Tracer 260BHSLE Water Heater

[codream1234]

I'm new to RVing and purchased The Tracer 260BHSLE (2023 new). I can not find where the water heater on/off switch is located. Does it even have one? The dealer has given me a couple places to look but there is no such switch where they say it "might be". It's not by the tank inside. Its not outside in the heater unit mechanism. So where do I set the thermostat? Somewhere I read that there is an inline thermostat, "possibly". Do I need to tear apart the whole RV looking for something that all the videos say I have?

Jeff

 

[jackiemac]

Have you looked in all the cupboards?

Can't imagine it would be outside.

Hope you find it. That must be very frustrating!

 

[Tom]

Probably a different water heater but, when we first got our motorhome, I couldn't find the switch for the electric heater. A friend showed me it was hidden under the insulation on the front of the tank (near the bottom).

 

[SC5thWheeler]

Most hot water heaters work on propane OR electric.

First, assuming you're hooked up to water, run the hot water full blast in one of the sinks until it flows water smoothly and has stopped spitting air. You never want to turn it on unless the hot water tank is full.

If you are plugged in, it's better to use electric mode instead of wasting your gas. After you make sure the sink stopped spitting, turn on the switch inside. I know you are asking where the switch is......new ones like yours usually have all the switches together inside. It should be INSIDE with the awning button antenna boost button and the thing telling you your tank levels. It's usually right there.

After you turn on the inside switch, some models have what I call the "gotcha" switch outside on the heater. Look for a panel outside with ventilation louvers and it will have a "key"-ish thing (maybe 2 of them) to turn 90 degrees and the panel drops down, hinges at the bottom. This is the water heater...look for a black rocker switch and make sure it's ON then close it up. Should have hot water in 15 minutes.

If you want to use propane then turn on the gas mode switch, which again should be INSIDE with the tank level, etc. switches. Make sure your propane tank valve is open and you will hear a tick tick tick sound followed by woosh! as the fire kicks on. Again, make sure you do step 1 and get the air out of the tank.

Did this help?

 

[SC5thWheeler]

Let me add that one of our trailers had a switch inside with a picture of a lightning bolt on one side and a flame on the other and was just labeled "Dometic".

 

[John From Detroit]

I have seen a lot of unlabeled or poorly labeled switches
One thing that will help is the make and model of the water heater. Normally the id plate is on the outside Dometic and Suburban do things... Differently.

 

[Kirk]

Didn't the dealership do a walk through with you to show you where things are and how to use them? If not, could you tow it back to the dealership and get them to do what they should have done?

I can not find where the water heater on/off switch is located. Does it even have one?

You should have 2 switches for the water heater, one for propane and the other for 120V as the spec sheet says that you have a water heater with both.

Its not outside in the heater unit mechanism.

Depending on what water heater you have, it should look like one of these pictures.

There is no thermostat that you can adjust for the water heater.

 

[Tom]

Didn't the dealership do a walk through with you to show you where things are and how to use them?

The tech at the Monaco dealership who gave us a walk-through didn't mention the hidden switch for the electric heater in the water tank. In retrospect, given other things he told us or didn't tell us, I don't think he knew about the switch.

 

[codream1234]

Didn't the dealership do a walk through with you to show you where things are and how to use them? If not, could you tow it back to the dealership and get them to do what they should have done?

You should have 2 switches for the water heater, one for propane and the other for 120V as the spec sheet says that you have a water heater with both.

Depending on what water heater you have, it should look like one of these pictures.

View attachment 172121
There is no thermostat that you can adjust for the water heater.

The dealership did give us a "walk-through" (more like a "run_through") but didn't mention how to start up the water heater. Being a newbie there are a lot of questions I didn't know enough to ask. The RV is not with me right now so I can not bring it back to the dealership for another "walk-through". I was hoping that someone out there might have the same model and year. I don't have any switch panels that show anything remotely resembling what you show. My control panel only shows 3 switches for lights, 1 switch for awning, and one for slideout. Thats it! One Service guy said the water heater is "automatic". I guess what that means, there is no "switch" and maybe it is activated somehow when the tank is full?

 

[Kirk]

One Service guy said the water heater is "automatic". I guess what that means, there is no "switch" and maybe it is activated somehow when the tank is full?

I have never seen or heard of such thing in any water heater, anywhere. That would mean that the only way to turn it off would be to drain it, which makes no sense. RV water heaters are automatic in that once turned on they will cycle on and off to keep the water hot and available as needed but you still have to turn it on. If you have it connected to utilities you can easily verify this by running the hot water faucets to see if the water ever gets hot. A few RVs do have demand water heaters but they too have a switch so that they can be turned off, when not in use. Do you know what brand your water heater is? By far the most common are Suburban and Dometic and I'm fairly sure that you have one or the other of them. The spec sheet for your RV states that you have a standard, direct spark ignition water heater with a 120V heater as well. It is possible that you have different switches than the OEM ones but there pretty much has to be two of them.

 

[Kirk]

I was just thinking, if you go outside you should be able to locate the water heater there. If you open that access door you can find labels that will identify the water heater make and model you have.

