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09-15-2019, 10:03 AM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Sacramento area, California
Trailer: 2015 Escape 21
Posts: 525
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Question on 2 way water heater
I remember reading somewhere about how you can fry the element if you’re not careful about when you turn on or off the electric switch on the outside. But I can’t find that now and wonder if maybe I misread something? If I m traveling and will have electric hookups everywhere I go is it ok to leave the outside switch on? We always turn off the inside switch before disconnecting from power.
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09-15-2019, 10:07 AM
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#2
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Site Team
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Portland, Oregon
Trailer: 2014 Escape 5.0 TA
Posts: 11,074
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jill
I remember reading somewhere about how you can fry the element if you’re not careful about when you turn on or off the electric switch on the outside. But I can’t find that now and wonder if maybe I misread something? If I m traveling and will have electric hookups everywhere I go is it ok to leave the outside switch on? We always turn off the inside switch before disconnecting from power.
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Whether the electric element gets fried or not has ALL to do if the water heater is full of water. No water, element turned on... INSTANTLY fried. I'm now on my THIRD element. You would think I'd learn Fortunately it's only a $20 part and changing it out isn't difficult.... but so unnecessary if I JUST PAID ATTENTION.
__________________
Donna D.
Ten Forward
2014 Escape 5.0TA
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09-15-2019, 10:18 AM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Trailer: 2017 Escape 5.0 TA
Posts: 15,572
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One time on our 19 we burned out an element. I had drained the water heater in the fall but forgot to turn off the switch. In the spring when I brought it home to get set up for our first trip, before I filled the water tank and heater, my wife plugged the trailer in to cool the fridge.
The good news is the element is cheap, and with 30 minutes to go to Home Depot to pick one up, and 39 minutes to do the install, and all was good.
We have not done this since, but have also gone to using a switch inside which pretty much eliminates the chance of error.
__________________
2017 Escape 5.0 TA
2015 Ford F150 Lariat 3.5L EcoBoost
2009 Escape 19 (previous)
“Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” — Abraham Lincoln
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09-15-2019, 11:04 AM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2019
Location: North Augusta, South Carolina
Trailer: 2019 Escape 5.0TA "SCRATCH" First 5.0 TA registered in South Carolina
Posts: 621
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim Bennett
One time on our 19 we burned out an element. I had drained the water heater in the fall but forgot to turn off the switch. In the spring when I brought it home to get set up for our first trip, before I filled the water tank and heater, my wife plugged the trailer in to cool the fridge.
The good news is the element is cheap, and with 30 minutes to go to Home Depot to pick one up, and 39 minutes to do the install, and all was good.
We have not done this since, but have also gone to using a switch inside which pretty much eliminates the chance of error.
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Jim Did you install the "inside switch" yourself? I have the two way and would prefer an inside switch but I don't know how to solve that puzzle
__________________
"Everyday's a Holiday"
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09-15-2019, 11:09 AM
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#5
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Member
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Seattle, Washington
Trailer: 2018 Escape 21
Posts: 73
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you can turn off the heater on the breaker panel, it is on a dedicated circuit.
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09-15-2019, 11:13 AM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2019
Location: North Augusta, South Carolina
Trailer: 2019 Escape 5.0TA "SCRATCH" First 5.0 TA registered in South Carolina
Posts: 621
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sailor231
you can turn off the heater on the breaker panel, it is on a dedicated circuit.
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Thanks It should be easy to locate that circuit then and place a more conveniently located secondary switch.
__________________
"Everyday's a Holiday"
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09-15-2019, 11:25 AM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Baytown, Texas
Trailer: 2017 21' Escape - upgraded version
Posts: 2,697
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sailor231
you can turn off the heater on the breaker panel, it is on a dedicated circuit.
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The breaker is in the converter panel - at least on my trailer, I would have to get on my knees to turn that breaker off.
Much prefer a switch that is easily accessible and I can just glance at.
__________________
Normal people believe that if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Engineers believe in fixing it so that it never breaks.
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09-15-2019, 11:34 AM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2019
Location: North Augusta, South Carolina
Trailer: 2019 Escape 5.0TA "SCRATCH" First 5.0 TA registered in South Carolina
Posts: 621
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tdf-texas
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I'm planning on installing a SeeLevel tank monitoring system. It has a switch for the water heater. Problem solved. Thanks
__________________
"Everyday's a Holiday"
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09-15-2019, 11:42 AM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Baytown, Texas
Trailer: 2017 21' Escape - upgraded version
Posts: 2,697
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jnfrombigt
I'm planning on installing a SeeLevel tank monitoring system. It has a switch for the water heater. Problem solved. Thanks
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Please post info when you install the SeeLevel. The Horst probes aren't all that I thought they would be!
__________________
Normal people believe that if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Engineers believe in fixing it so that it never breaks.
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09-15-2019, 11:43 AM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Trailer: 2017 Escape 5.0 TA
Posts: 15,572
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jnfrombigt
Jim Did you install the "inside switch" yourself? I have the two way and would prefer an inside switch but I don't know how to solve that puzzle
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In my 19 I added a switch and on light inside to the cable feeding the heater. On my 5.0TA I added a new control panel with a switch for electric like Tom showed.
