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thecatsandi · 06-06-2007, 09:17 PM

I tried to use my water heater on 110 a few weks ago and nothing but cold water. It does work on propane. I have checked my 12V DC side. Power to the switches and the switches are passing 12 V.
Where is the 110 element? on the back? I need to check it for continuity.

thecatsandi · 06-09-2007, 08:56 PM

With no suggestions or obvious problems. I dug into trouble shooting.
I checked the circuit board. 12V to the board to command electric heating, 12 V out to the relay.
After a consulation with Airstream of Spokane. I was able to locate the heater element and the relay. the realy was getting 12V and I hear the relay click after a slight delay of command electric heat.
So I started checking the 110 side. The heating element had continuity. Good news! I was getting 110 to the relay but not out of the relay. Ah ha!
I pulled the wire off the relay and check there. 110 present. ok bad wire connection. breaker off. I recrimped the one end and replaced the terminal end with a ring terminal at the heating element on both the hot and neutral.
I turned the breaker back on and tried the electric heat. She worked!
Woooo hooo.
A bill for 1.5 hours of labor will be going to Airstream.

Foiled Again · 06-09-2007, 09:03 PM

I don't have 110 on my water heater at all, just propane. Is a dual source water heater a Classic only thing?

Paula

See you soon at Rivette's Summer Solstice.

thecatsandi · 06-09-2007, 09:04 PM

Paula,
I believe the Internationals and the Classics have electric. Safari's propane only.

dpandorf · 06-09-2007, 11:40 PM

I have to do some trouble shooting on my water heater too. I have the combo 110/propane and my 110 side is not working. Just got the used trailer and may have been my operating error as a newby by leaving the switch on after emptying.

Not sure what element I need yet, if that is the problem. Do like the advantage of using both at the same time to get the over 14 gal/hr recovery rate vice a little over 8 for either electric or propane.

lewster · 06-10-2007, 06:30 AM

Nice job Michelle!!

Keep it up and I'll have to put you to work!!!!

I was going to suggest that you check that relay. I have had more problems with those than the elements themselves! It's the first place I look now.

overlander63 · 06-10-2007, 06:54 AM

Relays seem to be the bane of the mechanic. They are small and relatively inexpensive, why not get a spare one, for when it really does go south on you?

thecatsandi · 06-10-2007, 09:59 AM

Terry,
I plan on having a spare. I may have temporaily fixed the problem. I also have somewhere a solid state relay that should be able to handle the current. that will last a lot longer. baring that I will get a spare from AS.

lewster · 06-10-2007, 06:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thecatsandi

Terry,
I plan on having a spare. I may have temporaily fixed the problem. I also have somewhere a solid state relay that should be able to handle the current. that will last a lot longer. baring that I will get a spare from AS.

Michelle,

A Bosch heavy duty 40 amp relay should do the trick. Available at NAPA for way less than A/S

.

thecatsandi · 06-10-2007, 09:01 PM

Lew,
still under warrenty and I will get a replacement from AS at no charge.
I will also take a trip to the local NAPA store and have a look at what they have. They have always been helpful.

lewster · 06-10-2007, 09:31 PM

Free is always GOOD!

safari57 · 06-10-2007, 09:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by overlander63

Relays seem to be the bane of the mechanic. They are small and relatively inexpensive, why not get a spare one, for when it really does go south on you?

Terry,

The way Michelle travels I suspect she will be heading south herself later in the year so she might be able to catch up to that errant relay

.

Michelle, great work figuring out what the problem was, and thanks for letting the rest of us know how you resolved the problem.

The quality of relays and other little parts and pieces we've come to rely on sure has deteriorated it seems in the past five or so years. Same thing with bearings and seals. It seems like they are made so poorly now and the same with tail light bulbs - there are so many almost brand new vehicles with burned out tail light and brake lights.

Barry

overlander63 · 06-11-2007, 05:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by safari57

The quality of relays and other little parts and pieces we've come to rely on sure has deteriorated it seems in the past five or so years. Same thing with bearings and seals. It seems like they are made so poorly now and the same with tail light bulbs - there are so many almost brand new vehicles with burned out tail light and brake lights.

Barry

While overall quality may have slipped a little (A LOT), there are other reasons now for modern cars and trucks to have non-functioning lights.
New vehicles no longer use the trusty 1157 bulb and the twist lock socket, they use a straight plug in type bulb, like a #3057. The contacts get wet and corrode, or the higher current draw of the bulb melts the plug. I have cleaned off the melted plastic many times, and the bulb has started working again.
Another issue is the wiring harness, Marie's car has had a problem with the left taillight since the day we bought it, I have replaced the bulb, and socket, and wiring harness. It will work for a few months, then go out again. It is currently not working (again) so I will have to go work on it (again).

lewster · 06-11-2007, 06:35 AM

Terry,

How about a little dielectric grease as a seal after you plug it in. Or just replace the thing with an LED model (new 3 watt 1157s and 3057s are now available and are brighter than the OEM bulbs).

overlander63 · 06-11-2007, 06:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lewster

Terry,

How about a little dielectric grease as a seal after you plug it in. Or just replace the thing with an LED model (new 3 watt 1157s and 3057s are now available and are brighter than the OEM bulbs).

I have tried dielectric grease, as well as lithium grease, with no joy. Next step would be LED's.

markdoane · 06-11-2007, 07:53 AM

I don't think my Suburban water heater has a relay.

What type of water heater is it?

thecatsandi · 06-11-2007, 10:18 AM

Barry,
I went around and replaced all my runing lights with LEDs. My tail light are already LED. I hope they last for quite a long time. Inside I have very few incadescent lights. When I am done there will be only four.
I too am dis-hearted with the quality of some of the components.

thecatsandi · 06-11-2007, 10:18 AM

Atwood I believe.

safari57 · 06-11-2007, 11:15 AM

Michelle,

We are trying to do the same on th '51 with LED's while retaining as much of the vintage look/feel as I can. Donna picked up a couple of lights at a truck light place that may work for replacments of the marker lights. The ones that were put on the trailer some time in it's 56 years of use are pretty ugly and the installation was, at best, brutal. Eventually we will have all but a couple of lights moved over to LED's and my neighbor is busy adapting all his original lights in his '58 Silver Streak to work with LED's so I may just do the same with mine.

Barry

thecatsandi · 06-13-2007, 09:31 AM

I called Bodily RV near Boise. They are the closest Airstream dealer. I will be passing by on June 28th. I made an appt and then asked to talk with the parts dept. They parts guy told me he did not have the parts diagram for the -10E and was looking at the -9E. It showed no relay. I told him where it was on the heater and he still could not find it. I cancelled the appt.

I then called AS of Spokane. They have never let me down. Doug pulled up the -10E diagram. It did nto show the relay either. THe box the relay is attached to is part of the tank! You have to get a new tank to get the relay! How stupid is that? I am going to take Lew's suggestion and get and appropriately rated Relay from the Auto parts store.