water heater question. this makes no sense!!

[made2care]

have a 6 gallon gas/electric suburban unit. I just purchased this trailer and only now noticed that the outside rocker switch is missing. this is normally located to the left on these particular units. Obviously, the opening is still there, staring back at me!!! purchased a toggle switch of sorts at my local ace hardware. question? will this work and why would someone take out this switch. There is lighted rocker switch inside the trailer, however, that was not added later. Any answers as to what is going on here??

[bigskymt]

If you have 3 wires for the switch 1 is ground for the lamp in the switch, 1 is hot and one is for the load side. In this case any lighted rocker switch will do providing that switch has the same voltage and amp rating as the previous and the lamp is the same voltage. You might remove the existing switch and check the specs on it.

[ga traveler]

This was only a on off power switch. (two wires) It is not a necessary switch. I think it probably went bad and the prev. owner connected the wires togather. (You can probe the hole, find the wire, and check this.) Any single pole switch will work.

[Randy the sly old fox]

The lighted rocker sw inside the TT is for use with LPG operation. When you turn it on, the light should come on and then go off when the HWH lights off. It could be that there is no 110VAC element in this unit. Is there also a standard light switch somewhere near the rocker SW - if so it is probably for the 110VAC element. If there is no switch then the TT never had a dual mode HWH.

[made2care]

there is an element, however, the 110 wires are not connected to the heater. I am assuming that the previous owner suffered a leak, removed the water heater to replace the flooring beneath it, and never reconnected the 110. just used the lp for heat. i will replace the rocker switch ans place a box under the cabinet. hopefully she will fire up. would like to use both lp and electric to warm water faster.

have located the white wire on the heater. will the brown wire from the rocker switch attach to the black 110 wire??