Replace water heater element; advice?

[Gliddenwoods]

I may have to replace my electric water heater element. I have watch a Youtube on the process and it looks straightforward enough. However any advice and/or cautions from those with experience would be welcomed.

Thanks.

[John E Davies]

Do you have the special 1 1/2” thinwalled socket? breaker bar or impact gun? There are cheap stamped tools, but IMHO you should buy a quality one that will make the job easy.

 

Turn off the shore power and trip the water heater circuit breaker! Open the relief valve lever so that the water pressure will vent. If you don’t have the other tools you need, go ahead and buy a socket for the anode rod so you can remove it. Use a water heater flush wand hooked to a garden hose to flush out any gunk before reassembly. Use teflon tape on the anode when reassemble it. The heating element should come with a new gasket, it doesn’t need tape but the surfaces must be spotless.

John Davies

Spokane WA

 

[Gliddenwoods]

1 hour ago, John E Davies said:

socket

Thanks John....the flush wand is ordered.

[SeaDawg]

@Gliddenwoods, your water heater is surely under warranty.  Have you opened a service ticket?

[Gliddenwoods]

Good point SeaDawg, will do so. I just went into the FIY fix-it mode.

Thanks.

[John E Davies]

Something this simple is easily handled without doing a warranty claim, which will involve a dealer visit or a mobile RV tech. Plus wasted time and aggravation.

https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/2036-suburban-hot-water-heater-failed-a-dealer-repair-story-and-lesson/

IMHO you should just fix it yourself and move on. 

John Davies

Spokane WA

[Hokieman]

On 3/10/2023 at 7:40 PM, Gliddenwoods said:

I may have to replace my electric water heater element.

I thought had a similar problem,right after I picked up my 2021 LE2 from the factory.   I assumed I had checked everything before I got too far away, but I neglected to try  the water heater on AC, as I was boondocking my way home.   When I got home and checked it, it didn’t work.  I watched a YouTube on troubleshooting the Suburban SW6DE.  I tested the voltage coming into the 130F thermostat (125V), but no voltage after the thermostat.   The DC thermostat was OK.  I also tested the AC switch voltage (OK), and the heater element resistance (12ohm), so it was OK.   I sent in a ticket to Oliver Service, advised them I could fix it myself, and they promptly sent me a new AC thermostat.  It took maybe 15 minutes to troubleshoot, another 15 to repair. 

 

[ScubaRx]

On 3/10/2023 at 6:40 PM, Gliddenwoods said:

I may have to replace my electric water heater element. I have watch a Youtube on the process and it looks straightforward enough. However any advice and/or cautions from those with experience would be welcomed.

Thanks.

It simply takes a 1-1/2” socket to remove the element. If your set doesn’t have one that large, I’d get one at Harbor Freight.