Water heater dilemma?

[Bigfoot]

Water heater in my horse trailer seems to not be working. It's a little 5 gallon (or less) 120 v. About all I can do is throw parts at something until it works. I changed the element it. Still no hot water. Is all that's left to change the thermostat? It's got a little red button on it. Pushing it does what?

 

[Ouachita]

This is definitely a first world problem. Push the red button, it won't blow up.

 

[JMJ Farms]

Reset button. Try it. May work.

 

[wbvs58]

I don't know the specifics of your unit but electric water heaters are pretty basic circuitry, you either have power to your element or you don't. I would be tracking your power down with a multimeter. Start where power cord comes into the unit making sure you have power there and follow it forward to the element and find where you lose it. Have you tried googling your particular model, I would be surprised if not some usefull info there.

Ken

 

[Bigfoot]

Reset button. Try it. May work.

Oh I pushed it several times. Couldn't tell it did anything.

No multimeter. Been needing to get one.

 

[Cross-7]

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001J4AU ... UTF8&psc=1


Best 100 I've spent
Hook it up to water and 20# propane bottle
Endless hot water

 

[M-5]

On demand water heaters are cheap. Just replace it.

 

[Bigfoot]

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001J4AU2E/ref=ya_aw_oh_bia_dp?ie=UTF8&psc=1


Best 100 I've spent
Hook it up to water and 20# propane bottle
Endless hot water

I know 99% of the LQ trailers have propane, but I've always steered clear of it. If I do have to replace this unit, I'll get a little on demand. That might actually be cheaper than throwing parts at the one I've got.

 

[Bigfoot]

On demand water heaters are cheap. Just replace it.

Probably the direction I'll go.

 

[True Grit Farms]

A multi meter is the cheapest fix. You need one anyway.

 

[greybeard]

Pretty simple appliances. If you have 110v to your controller on the black wire (might be red), and have none to your element, it's the controller/thermostat. Your common (neutral) wire on a 110 unit usually goes straight to the element and only the hot wire is controlled:

(They don't all have an on/off switch)

 

[JMJ Farms]

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001J4AU2E/ref=ya_aw_oh_bia_dp?ie=UTF8&psc=1


Best 100 I've spent
Hook it up to water and 20# propane bottle
Endless hot water

I know 99% of the LQ trailers have propane, but I've always steered clear of it. If I do have to replace this unit, I'll get a little on demand. That might actually be cheaper than throwing parts at the one I've got.

Not to :deadhorse: but you do need a multimeter. However on a positive note they are inexpensive and so are water heater parts. Probably just a bad thermostat. One more thing. Not trying to second guess your intelligence, but you did make sure that when you changed the element that the tank was completely full of water and purged of air before you turned the power on didn't you? If not you may have burnt out the new element.

 

[Bigfoot]

Yeah, I did think to do that.

 

[Bigfoot]

While I'm tippin my cards, and showin my ignorance, I've seen multimeters, but I don't know enough beyond the most basic of electrical concepts to be able to use one.

 

[JMJ Farms]

While I'm tippin my cards, and showin my ignorance, I've seen multimeters, but I don't know enough beyond the most basic of electrical concepts to be able to use one.

There's enough basic instructions included that you can figure out the simple things. And as you use it more and more you will start experimenting and learning little tricks. Very very useful for many things, from household, to testing batteries, and even finding faults by testing continuity. Just don't try to check an electric fence with one. Don't ask me how I know. You'll never regret buying one.

 

[JMJ Farms]

While I'm tippin my cards, and showin my ignorance, I've seen multimeters, but I don't know enough beyond the most basic of electrical concepts to be able to use one.

There's enough basic instructions included that you can figure out the simple things. And as you use it more and more you will start experimenting and learning little tricks. Very very useful for many things, from household, to testing batteries, and even finding faults by testing continuity. Just don't try to check an electric fence with one. Don't ask me how I know. You'll never regret buying one. Edit: get a digital one.

 

[greybeard]

I know how you know JMJ-- about the fence checking thing--I let the magic smoke out of one doing the same thing long ago.

 

[JMJ Farms]

I know how you know JMJ-- about the fence checking thing--I let the magic smoke out of one doing the same thing long ago.

Happens without warning don't it :bang: :lol:

 

[greybeard]

Yep, and it wasn't a dinky cheap meter either. An old Simpson 260 analog from the 60s. When I went to ET school in the Marines, we learned basic circuitry by troubleshooting the board from that same meter, because they were so common in the military's inventory. Had over 20 resistors on it, including a 1 megohm and a 3.75 meg ohm resistor. That old red snapr weed burner charger we had didn't even blink when it burned every resistor on the board. "Fuse? it said.. I didn't see no stinkin fuse"

 

[lavacarancher]

Big, don't know if they have Home Depot where you are but they sell a Multimeter for about $30. And it works. Get one and PM me - I'll lead you thru a quick instruction on how to use it.