (GS), not Suburban... a simple relay would do... ONLY the gas control module has electronics, Electric OP is plain switch, thermostat, hi-limit, Heating element.
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