Water Heater Install Question

[EHocking]

Hello,

I’m replacing National Seabreeze water heater. It’s electric and propane. I removed the old unit, on the coach side it has a cannon plug with four wires that go into it and the new water heater has a control box with only a red and blue wire input. The Coach side of Canon plug has got a gray white red and pink wire going to it. The new heaters red and blue wire are what I’m confused about. The control panel inside the Coach has a selection between 120 V and 12V for the water heater, on two separate switches.

I believe the 120 side is self explanatory, the new water heater has typical number 12 black and white wire coming out of it. Another question, on the Coach side the number 12 Romex that feeds a box that has two grounds that come out of it that I removed from the old water heater not too sure what to do with those. any advice is greatly appreciated !

 

[TheLooks]

Grounds are grounds, put them under a screw in contact with metal. The 12v side is the propane side. The switch has the fault indicator on it. The yellow wire in the lower pic is probably a ground also. Look at the schematic to determine which wires on the 4 pin plug do what. Blue is usually the DI fault light, green is ground, orange is the +12v, can't remember what the white on does. The black and white with blue forked contacts on them were on the heating element. Self explanatory as you said. Check the plug on the chassis side for 12+ when the switch is on, us that wire on the New red wire. The Blue wire should go to the blue wire and indicate a fault or failure to ignite. You can test that by turning off the propane or pulling the ignition wire and letting it try to fire. The light will stay lit if it fails to ignite. That is the small circle between DSI and Fault.

 

[EHocking]

I can’t find a schematic that defines the four wire canon plug on the 12 V side, I do get voltage out of two of the terminals.. My suspicion is the box with the 120vac terminals and the yellow wire is a control box associated with the old water heater ??

 

[TheLooks]

Yes, Yellow is usually a ground wire, just hooked one up the other day on a removal. The black box covered the terminals on the heating element. They usually run to a switch(or not) and a dual thermostat. One for set temp and one for over temp run in series. The same thing is under the black foamy crap with eco on it just above the old gas valve. That is for the 12v side. There is no continuity in wire colors in RV's. It can be frustrating. Turn the Gas switch on and off and see which wire gets power. Put 12v to the blue wire and see if the DSI light comes on.

 

[Kevin D Pem]

I am a simple minded creature! I don't get the meters out, or test for voltage, unless I am troubleshooting.

No! I pull the panel down inside and record the wire colors, and rely on the schematic for the new equipment.

Should be, and could be does not work for me! My time is to valuable for that. I would rather spend it corresponding with you all.

 

[TheLooks]

Thats fine Kevin. But when the colors coming from the camper dont match the new heater, your in trouble. And sometimes the connector is not a match and sometimes you just get bare wires like in this case. Experience helps in the crapshoot.