It's the little things, hot water on light not illuminating.

[Boat Bum]

I have a typical electric/propane water heater. It works on both power sources, however, the red light does not illuminate when either power source is selected. I removed the light and applied direct 12v power to it and it went on.

Suggestions to trouble shoot?

TIA

 

[Mark_K5LXP]

Is this a light that's part of the switch or an external one? On mine, there's a light inside the rocker that comes on when the heater is activated, and a separate LED for "pilot out" if the ignitor fails to light. The rocker switch lamp is powered from the source DC (control panel power), where the pilot out light signal comes from the unit control board.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

 

[Don C]

I have a Suburban hot water heater and the red light is a fault light for the gas didn't light. When I first turn the water heater to gas, the red light comes on until ignition is made which takes about 20-30 seconds.

 

[CharlesinGA]

Its a fault light. Atwood/Dometic, it will attempt three light offs on gas and if no fire, then it locks out and the fault light illuminates. Turn the switch off, then back on to reset it and try again. Suburban is same way and I think it is also three tries. Light is not related to 120v electric operation at all. As Mark noted, some RV's, meaning the more pricey ones, get illuminated switches, others don't.

My 120v electric control switch (12v control) was 5 ft from the gas switch and the fault light. I added wiring and moved the elect control sw to the location of the gas sw and fault light, and also added illuminated switches.

Charles

 

[Boat Bum]

Thanks, Mark, it's sort of both; I have a picture of the switch I can post later. Within the same switch frame that is on my master panel there is a rocker for electric then a red light indicator and a rocker for propane. On the back of the switch there are jumpers between the two power sources and the red light in the middle.

I'll get a good pic of the wiring today. Like I said they all work, just not in concert like they should and to me that's broke.

Thanks all for reading.

 

[Boat Bum]

Having read subsequent responses (thank you) I must admit I speculated as to how that light should work; i.e. turn on when power is applied. It may be as proffered, a warning light, only to go on when issues detected.

I will go through the my documents and RTFM.

Thanks again for the pointers.

 

[Mark_K5LXP]

I will go through the my documents and RTFM.

If you do that we'll have to revoke your Man Card...

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

 

[Ex-Calif]

If you do that we'll have to revoke your Man Card...

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

Well... He asked before anything caught fire and that's pretty "unmanly" -

 

[Boat Bum]

If you do that we'll have to revoke your Man Card...

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

You'll have to ask my wife for it.

 

[Kirk]

It may be as proffered, a warning light, only to go on when issues detected.

The exact way the light works does vary a little from one water heater to another but I have never seen one that was OEM which wasn't a fault light. In most cases, when you first turn the water heater on the fault light does light up but then goes out after 20-30 seconds when the heat of the burning propane is dectected. In some models that light never lights again as long the the propane lights when called for while other models it lights for a few seconds each time the propane ignition circuit is energized as it does the first time. If you have a water heater with an electric heat alternative, I don't beliee that you should ever see it turned on. In some of the earliest RV water heaters that had electric heat thee was a second switch for the 120V element that did have a light that was on if the 120V was on.

If we knew the make & model of your water heater it would help and a picture of the switches would also.

 

[CharlesinGA]

You can also add switches with lights in them merely by adding a ground wire to each switch. You just have to find the right switches that fit the panel. or you can add LEDs to the panel.

Charles

 

[John From Detroit]

The people uses little incandascent lamps in those light up switches.. I put an LED next to or above/under the switch... No tribble.. not as bright (So it was not as annoying at night. the panel was not in a good place) and not as likely to fail.

<span style="color:#FF0000"><strong>REDUCED</strong></span><br>12VDC INDICATOR ASSEMBLY, RED

Was $1.75 NOW $1.25 each. No external resistor required. 5mm diameter red diffused LED mounted in a 10mm diameter chrome bezel. 7.5mm diameter threaded bushing with mounting hardware. Assembly extends 28mm below mounting panel. Also available in green (IND-165G) and blue (IND-165B).

www.allelectronics.com

(I get much Junque there)

 

[dabrooks]

Check this out. Atwood water heater control switch - iRV2 Forums

 

[Boat Bum]

The exact way the light works does vary a little from one water heater to another but I have never seen one that was OEM which wasn't a fault light. In most cases, when you first turn the water heater on the fault light does light up but then goes out after 20-30 seconds when the heat of the burning propane is dectected. In some models that light never lights again as long the the propane lights when called for while other models it lights for a few seconds each time the propane ignition circuit is energized as it does the first time. If you have a water heater with an electric heat alternative, I don't beliee that you should ever see it turned on. In some of the earliest RV water heaters that had electric heat thee was a second switch for the 120V element that did have a light that was on if the 120V was on.

