Hot Water Heater Operation ?

[J Stemler]

Still learning on our new to us 2004 Adventurer 38G, The hot water heater is Gas / Electric. Since we are hooked up at a CG I have had it on Electric only. A few times now the red pilot out light on the monitor panel has come on. Since the unit is electronic ignition and the gas is not on, just the electric I don't understand what this means. Anyone help me out with this ?

[Gary RVRoamer]

I can't think of any reason it should ever do that if the gas mode is turned off (gas switch in off position).

The light comes on when the switch is first turned on and stay on until ignition occurs. Sounds as though something is triggering the gas start-up cycle occasionally and you are seeing the light do its thing. Are you SURE the gas mode is turned off? There is nothing wrong with having both gas & electric on at the same time if you want - you get faster recovery time after a shower that way. The gas mode thermostat is often a little bit higher temperature than the electric, so the gas may run a short time even if the electric has has done its job.

[Groveite]

It sounds like the thermostat is calling for gas ....ours will if the water temp drops too low and the electric can't keep up. Just turning off the gas supply will not change that. There should be a switch (usually a rocker switch) for on and off for the gas side. Ours in on the control panel in the kitchen. The switch for the electric is on the actal heater and can only be accessed from outside. Other trailers we have had had a switch inside but it was often well hidden! One was inside the closet in the bathroom!
BTW we sometimes run both gas and electric when we need really fast recovery for a second shower etc.
Ian

[J Stemler]

Thanks, that be the problem, my elec. switch is inside on the control panel along with the gas switch which is also a rocker type switch. The pilot out light comes on over night when the temps have been really dropping here in upstate NY, Sounds like the elec can't keep up and its calling for gas which I have shut off, I'll try leaving both on tonight

[Roadking]

J: You should have a switch for both the electric and the gas modes. When you say "the gas is not on" do you mean you have closed the propane valve thus turning off the propane supply? If so, then the red light indicates the pilot failed to ignite, which makes sense with no gas available. You may have another light, amber or green, that indicates the gas mode switch is actually turned on.

As previously stated, you can use either AC only, or gas only, or you can turn both on and the water will heat faster. I usually us only gas, or only electric and I only use both when I know all of the water in the tank is cold. Once the water is up to temp then I select the desired mode, gas or elect.

If you turn the gas mode switch on (the one with the red light) then the propane valve should be opened. The gas mode switch enables the "electronic ignition" for the gas mode by applying 12 VDC to the control board on the WH. If the pilot does not light within a second to so, then the red light is illuminated by the control board. This indicates the pilot failed to light. IF that switch is off then the WH should never attempt to ignite the pilot and that red light should never light. IF that light is coming on, with the gas switch turned off....then you have an interesting problem and more info is needed, Brand of WH (attwood, suburban?) and more details about your switch..

If you desire to use the 110V AC only, then you need not turn the gas switch (the one with the red light) on.

[J Stemler]

Thanks to all for responses..Roadking....the situation was this...Atwood Gas/Elec water heater. Since I was connected to elec at the CG I only turned on the elec at the control panel. My propane tank was turned on, however I did not turn on the switch for the gas portion of the hot water heater.Upon waking in the morning on two occasions, the red light under the gas switch was on "pilot out". All I did was turn off the elec switch and turn it back on and the red light went out. Someone previous mentioned that maybe the elec could not keep the temp up high enought so it was trying to light the gas side of the heater, it did get rather chilly at night. The next night I turned both switches on, Gas & Elec, the next morning, plenty of hot water and no red light.