Just put in a timer on the water heater control.
When we were camping two weeks ago we met Steve and Karen Pfundtner from Oconto.
Steve sent me a hot tub timer to wire into the on/off switch for our water heater.
I installed it yesterday, right under the counter and within 6" of the water heater switch.
This is a mechanical timer that will enable us to turn the water heater on for 15 minutes all the way up to 12 hours.
Super simple and now we have the option of using the regular switch and having the heater using propane until we turn it off, or using the timer to limit our propane use to whatever we set the timer for.
Forgetting to turn the heater off will no longer happen--I hope, and we will save propane and electricity when we are boondocking.
Picture? Nothing to see other than a timer control with the plastic face plate behind it. Sorry.
If your heater is like my original it has no thermostat and my water gets to hot to touch. I turn my heater on for 30 min in the morning and then another 30 min at night giving 2 of us all the hot water we can use. I can see a use for the switch you installed as these old units can get way more hot than needed.
Hawk. This sounds like a great idea. We occasionally leave ours on too long so we waste valuable propane. And could completely eliminate leaving on when we leave which we don't do very often.
Any info about the timer and wiring would be appreciated. ( electronically challenged).
OK. Here goes--from a non-electric savvy guy.
Attached is a scan of the little box the timer came in.
This one is an Intermatic Model #FD12HWC manual timer (You spring wind to desired amount of time)
This one was primarily for a hot tub operation but works on my water heater.
It has four connection points on the side towards the back.
One side is labeled 1A and 1B. The other side is labeled 2A and 2B.
I used ONLY the 1A &1B (because they are on the side closest to my water heater control.)
On the timer the wires are retained by screws.
You will have to access the back side of your existing water heater switch. I unscrewed the little switch panel and pulled it out far enough to get at the two wires on the back of the switch.
I removed about 1/2" of wire insulation from each of the two wires and then meshed my wires from the timer--one wire from 1A & one wire from1B. It does not matter which wire goes to which wire on the existing heater switch.
I soldered and then taped the wires onto the wires on back of the switch.
(for some strange reason, the top bayonet connector on my existing heater switch has two blue wires into the connector and I only tapped into one of the wires)
You will have to cut an opening--somewhere-- to fit the back part of the timer switch and just enough clearance for the two wires before wiring the timer in.
Test--then verify. try your existing heater switch on and off--Red light comes on? GOOD! Turn that switch off.
Rotate the timer clockwise--Red light on the old heater switch comes on?? GOOD!! Put everything into their respective openings.
Now you can use either option to control your water heater and your propane use.