Suburban water heater not working on electric side.

[Wi1dBill]

Suburban  Model SW6DEL

After checking the electric element, it's OK..  Tested the Hi/Low T-Stat..tested OK..  Tested the off/on switch...it's good... but no power to the switch.  120V into the AC junction box so I'm down to the relay.. 

Does anyone know if this is relay can be reset? 

How can it be checked so I can be sure it is the problem for sure?

Can't find any addition info in the manuals..  In a call to Suburban. I was simply told to take it to a dealer.  Calling my dealer's service department and all they wanted was to schedule it in so they could check everything I already did and charge me for it.

I could just buy a new relay, but I hate just replacing parts  without checking out if it is a good or bad.

So any master electricians out there that can help me out it would be appreciated.

Thanks

WildBill

 

[Old Blevins]

Wildbill, when you say you tested the off/on switch, do you mean the one inside your rig?  Because I discovered a second switch pretty well hidden on my Suburban water heater, down low behind the pipes that ran across the front of it (well below the reset button).

 

[Wi1dBill]

Yes, checked that switch.. there is no power to that switch.    Power is going into the AC junction box where this relay is located.

This is the relay (Suburban # 23294 which I want to check.

Thinking this through a little bit more, I'll check the switch on the inside control panel and see if there is 12 volts coming out of that
switch.   
The other possibility may be Module circuit board may have gone bad.

Short of pulling the water heater out I'd like to be somewhat assured I'm looking at the bad part(relay)...
Thanks..

WildBill

 

[8Muddypaws]

The simplest thing to check is the edge contacts on the circuit board.  They get corroded.

I clean them off with an eraser, the kind you find on the end of a pencil.

 

[Wi1dBill]

The simplest thing to check is the edge contacts on the circuit board.  They get corroded.

I clean them off with an eraser, the kind you find on the end of a pencil.

Good suggestion...will do..

May have found the cause of the problem.... opened up the AC junction box to see how hard it was going to be to test and or replace replace the relay.  Found the white (neutral) wires crimped conection loose.  Used at twist connector  to make a better connection.  Still nothing..

It'll be my luck that there is a wire that shorted out somewhere where it'll be a real bitch to run a new one.


WildBill 

 

[8Muddypaws]

Interesting.  You may want to open up the breaker panel and tighten down all the slugs holding neutral wires to the buss bars. They work loose all the time too.

 

[Wi1dBill]

Interesting.  You may want to open up the breaker panel and tighten down all the slugs holding neutral wires to the buss bars. They work loose all the time too.

Good idea.  Since we just return from sunny AZ  back to Ohio... Swear the roads got a lot rougher in Missouri, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio through the winter.  Who knows what loosen up.

WildBill

 

[Danjeep326]

So do you know what color wires go to the relay? And how to close it? I'm needing to do that because I'm missing the module board and only using electric side. I have access to the wiring. I don't want to slide the unit back out if I can help it. It was a retrofit and it was a tight fit. Thanks

 

[Wi1dBill]

Sorry, can't help you there.  The following summer I had to take the RV back to the factory for some service and just had them fix it.  They replaced a switch in the system...beyond that I don't remember.

Wi1dBi11