atwood water heater help

rich2500 · 05-09-2010, 03:06 PM

went camping this weekend,we arrived on friday and the water heater was working fine on electric until sometime saturday then we realized the water was cold,I checked the breaker and all the easy stuff and could not find the problem,so I switched over to propane and it works fine,I suspect that maybe the heating element went but for the life of me can't find the element from the rear access panel,any ideas
model# is GC6AA-10E

Poppy & Nana · 05-09-2010, 06:00 PM

http://bryantrv.com/docs2/docs/atwoodwaterheater.pdf

here is the link for the Atwood Manual.....good luck!

kanyonkitty · 05-09-2010, 08:14 PM

Rich,

Here is a photo of the rear of the WH in the '06 T-2499, that black box opens and the heating element is inside of it tucked behind the wiring.

**JohnB** · 05-10-2010, 10:26 AM

Rich

Your 2005 should look like what Kitty posted and my 2004 as well.

In the 2003 to 2004 Sunline model year Atwood went thru an upgrade in the electric element control part. On the 2004 and foward the gas and electric share the same control board and a realy ws installed to turn on the electric.

While you are in that black box... there is a 12 volt relay that the PC board turns on and off to switch the 120VAC to the element. Since your heater works on gas but not electric, Well the main part of the PC control board is working and all the safties are working too.

1st guess, check that 120 VAC is on the down stream end of the relay going to the element. This confirms the relay is working and the PC board is sending it a run signal. If no power and or no run signal then back track to find out why the relay is not turning on or no power coming to the relay.

2nd guess, if you have power and no heat, then odds are the element is burnt out.

Good luck and let us know how you make out.

John

John

rich2500 · 05-10-2010, 08:27 PM

thank you folks very much for the help,found the problem, it was a loose ground from the tank to the relay,but wow what a treat to get at I had to rip out part of the lower bunk to get in there or pull the water heater out,I choose to pull apart the bunk but when it goes back together that will then be easily removable.

**JohnB** · 05-10-2010, 09:18 PM

Rich

Glad the fix was simple once you found it. And yes they do burry the HW heater pending floor plan. On the T2499 I put an access door in to get to the by pass as I had to wrestle with the couch and a luane cover....Once was enough. No more. That was resolved.

On the T310 Sunline put in a side panel door in the bed room so I can at least get to the by pass. But if that element ever has to come out.... well there will be a mod in the side the hamper closest...

John