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Converting gas hot water heater to electric
10-23-2009, 01:29 PM
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#1
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Member
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Albany, Louisiana
Posts: 76
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I have heard of people sticking heater elements in the drain hole of the tank. Has anyone done this? Is it safe? I have a gas 6 gallon atwood that I would prefer to be electric. Please let me know of your thoughts on the element idea or any other conventional idea to fix my problem.
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Bill and Jennifer RV Adventures
1997 Winnebago
Vectra Grand Tour - 34WQ - Chevy Chasis
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10-23-2009, 01:36 PM
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#2
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Moderator Emeritus
Texas Boomers Club
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Cypress, Texas USA
Posts: 6,626
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Take a look HERE if you decide to do it.
Rusty
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10-23-2009, 04:58 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Tiffin Owners Club Workhorse Chassis Owner
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Full-timers - Home is where we park it.
Posts: 2,479
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Suburban water heaters have a sacrificial anode rod attached to the drain plug. If you exchange the plug with anode for a plug with a heating element, you will loose the corrosion protection for your water heater. As far as I know, the conversion kits do not contain any kind of provision for corrosion protection.
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10-23-2009, 05:08 PM
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#4
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Moderator Emeritus
Texas Boomers Club
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Cypress, Texas USA
Posts: 6,626
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The OP says his water heater is an Atwood 6-gallon model, which doesn't use an anode rod.
Rusty
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10-24-2009, 01:51 AM
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#5
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Senior Member
Winnebago Owners Club Workhorse Chassis Owner
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: KAPOLEI, HAWAII AND VANCOUVER, WASHINGTON
Posts: 1,847
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check the "hott rod" kit. i have heard good things about it, but don't remember where.
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10-24-2009, 05:26 AM
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#6
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Junior Member
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 23
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Did this to our heater (Attwood) approx 10 yrs. ago. Works great. Bought kit at Camping World. Requires that you cut a hole in the outer insulating jacket on the heater so that you can mount the thermostat. Also need a 110 volt source. I set ours up so that I can simply plug the heater into an outlet that is located on the outside wall next to the heater.
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10-24-2009, 06:41 AM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Oakton, Va
Posts: 639
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Quote:
Originally Posted by irwin
Did this to our heater (Attwood) approx 10 yrs. ago. Works great. Bought kit at Camping World. Requires that you cut a hole in the outer insulating jacket on the heater so that you can mount the thermostat. Also need a 110 volt source. I set ours up so that I can simply plug the heater into an outlet that is located on the outside wall next to the heater.
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Irwin, do you remember which kit you used? I installed a Hott Rod in my Atwood water heater drain plug (to the OP I didn't stick it in the drain plug) about six years ago and it has worked great. It is stainless steel and the Hott Shot rep said they have not had a single case of galvanic corrosion causing a failure. They guarantee your water heater in case of a failure. Atwood does not recommend or encourage the electric heater but many have used either the heater or brass plugs without a problem. BTW electric water heating is one of the best modifications I have made on my MH.
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Jim Walker, N Virginia
2000 Damon Ultrasport
Cummins 5.9 ISB, Allison 1000 Five Speed
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10-24-2009, 07:19 AM
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#8
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Senior Member
Texas Boomers Club Freightliner Owners Club
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: DFW Area, TX
Posts: 1,775
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On J Walker's advice, I installed a HottRod, too. It has been wonderful - a great mod. We pull into a CG, plug into the post, flip on the water heater switch and, by the time that we have everything else settled, we have hot water - no muss, no fuss.
I did the installation myself and admit it is a pretty tight fit. On my Atwood 6gal, I had to loosen the mount for the gas valve to get the rod into the tank. I simply followed the directions for the rest of the install and have had no problems since.
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2000 Georgie Boy Landau 36' DP
2005 Saturn Vue toad
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10-25-2009, 06:20 AM
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#9
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Senior Member
Tiffin Owners Club Workhorse Chassis Owner
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Full-timers - Home is where we park it.
Posts: 2,479
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RustyJC
The OP says his water heater is an Atwood 6-gallon model, which doesn't use an anode rod.
Rusty
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Sorry, I missed that when I posted my warning. Guess I'll have to read more carefully.
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10-26-2009, 09:26 AM
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#10
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Member
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Massachusetts
Posts: 70
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I installed a "Lightning Rod" and it works great. No problems, 3 years.
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10-26-2009, 06:35 PM
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#11
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Moderator Emeritus
Vintage RV Owners Club Texas Boomers Club Oklahoma Boomers Club Ford Super Duty Owner
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Cypress, TX
Posts: 11,982
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The problem with the electric heater rod is recovery time is S-L-O-W.
Even if you install one, you will probably want to turn the propane on when bathing or doing dishes.
Ken
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Amateur Radio Operator|Practicing for our retirement! 2008 Cameo 35SB3 - 2002 7.3L Crew Cab Dually w/ a SCMT - Max Brake - Travel with one Miniature Schnauzer, one Standard Schnauzer and one small Timneh African Gray Parrot
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10-26-2009, 09:18 PM
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#12
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Member
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Albany, Louisiana
Posts: 76
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Why are they so slow? Are any quicker than the other? Why can't I find a regular hot water heater element that fits and wire it in? I have used them in biodiesel production by putting them in pipes and circulating the oil and methoxide past it. Is there a problem with getting the tank too hot too fast?
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Bill and Jennifer RV Adventures
1997 Winnebago
Vectra Grand Tour - 34WQ - Chevy Chasis
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10-26-2009, 10:02 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Texas Boomers Club Freightliner Owners Club
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: DFW Area, TX
Posts: 1,775
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TXiceman
The problem with the electric heater rod is recovery time is S-L-O-W.
Even if you install one, you will probably want to turn the propane on when bathing or doing dishes.
Ken
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Ken, I had that concern when we first added the electric circuit. We have never had a problem, even with multiple showers in a row. I admit that we've never done the 15 minute variety but we haven't always had Navy showers either. Six gallons of very hot water seems to go a very long ways.
We've had the HotRod installed several years and I cannot remember the last time that we used the WH on propane.
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2000 Georgie Boy Landau 36' DP
2005 Saturn Vue toad
KF5-NJY
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10-26-2009, 10:26 PM
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#14
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Member
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Albany, Louisiana
Posts: 76
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I read that the Lightning rod takes 45-90 minutes to get to 125. Is the HotRod like that? I plan to either pick one of these everyone has suggested or do something on my own tomorrow.
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Bill and Jennifer RV Adventures
1997 Winnebago
Vectra Grand Tour - 34WQ - Chevy Chasis
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