If we knew the make & model of your water heater it would help and a picture of the switches would also.

Thanks, Kirk, I now believe it is a fault light. I will get pics/model just so we can fully understand and put this to bed as I appreciate everyone's counsel.

 

[Boat Bum]

You can also add switches with lights in them merely by adding a ground wire to each switch. You just have to find the right switches that fit the panel. or you can add LEDs to the panel.

Charles

Hey Charles, that is exactly how my switches are configured. I've added illuminated switches before to my boat, much to my chagrin because they affected my night vision.

I like the thought of a single indicator for both power sources for when they are turned on. My list just got that much longer.

 

[Boat Bum]

The people uses little incandascent lamps in those light up switches.. I put an LED next to or above/under the switch... No tribble.. not as bright (So it was not as annoying at night. the panel was not in a good place) and not as likely to fail.

<span style="color:#FF0000"><strong>REDUCED</strong></span><br>12VDC INDICATOR ASSEMBLY, RED

Was $1.75 NOW $1.25 each. No external resistor required. 5mm diameter red diffused LED mounted in a 10mm diameter chrome bezel. 7.5mm diameter threaded bushing with mounting hardware. Assembly extends 28mm below mounting panel. Also available in green (IND-165G) and blue (IND-165B).

www.allelectronics.com

(I get much Junque there)

and now I know where to go, thank you!

 

[Boat Bum]

Check this out. Atwood water heater control switch - iRV2 Forums

Bingo! Thanks, Dave.

 

[CharlesinGA]

This is assuming you have an Atwood or Dometic WH. The switches I showed in the white Dometic switch panel were from NAPA There is also a black panel I have discovered along with the white one everyone sells.

The LEDs are anything you find. I bought a pack of a hundred mixed colors in the proper voltage range and used some spade doublers on the back to make connections, plus drilling a couple of holes.

I did the switch panel conversion using a switch panel I had been using and then removed when I finally got the extra wire run to the stove hood and installed the switches in the hood. They are small "type 2 switches" while the ones in the switch panel are larger "type 1" and this seems to be an industry standard. I did the conversion as a demo for the Bigfoot forum. A couple of people actually copied what I showed. You have to get the wires on the switch correctly, as there is a ground (brass) and incoming and outgoing terminals (silver) and if you get them crossed the light works all the time, not just when the switch is on, just reverse the in and out wires to fix that.

Of course the switches are easiest. Blue Sea makes several different LED indicators that also would work. https://www.bluesea.com/products/category/36/23/Panel_Accessories/LED_Indicator_Lights

The switches in my stove hood were made by Sigma Switch in.... you guessed it.... Elkhart, IN, and while they do not sell retail, there are Ebay sellers that I think either are employees or retirees and keep good stocks of them. That is how I found my smaller Type 2 switches for the Jensen stove hood. Sigma has very good charts and specs for the switches online.

ROCKER SWITCHES by SIGMA | SPDT SPST DPST DPDT Momentary, Lighted, Waterproof & Miniature (Mini)

Sigma Switches manufactures and distributes electric rocker switches; SPDT SPST DPST DPDT, IP55 / 1P66 waterproof, dust resistant with momentary circuts for the appliance, marine, automotive, recreational vehicle, mobile home, lawn & garden industries. Elkhart, IN. 800-488-9505

www.sigmaswitches.com

On Ebay Dometic 91270 Water Heater Switch Kit, Dual Panel, 12 VDC, BLACK

Same panel, also in black, but Atwood branded and better looking flame and bolt symbols

Black faced switch on Amazon with red LED rocker

I use the red and blue to indicate electric and gas (respectively) and you may be old enough to remember "Reddy Kilowatt" and the blue gas flame logo.

Charles

 

[John From Detroit]

and now I know where to go, thank you!

I spend too much money there but I'm an electronics person.
Oh They have other colors. sizes, designs and such.. Just make sure you pick a 12 volt assembly
(Other wise you got to do math and order another part)

 

[Boat Bum]

They said there would be no math; thanks again.