Problem with Suburban hot water heater 2015 unit # 83

[Windwalker]

Water heater will not run on 115 a/c and only gets Luke warm on propane anybody have an idea?

[routlaw]

Have you inspected the anode rod? Could be its shot and needs replacement, especially since its not working on both sources of energy.

[Steph and Dud B]

If the propane burner is running, I'm guessing a lot of sediment on the bottom of the tank...? Pull the anode rod, flush the tank, replace with new anode rod as needed.

[ScubaRx]

Have you ever flushed the water heater?

[Windwalker]

Have not cleaned out the water heater this year so will do that now thanks to all I am traveling and not sure where I would find parts in the Sedona area.

 

Marc

[Mike and Carol]

1 hour ago, Windwalker said:

Have not cleaned out the water heater this year so will do that now thanks to all I am traveling and not sure where I would find parts in the Sedona area.

 

Marc

A suburban anode is fairly common.  Any Camping World or most RV dealerships with repair/parts department.  I have an attachment that goes on the end of my hose that goes into the anode hole to help clean all the deposits out.  Mike

[John E Davies]

Are you sure the outside AC switch is positioned correctly? It is confusing because on mine it is upside down, it is marked properly but you move it down for ON. Also, has your circuit breaker inside the trailer tripped or did you leave it open? Both of these electrical components can fail, and they are cheap to replace.
https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/3243-how-to-service-and-inspect-your-suburban-hot-water-heater-gas-system/

John Davies

Spokane WA

 

[topgun2]

48 minutes ago, Mike and Carol said:

I have an attachment that goes on the end of my hose that goes into the anode hole to help clean all the deposits out.  Mike

Probably the one Mike is referring to looks something like THIS ONE.  They are easy to use and do a much better job than a simple spray with the garden hose.

Bill

[Windwalker]

The water temp has improved but still not normal the hot water light did come on inside the trailer after flushing and have not seen this light since I have been having problems, I have the gas and the electric system on. Wondering if I should pull the thermostats out and look for build up there.

Marc

[Windwalker]

Thanks John yes the breaker and the switch is in the normal run position and at this time I think the propane system is the only thing that is heating and after flushing the water is hotter but not real hot I’m wondering if the thermostats may have build up on them since flushing seemed to help.

Marc

[John E Davies]

You can do a vinegar soak for a few hours, 50/50 with water. Followed by a flush. If it hasn’t been done in a couple of years, it is due.

John Davies

Spokane WA

[Windwalker]

Thanks for all the helpful reply’s its dark here now and will resume the troubleshooting tomorrow.

Marc

 

[Galway Girl]

And double check that your outside hot water shower wand had the valves turned OFF.

Once I had winterized and forgot to turn those outside shower controls back to off.  With the wand head shut off, I was inadvertently cycling the hot and cold water through the system and it never got really hot.

So...just for grins make sure the outside shower controls are truly OFF.

CS

 

[Windwalker]

Galway girl you fixed the self induced problem I was fooling with the outside shower the other day and left the valves open and the wand handle valve closed thanks so much for your help on this make sure you post this where all can see

Marc

[mossemi]

I am often in awe of this forum.  The collective knowledge base is just amazing.  And the kicker is that Galway Girl learned from their mistake and passed that knowledge on and solved another’s problem.  I think that is an excellent example of the importance of teamwork.

Thanks to all who contributed ideas to help solve this problem, especially Galway Girl!

Mossey

[Mike and Carol]

1 hour ago, mossemi said:

I am often in awe of this forum.  The collective knowledge base is just amazing.  And the kicker is that Galway Girl learned from their mistake and passed that knowledge on and solved another’s problem.  I think that is an excellent example of the importance of teamwork.

Me too.

Sometimes there are a number of possible causes to a problem.  If we all chime in with what we’ve experienced and the solution that worked for us then we’ve probably covered most all of the bases.  It looks like that’s what happened here and like Mike says, teamwork works!  Mike