Gas water heater change to gas/electric?

[marant]

Does anyone know? Our 2022 21c came with gas only water heater. Is it wired and ready for a gas/electric replacement?

[Ron in BC]

When ETI supplies a trailer without A/C but "A/C ready" the wiring is in the converter panel and marked as A/C and also under the trim ring where an A/C would go.

I'll make a big presumption that if ETI supplies a gas only water heater they may still have run the wire for 110 AC to it. Easy enough to check by looking at the water heater and seeing if there's a taped off unused wire there.

If not, there's a clear path from the converter panel to the water heater that I can explain to you if need be.

Ron

[rubicon327]

It will not be ready but it should not be very difficult to add a breaker and route a 120V circuit to the location of the water heater.

[TTMartin]

Originally Posted by marant

Does anyone know? Our 2022 21c came with gas only water heater. Is it wired and ready for a gas/electric replacement?

My 2020 Escape 19 was prewired for a gas / electric water heater even though I have a gas only water heater. I don't know if this was a fluke or it is something standard Escape does. The wire runs into my power center and is capped off (not hooked up). It is labeled Water Heater. Just be sure all power 120 volt is disconnected from the trailer and the inverter is off and check inside your power center.

[rubicon327]

Originally Posted by TTMartin

My 2020 Escape 19 was prewired for a gas / electric water heater even though I have a gas only water heater. I don't know if this was a fluke or it is something standard Escape does. The wire runs into my power center and is capped off (not hooked up). It is labeled Water Heater. Just be sure all power 120 volt is disconnected from the trailer and the inverter is off and check inside your power center.

Oops looks like I’m wrong then. Maybe prewiring is the case on newer trailers.

[HABBERDABBER]

I have a similar unit to this one:
Valterra Hott Rod Water Heater Conversion Kit - 6 Gallon | Camping

https://www.amazon.com/Camco-Hot-Wat...395667144&th=1


It works well, but for mine, I run a separate extension cord to the power pedestal.

[rubicon327]

Originally Posted by HABBERDABBER

I have a similar unit to this one:
Valterra Hott Rod Water Heater Conversion Kit - 6 Gallon | Camping

https://www.amazon.com/Camco-Hot-Wat...395667144&th=1
It works well, but for mine, I run a separate extension cord to the power pedestal.

Do you feel the heating time and recovery is adequate? I notice the Hott Rod has a 475W electric element versus the 1440W element in the Suburban SW6DE water heater.

[TTMartin]

Originally Posted by HABBERDABBER

I have a similar unit to this one:
Valterra Hott Rod Water Heater Conversion Kit - 6 Gallon | Camping

https://www.amazon.com/Camco-Hot-Wat...395667144&th=1


It works well, but for mine, I run a separate extension cord to the power pedestal.

Assuming that replaces the sacrificial anode, what is left to protect the water heater?

[HABBERDABBER]

I don't have any comparison data to what I have (not a Hott Rod) as my rig is in storage and my info is in it as to the brand name. Recovery time? I dunno. Doesn't matter, as both propane and the electric heating can be used at the same time if AC is available. All I know is when I plug it in, some time after that I have hot water, with just electric heating. And the version I have does have a slug of magnesium attached to it, which is replaceable. After 10 or so years of use, I've not had to replace that anode portion.

I bought it years ago, used it in a older Casita 16' and now use it in the Escape. If I know I won't have AC and be boondocking, I use a regular anode. If there's a chance of AC power, I insert the electrical heating element instead.

Like I said, it works. I cut a small square of the mesh vent on the water heater, folded it, and lead the plug out thru there. No pictures, as no rig here, as it is in storage.

Doing a deeper search, it looks like I have what is very similar to the Hott Rod.
This is a working alternative to a dual power water heater. Much, much less expensive than a WH conversion to a dual power source WH. Heck, a lifetime of propane use is cheaper than spending the $$$ to do that change too.

[marant]

Per Nickolas at ETI:
There is no AC electrical wiring for an electric water heater in a gas only installation, unlike with the air conditioning delete option.

[Ron in BC]

Fortunately it's easier to add AC wiring for a hot water tank than an A/C. For the hot water tank the wiring run is inside cabinets all the way. No problem. For an A/C it would mean getting the wiring under the headliner. I've done it with smaller wires but 110 volt wires would be a problem.

Ron

[TTMartin]

Originally Posted by marant

Per Nickolas at ETI:
There is no AC electrical wiring for an electric water heater in a gas only installation, unlike with the air conditioning delete option.

As I said before my 2020 Escape 19 is prewired for an electric water heater. I don't know if it was a fluke or more are like that. You would need to check your power center (after disconnecting shore power and turning off your inverter) to find if you trailer is prewired or not. Mine has the wire run into the power center, but, not connected to a breaker.

BTW, who is Nickolas?

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by TTMartin

BTW, who is Nickolas?

A very helpful lad who works at ETI. Don't know his job title but he's usually up to date on all things ETI.

Ron

[Pauly D]

Originally Posted by Ron in BC

A very helpful lad who works at ETI. Don't know his job title but he's usually up to date on all things ETI.

Ron

Nickolas is one of four current employees in ETI’s after sales support. I have also found him very helpful. Cheers, Paul

[Nindy]

I have the dual electric/gas water heater. After some years the electric switch toasted itself. I always figured I was saving propane and used it on electric whenever I could. Now that it's fixed I only use the heater on propane since it's not that convenient to go outside to turn it on for electric anyway!

Water gets hot quickly either way. I only wait 5-10 minutes to get it hot for dishes and a little longer for a shower. Then I turn it off.

[Ron in BC]

I added an interior switch at the end of the bed on the drawer stack. It's right along the path that the wiring takes and is easy to do.

Ron