Last week my wife complained that the hot water ran out during her shower. I blew her off, thinking it was due to the groundwater getting cold as we hit the fall season. Later, when I noticed my dishwater was only lukewarm, I sheepishly apologized and admitted she was right.
Disclaimer: Working with LP gas and electricity is dangerous. The following repair I describe should be performed by a qualified RV technician. Doing it yourself may void your RV warranty and insurance. This article is for entertainment and educational purposes and should not be taken as instructional. I accept no liability. – Ray
I set to work troubleshooting the problem. The Suburban SW6DE water heater worked fine on gas. However, in electric mode, the water heater intermittently failed to heat the water to its rated 130F degree temperature. Most times, it conked out at around 100F.
This led me to suspect a faulty thermostat. I opened the outside access panel and removed the thermostat cover. With a quick test using a multimeter, I had my answer. The 130F thermostat switch was not holding to 130 as it should. With a little tapping on it, a could even get it to cut on and off.
I check the manual and found the part number Suburban 232306 and ordered a replacement. The install is super simple, just one nut and 2 wire connectors to deal with. For safety, I completely turned off the gas and electricity before working on the water heater. Once it had the new part installed, I also did a gas leak test with a gas sniffer device and liquid gas leak mix looking for bubbles.
Success! I tested the hot water with a thermometer, and it showed 134.5F after the heating cycle. My wife will be happy. 🙂
Repair Video – Replacing Water Heater Thermostat
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