 

[codream1234]

Most hot water heaters work on propane OR electric.

First, assuming you're hooked up to water, run the hot water full blast in one of the sinks until it flows water smoothly and has stopped spitting air. You never want to turn it on unless the hot water tank is full.

If you are plugged in, it's better to use electric mode instead of wasting your gas. After you make sure the sink stopped spitting, turn on the switch inside. I know you are asking where the switch is......new ones like yours usually have all the switches together inside. It should be INSIDE with the awning button antenna boost button and the thing telling you your tank levels. It's usually right there.

After you turn on the inside switch, some models have what I call the "gotcha" switch outside on the heater. Look for a panel outside with ventilation louvers and it will have a "key"-ish thing (maybe 2 of them) to turn 90 degrees and the panel drops down, hinges at the bottom. This is the water heater...look for a black rocker switch and make sure it's ON then close it up. Should have hot water in 15 minutes.

If you want to use propane then turn on the gas mode switch, which again should be INSIDE with the tank level, etc. switches. Make sure your propane tank valve is open and you will hear a tick tick tick sound followed by woosh! as the fire kicks on. Again, make sure you do step 1 and get the air out of the tank.

Did this help?

My control panel only shows switches for a Slideout, an Awning, and Lights. Nothing else! I did look at the outside drop down panel that is on the other side of the water heater tank and there is no on/off switch there, even though some videos obviously show a switch. I don't even see where I can adjust a thermostat. I've got to be missing something somewhere!!!

 

[codream1234]

I was just thinking, if you go outside you should be able to locate the water heater there. If you open that access door you can find labels that will identify the water heater make and model you have.

Right now I'm not connected to a water source or even have it plugged in to my 30 amp service and the battery is disconnected. So there is no danger of burning my anode. However whether I'm plugged in or not, I've got to have an on/off switch(es) somewhere. It's insane that it isn't obvious.

 

[OldWEB]

Could it be in the bathroom, I have looked a a few Tracers and the switch on the left resembles the WH switch.

 

[codream1234]

I have never seen or heard of such thing in any water heater, anywhere. That would mean that the only way to turn it off would be to drain it, which makes no sense. RV water heaters are automatic in that once turned on they will cycle on and off to keep the water hot and available as needed but you still have to turn it on. If you have it connected to utilities you can easily verify this by running the hot water faucets to see if the water ever gets hot. A few RVs do have demand water heaters but they too have a switch so that they can be turned off, when not in use. Do you know what brand your water heater is? By far the most common are Suburban and Dometic and I'm fairly sure that you have one or the other of them. The spec sheet for your RV states that you have a standard, direct spark ignition water heater with a 120V heater as well. It is possible that you have different switches than the OEM ones but there pretty much has to be two of them.

My appliance Information Sheet lists my water heater as an Atwood Model 94002BP.

 

[codream1234]

Could it be in the bathroom, I have looked a a few Tracers and the switch on the left resembles the WH switch.

WOW, I'll check that out, but it still wouldn't explain where a thermostat is for the hot water tank.

 

[CharlesinGA]

THERE IS NO THERMOSTAT FOR THE WH, THAT YOU CAN ADJUST. It is fixed at about 130°F. Due to the small size it heats very hot and you blend lots of cold water with it, thus making the hot water last a long time.

Looking at this pic I found of one on the internet, exact same model as yours, it has a Dometic water heater from looking at the outside door. so somewhere inside the trailer is a panel that has electric and gas WH switches and a failure to light indicator.

Dometic bought out Atwood. The Atwood water heater design is now history and the Dometic design like you have replaced it. Not sure why Primetime calls it Atwood, its not, its Dometic.

I watched thru one walk thru and didn't see any switches, even on the switch panel, that were related to the WH.

The pic OldWEB posted of the bathroom is indeed the WH switches, with the red indicator light in the middle. I found the same pic and was able to enlarge it enough to make it out clearly.



Charles

 

[OldWEB]

Post #7 and I will say there is no thermostat to adjust, unless you add an aftermarket one.

 

[codream1234]

THERE IS NO THERMOSTAT FOR THE WH, THAT YOU CAN ADJUST. It is fixed at about 130°F. Due to the small size it heats very hot and you blend lots of cold water with it, thus making the hot water last a long time.

Looking at this pic I found of one on the internet, exact same model as yours, it has a Dometic water heater from looking at the outside door. so somewhere inside the trailer is a panel that has electric and gas WH switches and a failure to light indicator.

I watched thru one walk thru and didn't see any switches, even on the switch panel, that were related to the WH.

The pic OldWEB posted of the bathroom is indeed the WH switches, with the red indicator light in the middle. I found the same pic and was able to enlarge it enough to make it out clearly.

View attachment 172125

Charles

Thank you, I will check it out tomorrow. The one place I did not look was in the bathroom.

 

[CharlesinGA]

I see you are in Colorado. The Dometic WH does not have adjustable air slots for the LP fire and I seem to recall that Dometic says the LP portion will not work above 5000 ft. I do not find that info in the owners manual but I recall reading it somewhere.
Charles