Electric Hot Water Switch

[Capt Pete]

I have just purchased a Forestwood 2604. Water heater instructions were:
Gas- turn on gas bottle, turn on “Gas Water Heater” switch on the control panel inside the rear door. Great works fine.

Electric- plug into power, turn on the switch inside the water heater panel, turn on the main switch on the side of the water heater. Great works fine.

BUT- on the control panel inside the rear door next to the “Gas Water Heater” switch is another switch labeled “Electric Water Heater”. Was told that it is not connected on some models and to ignore it. Some posts seem to indicate that this is normal on some models..............

So traced the wire (orange) from the switch to the water heater. Yep it goes right there and is capped off. Fitted a mains voltage relay/12v operated, and connected to the orange wire.

Presto- now the “Electric Hot Water” switch on the panel works just like the “Gas Hot Water” switch.

Pete

[Agesilaus]

Are you sure there is a electric heating element in the water heater?

[Old-Biscuit]

Would that be a Forest River Rockwood 2604 trailer??

Sounds like you have a Suburban Water Heater --- DEL Model
Uses 12VDC relay to trigger the AC to element
DC Relay should be inside the DC Junction Box (left side of WH Tank looking from the backside *AC Junction Box on right side)

Suburban DEL Models Installation Manual --- see pg 6 for wiring connections
http://techsupport.pdxrvwholesale.co...ser-Manual.pdf

[Capt Pete]

If you check my post, the water heater was working fine, the problem was the switch inside was not connected, so control of the water heater was outside the trailer. Fitting the relay meant it is now controlled from inside the trailer, which I assume was what the designer intended!
And yes it is a Suburban SW6DE???- sealer covers the rest of the numbers

And yes it’s a Rockwood 2604SW

[Old-Biscuit]

Originally Posted by Capt Pete

If you check my post, the water heater was working fine, the problem was the switch inside was not connected, so control of the water heater was outside the trailer. Fitting the relay meant it is now controlled from inside the trailer, which I assume was what the designer intended!
And yes it is a Suburban SW6DE???- sealer covers the rest of the numbers

And yes it’s a Rockwood 2604SW

Forestwood was a play on words I guess??

And that DC Relay --- did YOU add OR did you find the OEM one and connect to it??