Casita 2004 water heater replacement

[danilovesbirdie]

Hi there!
Wondering if anyone out there is been brave enough to change out their entire water heater instead of just installing the conversion kit.
We currently have suburban gas only and found a great deal on a new water heater that is electric and gas. If anyone has experience in the change out could you please give me some information or direct me to a video/info?

[Eddie Longest]

I have changed out two Escape gas WH's for gas/elec. 6 gal. Suburban water heaters. The mounting is identical between the two Water Heaters. You will need to add a 15A breaker to your breaker panel and run an a/c wire to your WH. With a Casita about a 3 ft. run. You can turn on the WH A/C on/off from the outside switch. That simple.
I spend about $40 more and add an inside Suburban Gas/AC switch panel and buy a power relay from Amazon. That requires you to run a 12 V wire (Orange buy the book) from the switch to the AC junction box on the WH and run a short ground wire for the relay to the WH frame. You can pick up the 12V source wire at the old control box for the relay.
The plumbing, you just cut the PEX at the WH and replace with two short pieces of PEX. I re-use the tank fittings. With an older Casita I would replace the check valve at this time.
You may want to buy a new door/mounting ring assy. On an Escape you usually bend the mounting ring when removing the water heater, but I usually bend it back in shape and reuse the old trim ring.
Eddie