What Are These Two Switches in My RV's Kitchen?
by Anonymous
Here are what these two mysterious switches Do in your RV
I recently purchased a 2007 24' Prowler Classic. There are two switches in the kitchen area that I'm not sure what they're for. One has a lighting bolt and the other is a gas flame. Could you answer my question?
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ANSWER: Hi the two switches in the kitchen of your RV are for your RV's
Hot Water Heater
which can be operated either by propane or 120 volt electric. When you are not connected to electric and need hot water you would turn on the switch with the flame on it to run the hot water heater on Propane. If you were hooked up to shore power (120 Volts) and you needed hot water you would turn on the switch with the electric volt on it.
Although the switch pictured at the top of this page may not look identical to the one in your RV, this is what they are for.
It should also be noted that not all RV Water Heaters can be operated on electric, some can only be operated on propane only. But, there are some after-market
Hot Water Heater Conversion Kits available that can be installed on most RV Water Heaters that will allow them to also use 120 volts to heat the water for your RV.
Now the question crops up which method heats the water faster Propane or Electric? In most cases the propane will heat the water faster than the electric will. Here's a little secret, if you are hooked up to shore power but forgot
to turn on your water heater and you have an I Need Hot Water Now Emergency, you can safely use both the Propane and Electric at the same time to speed up the water heating process.
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When you're hooked up to Shore Power at an RV park I would recommend that you keep the electric on for the water heater, it will then function just like your home water heater and you will have hot water when you need it. But, keep in mind that most RV Water Heaters only hold 6 to 10 gallons of water, so if you are planning on taking a long luxurious shower it ain't gonna happen unless you plan to finish up your shower by getting shocked awake from the freezing water coning out of your shower head.
If you are looking for an endless supply of hot water in your RV, you may want to look into getting a Propane
Tankless Water Heater
installed. These tankless water heaters will let you take longer showers, but don't forget you only have so much water capacity in your gray water holding tank, so when your shower stops draining and the water starts rising to your ankles it's time to end the shower and dump the tank. :)
I hope this helps.
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Happy RVing
RVing Al
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