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Old 07-20-2017, 08:46 AM   #1
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Location: North Carolina
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Atwood Water Heater

We have the Atwood Wayer Heater in our camper.
GC6AA-9E. But, we can only get it to work on gas.
I will attach a picture of the switch inside. I'm wondering if there's another switch on the unit we need to turn on to work on electric.

Thank you in advance.
Robin
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Old 07-20-2017, 09:21 AM   #2
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Hi Robin,

It looks like you have a 2001 Sunline. Older water heaters had a toggle switch on the back of the actual water heater to work the electric element, but yours is new enough that it shouldn't have that.

You have a blue knob on the outside of the water heater to turn on gas operation, correct?

You should have a little rocker switch behind the kitchen sink, to operate the electric element. Do you have this? I believe the light should come on when the element is heating, and go off when it reaches temp. I've attached a picture with this circled in red.

The larger rocker switch in your picture may be something usually found with Canadian spec trailers built to CSA standards, and it seems odd for one of those to have made it to NC. This switch was usually a toggle type household switch, not a rocker, but it may have been changed out. The switch only allows the microwave OR the water heater electric element to be used at one time. It was done to prevent overloading of park electrical systems or something. The switch doesn't act as an on-off switch, but rather an either-or. One side should power the electric element, the other the microwave.

http://www.sunlineclub.com/forums/f6...tml#post110073

So, when the trailer is plugged into shore power, try rocking that switch and see if the clock on the microwave goes out in a particular direction. Note that direction and then you should have power to your water heater element in the other. Just make sure you have water in your water heater before you try the water heater element, so you don't burn it up.
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Old 07-20-2017, 09:49 AM   #3
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Thank you so much for the information. I wil have my husband look at it when he gets home!
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Old 07-20-2017, 10:19 AM   #4
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Hi Robingreer,

Welcome to Sunline Owners Forum!

On your hot water heater, can you tell us a little about your camper?

Has the heater ever worked for you on electric? We do not know if you just bought the camper and trying to get the heater to work for the first time, or it was working and now stopped.

Odds are high there is a circuit breaker in the power converter panel that has a 15 amp breaker in it. The label on the diagram should call it out for the hot water heater. See if it is on or if it has tripped. This would prevent the electric element from working.

The model number you gave decodes to having direct spark ignition on the gas and it has the electric element. And it a rev 9 heater which means buried on the back of the heater is a small rocker switch that looks like this.


That little rocker switch needs to be on to allow the heater to work on electric. This was a pain to get to that switch as the heater is buried under couches, beds etc. What some folks did to get around this was to install a normal house looking switch remote somewhere to get to the switch easier.

It appears a prior owner did this in your case. That house type of big white rocker switch was not original from Sunline. That switch will also need to be on.

There is also the possibility the electric element has burnt out if all the switches and breakers are on. If someone by accident turned on the electric element with no water in the heater, the element will burn out in a few minutes or less as there is no water to cool the element. If this is the case, they are replaceable.

If this is the issue, Atwood part 92249 should be the screw in unit for your model number. There are many online places that sell them. Here is one https://www.amazon.com/Atwood-92249-...r+heater+parts

They also sell the wrench to put on the large nut to get it out. The element is in the back of the unit behind that little black rocker switch.

Hope this helps and let us know how you make out or if you need more help on this

John
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