A few fixes while in Mesa AZ…

We are settling into our winter routine here in Mesa AZ. We’ve been hitting the gym, talking walks, making the short drive to Gilbert, enjoying the music on the patio at this park and birdwatching at the Gilbert Riparian Park. Along with the fun, one huge plus of these extended stays is we have time for a lot of purging, chores and repairs which have been on the back burner.

The first thing I tackled was our Suburban hot water heater. Over the last few weeks we noticed that our electrical side of our hot water wasn’t functioning. That’s really not a big deal since we also have propane which also powers our hot water heater. However, it needed to be repaired.

After close inspection I found that the thermostat had been charred by excessive heat. I also tested the hot water electrical element and it tested fine. I did notice our anode rod was ready to be replaced as well. Finding no other issues I ordered a new thermostat and replaced it. Well, that didn’t fix it either.

The way I do mechanical/electrical repairs is by researching the heck out of the issue online before tackling what I think the problem might be. Then one by one I try all of the “fixes” I have uncovered on the internet. When unsuccessful, I start the process over and research even more for new fixes.

Well while researching I also had to repair our front A/C unit as it too wasn’t seemingly getting electrical current to start up. Having repaired our a/c many times I suspected one of the start or run capacitors was the culprit but upon checking them out everything seemed fine.

Perplexed by the assortment of electrical issues I focused on our power source. After looking at our 50 amp electrical plug I found it too had some char near the base of one prong of the plug. So I took apart the plug and trimmed all the wires to get new copper to the prongs. One prong had a slightly loose connection as well.

Well once I fixed the electrical plug both the A/C and the electric side of the hot water heater started functioning normally. Sometimes stepping back to look at the bigger picture reveals the true solution.In retrospect  I should have realized there might be a loose wire since the A/C would sometimes work but mostly wouldn’t.

With those things fixed I can focus on our really big problem. That problem is our Atwood Levelleg System no longer works because one of the legs is seized up and will not go up or down. We have been fortunate that since the problem first arose we have been able to find nearly level sites at each campground we stayed in..

We are grateful these extended stays allow me the time to do the research needed and a mailing address for parts so I can tackle such problems as these…