Started noticing burnt wire smell in rear of 2013 Discovery 40E. Shutdown Electric to Hot water heater right away and also started researching problem on this forum. Found others with same problem and possible relay on heater being issue. Today I pulled the heater and was amazed with what I found. Black plastic Electrical cover was melted and Romex wires and wire nuts was completely melted away. Not sure how this never caught fire or tripped breaker. Not sure if Fleetwood is aware of this but I have many others with same situation after researching. I've repaired everything and just so thankful I shut everything down in time.
iRV2.com RV Community - Are you about to start a new improvement on your RV or need some help with some maintenance? Do you need advice on what products to buy? Or maybe you can give others some advice? No matter where you fit in you'll find that iRV2 is a great community to join. Best of all it's totally FREE!
You are currently viewing our boards as a guest so you have limited access to our community. Please take the time to register and you will gain a lot of great new features including; the ability to participate in discussions, network with other RV owners, see fewer ads, upload photographs, create an RV blog, send private messages and so much, much more!
Country Coach Owners Club Solo Rvers Club iRV2 No Limits Club
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Vancouver, WA
Posts: 37,725
Looks like you got lucky!!
__________________
2009 45' Magna 630 w/Cummins ISX 650 HP/1950 Lbs Ft, HWH Active Air
Charter Good Sam Lifetime Member, FMCA,
RV'ing since 1957, NRA Benefactor Life, towing '21 Jeep JLU Rubicon Ecodiesel
Thank Underwriters Labs and the insurance business along with good engineering. The materials used in electrical wiring will melt and sometimes burn if enough heat is applied but few, if any, will support combustion. That is once lit off if you remove the ignition source the flame goes out. The goal is no flame.
What probably happened was a poor connection. If your water heater draws 10 Amps a 1 ohm resistance in the connection would dissipate 10^2 x1 = 100 Watts with a drop of 10 x1 = 10 V. The heater would not care but the heat in the connection would do what you saw. It is an insidious avalanche type failure. A little extra resistance makes a little heat that causes a little damage that increases the resistance a little bit. Over time it keeps getting bigger until a noticable problem occurs.
Might want to check behind the 120VAC panel as well. Unfortunately, what you have uncovered is not that rare. I found a wire getting hot in the Xfer switch box. AC panel checked out AOK.
__________________
Robert & Deb
07 Discovery 39v FWS Full Timers, Henniker NH
1K solar - 05 Jeep Grand Cherokee
Linear Mode