__________________
2017 Escape 5.0 TA
2015 Ford F150 Lariat 3.5L EcoBoost
2009 Escape 19 (previous)
“Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” — Abraham Lincoln
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09-15-2019, 11:44 AM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Trailer: 2017 Escape 5.0 TA
Posts: 15,572
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sailor231
you can turn off the heater on the breaker panel, it is on a dedicated circuit.
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You can but it is not recommended to use a breaker as a switch. Not what they are designed for.
__________________
2017 Escape 5.0 TA
2015 Ford F150 Lariat 3.5L EcoBoost
2009 Escape 19 (previous)
“Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” — Abraham Lincoln
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09-15-2019, 11:57 AM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Sacramento area, California
Trailer: 2015 Escape 21
Posts: 525
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Thanks for all the help. Sounds like I don’t need to worry about the timing of setting that external switch as long as the heater has water in it. [emoji3]
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09-15-2019, 11:58 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Edmonton, Alberta
Trailer: 1979 Boler B1700
Posts: 14,935
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jnfrombigt
I'm planning on installing a SeeLevel tank monitoring system. It has a switch for the water heater. Problem solved. Thanks
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The switch on the panel is probably for a low-power 12 volt circuit which controls a relay at the water heater... because that's how these heaters should be controlled. I assume that this is a SeeLevel 709-HP3W; it has a small 12 V switch connected to an 18-gauge wire pigtail. As you may already know, since the model of water heater in an Escape doesn't have that relay, you will need to add one to use the monitor panel's switch.
From the 709-HP3W manual:
Quote:
The pump and heater switches are rated for a maximum of 10 amps. The use of a relay is required if more than 10 amps is needed. A 10 amp (max) fuse must be installed in series with the 12V power circuit to the switch!
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09-16-2019, 12:31 AM
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#15
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2019
Location: North Augusta, South Carolina
Trailer: 2019 Escape 5.0TA "SCRATCH" First 5.0 TA registered in South Carolina
Posts: 621
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Brian B-P
The switch on the panel is probably for a low-power 12 volt circuit which controls a relay at the water heater... because that's how these heaters should be controlled. I assume that this is a SeeLevel 709-HP3W; it has a small 12 V switch connected to an 18-gauge wire pigtail. As you may already know, since the model of water heater in an Escape doesn't have that relay, you will need to add one to use the monitor panel's switch.
From the 709-HP3W manual:
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The 709-HP3W was my initial choice because of that switch. I have since decided to go with the 709-P3 which only has the pump switch and get a separate Suburban switch that has both LPG and Elec heater switches.
Thanks for pointing out that relay. I had read that but had forgotten about it. I have three trips coming up in the next few weeks so I'm delaying this install until I have sufficient time to correct any potential screwups I may make.
__________________
"Everyday's a Holiday"
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09-16-2019, 12:38 AM
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#16
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2019
Location: North Augusta, South Carolina
Trailer: 2019 Escape 5.0TA "SCRATCH" First 5.0 TA registered in South Carolina
Posts: 621
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim Bennett
In my 19 I added a switch and on light inside to the cable feeding the heater. On my 5.0TA I added a new control panel with a switch for electric like Tom showed.
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That's what I think I'm going to do about the water heater switches. Use a separate panel for the heaters and another for the tank monitors and water pump switch. I also like the idea of adding some nice bight LEDs to remind me that this stuff is on
__________________
"Everyday's a Holiday"
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09-20-2019, 04:30 PM
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#17
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Member
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Bozeman, Montana
Trailer: 21' foot 2019
Posts: 65
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So my 2-way water heater does not work on 110. The breakers are all on. Perhaps I fried the element when not paying attention.
How do I test this? Short of ordering a new element and putting it in no matter what?
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09-20-2019, 04:52 PM
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#18
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Oswego, New York
Trailer: 2017 Escape 21C, 2018 Ford F150
Posts: 5,384
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pittendrigh
So my 2-way water heater does not work on 110. The breakers are all on. Perhaps I fried the element when not paying attention.
How do I test this? Short of ordering a new element and putting it in no matter what?
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Use a multimeter set on AC volts at the element connections with the water heater electric on. Should see 120V or so. If you do, shut off the power, disconnect both of the leads to the element, and, with the multimeter on ohms, measure across the element. Around 10 ohms is typical, infinite or no reading is an open element, usually caused by firing up the water heater without water. Only takes a minute to do it in...
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09-20-2019, 04:55 PM
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#19
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Member
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Bozeman, Montana
Trailer: 21' foot 2019
Posts: 65
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Thank you.
I just looked. The "reset" switch looked like a soft black round rubber gasket with two circles. I pushed both. It felt like there was nothing there. Which I think is a bad sign.
I do have a multimeter. When it's not raining I'll test it. I also think I'll order an element no matter what. For $20 bucks it makes sense to have an extra on hand anyway.
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09-20-2019, 05:01 PM
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#20
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Member
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Bend, Oregon
Trailer: 21' Escape Trailer (June 2018)
Posts: 85
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Reinforces our decision to go with propane-only water heater.
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