My Latest Disaster

DMaxer · Guru

My Latest Disaster

Tony Bev · Guru

Congratulations to your mum, DMaxer

I am not an electrician, but what happened to me was

When the trip switched, at the box (stopping the 240 volt electrics)

I switched every 240 volt electric appliance off
Reset the trip switch, and turned everything on, one at a time, until the switch tripped again
For me it was the 240 volt element, in the hot water boiler, which had tripped the switch

I suppose that after being in storage for a number of weeks, it is possible that the mice have nibbled through some wire insulation

Hope that a licensed Electrician can get it sorted for you, as an auto Electrician, usually only works on 12 volt stuff

DMaxer · Guru

Thanks for the insight Tony. The electrician came out and went through all the processes from the mains to the inlet and then through each of the appliances drawing 240 volt current.

Guess where he found the short. The element in the hot water service. Works on gas but not on power at the moment.

Funnily enough, when he first arrived and he gave me his thoughts he said it would be more than likely in the HWS but as that was the most difficult to get at, he would check the others first of all. On the way through the procedures he found a few loose wires and a couple on the way out that he replaced.

He is going to check on a price for the new element and let me know. He is a good bloke, efficient, on time and not a rip off merchant.

The van is seven years old and the HWS has had a lot of use in that time so I guess it has been a pretty good run.

Thanks for the advice once again.

-- Edited by DMaxer on Tuesday 3rd of March 2020 12:38:07 PM

Dougwe · Chief one feather

Hey BigD, you tryin to blow yaself up mate confuse hmm smile

DMaxer · Guru

Just fooling around with a bit of 240 volt and some gas Doug. What could possibly go wrong?

Warren-Pat_01 · Guru

Not much!

BOOM?
Needed - a box of suitable dimensions to put a body in?

Hope the party goes well, D-Maxer. My mother-in-law's 100th birthday attracted 97mm of rain recently in Toowoomba. Was ok if one stayed under the awnings - where they joined, you got wet!

DMaxer · Guru

My latest disaster has now been fixed. It turned out to be the element in the Dometic HWS. The electrician pulled out the element and you could see the rust around the bottom. It had been in there for seven years and has seen a stack of work since I owned the van over the last four years so I think I have had a pretty good run. I reckon I would spend nine months of every year in the van and during all those trips the HWS is switched on and stays on.

When I had spoken with a few caravan repair places that do this type of work I was given these horror stories about how long and complicated the procedure was and how expensive. The electrician ordered in a new element which cost a bit over $300. He drained the tank, removed old one and installed new one, filled tank and away it went. all done in less than an hour. Labour charge was $80 so all up $400. I had been quoted more than double that at a few places.

I hope this one last for another seven years. Now, on to my next disaster (I hope not). It's a shame this bloke doesn't make curtains.

Thanks for your replies and assistance.

-- Edited by DMaxer on Friday 13th of March 2020 08:50:18 AM

Bill B · Guru

What brand of hot water system do you have ?

Most likely it is a Suburban.

If it is you got ripped off big time with the element cost.

www.caravansplus.com.au/suburban-240v-element-suit-sw6dea-sw5ea-sw4dea-water-heaters-p-6849.html

DMaxer · Guru

No Bill. As stated in my opening line it is a Dometic HWS. If it was a Suburban HWS I would have said that.

I checked the prices online and with Truma and that was the correct price.

Always good to read a post before telling people they have been dudded. I think.

-- Edited by DMaxer on Friday 13th of March 2020 10:41:05 AM

Bill B · Guru

Dmaxer I had never heard of a Dometic HWS, but on doing some research it is what used to be known as an Attwood HWS.

Our 2017 van has the same HWS however it is branded Attwood.

DMaxer · Guru

I don't know about that Bill. My van is a 2012 model and the HWS is branded as a Dometic. It is on the plate. When I researched it on the last issue I was referred to Truma.Truma and Dometic are one and the same it seems.

Anyway, I was not ripped off and didn't really appreciate your ill informed reckless comments when I was only trying to inform other members as to what was a reasonable cost should the same problem be experienced by them.

Perhaps we just leave it at that.