Electric water heater switch

[navy flier]

Our 2008 Horizon has a rocker switch to activate the electric side of the hot water heater. Last year the bulb got hot, slightly distorted the rocker switch cover and then burned out. The switch still works. The light is supposed to illuminate when the switch is turned on. The problem with that is that we leave the switch on all of the time when we are at a camp site. This includes four months in Florida in the winter. The light is part of the switch not a separate light. What are everyone's thoughts? Should I replace the switch for the light or just forget about it? What I would really like is a switch with an LED. That would mean no bulb heat and it would probably outlast the coach. I am still trying to decide if I really need the light.

 

[Alfa38User]

Mine does not even have a light but I sure know if I left it off or not!! heh heh..... The gas  side does have a light but it goes out once the burner successfully lights. As a result, that one has been forgotten on 'ON' at times after using both electric and gas to speed up tank recovery!!

That said, the switch for electric side is likely a standard switch and available at any hardware store should you wish to replace it, at hardware store prices as opposed to RV prices. Maybe the newer models will use led lights.

 

[howdymi]

Just remove the switch, wire a Led pilot lamp to the switch to show when it's on.  Then just drill a small hole to mount the Led pilot lamp in.  If I remember right it is a 12 volt Led I added.  Just check the voltage at the switch to be sure. 

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Most any new switch probably has an led in it anyway. Besides, I doubt if bulb heat itself was the cause of your earlier failure - the tiny pre-led glow lights weren't hot either. They simply don't draw enough power to produce any noticeable heat. But a failing connection inside the switch will overheat enough to cause a meltdown.

 

[cbeierl]

I suspect that the light failures are the result of a 12V light being driven by the typical 13.5+V of the RV charging system.  Perhaps a diode or resister in series with the switch would drop the voltage enough to solve the problem?

 

[Alfa38User]

I suspect that the light failures are the result of a 12V light being driven by the typical 13.5+V of the RV charging system.  Perhaps a diode or resister in series with the switch would drop the voltage enough to solve the problem?

The light in question was on a switch for the 120V operation of the water heater thus unlikely to have suffered from any 12V/13.5V problems.

 

[Ned]

Was the switch a standard 120VAC light switch with the neon lamp in the switch handle?  If so, it can't be replaced with an LED.  I'm with Gary, that lamp couldn't have generated enough heat to cause any melting.  More likely a loose connection on the switch.

 

[cbeierl]

The light in question was on a switch for the 120V operation of the water heater thus unlikely to have suffered from any 12V/13.5V problems.

I'm pretty sure (at least in the case of my 2005 Vectra) that it's a 12V DC switch that controls a relay to switch the 120V AC for the water heater element.

 

[Ned]

If the water heater is an Atwood, then it is a 12VDC switch.  I see you did say rocker switch which is almost certainly 12V.

The older models, like our original, had a 120VAC switch on the wall for the electric element.

 

[John Canfield]

My light stopped working years ago and I haven't missed it.

 

[RedT]

My switch light quit a couple of years ago and I ordered one from Lichtsinn Motors in Forest City - the new one doesn't get hot. Must be an LED.

 

[NoMoreAZ]

I suspect that the light failures are the result of a 12V light being driven by the typical 13.5+V of the RV charging system.  Perhaps a diode or resister in series with the switch would drop the voltage enough to solve the problem?

After burning out 3 bulbs, I did my own fix about 6 years ago, which happened to be what Chris mentioned. I placed a garden variety diode in series with the switch to drop the voltage .7 VDC,( 13.5 to about 12.8 VDC). No more hot to the touch switch, no more burned out lights. Any time we are parked, the switch is on. I wrote this repair up somewhere, maybe at IRV2. Get diode at Radio Shack.

 

[Bill N]

My switch does not have the light but since we have started using the coach for short trips and one 30 day vacation, I have developed the habit of turning it off when not needed, mainly overnight.  In the morning it warms up the water enough to take a shower after a cup of coffee and reading the newspaper or online news.  Also, if we are leaving the coach for more than an hour, I turn it off figuring no need to be keeping heated water when the cats don't know how to turn it on.  Guess it's just owners choice as to how to use the switch but because it is behind a cabinet door a light would not be of much use.