Electrical Heating Unit Does Not Work In Atwood Hot Water Tank

[MansizeIN]

Please bare with me as this is my first post and not sure what I am doing or if it will even show up! Have had my (new to me) 2002 HiLo Towlite since April of this year and I'm still finding things on it that I didn't know I had, which brings me to this issue. The other day I was looking around the hot water tank under the forward bench when I noticed a small unit on the back of my water tank that looked like some type of an electrical box with a small switch in the "on" position and out of this box was a wire leading to my breaker box. I immediately pulled out the owners manual to see what it could be, but we all know how vague these manuals are, but it did tell me how to read my model number (GC6AA-9E) come to findout my water heater is a combination gas/electric. Here is the problem, I fear that the unit might be "fried" as I have never had any hot water since I bought the unit mainly because I'm nervous about gas water heaters exploding, etc., but would be comfortable around electrical heaters. There was no water in the hot water tank when I bought it and it has been plugged into 30AMP service at least three times since I've had it - empty! I read that you should not operate either the gas or electric heating units with the tank empty as the electric unit in particular will self-destruct! I turned the switch to the "off" position upon discovering it the other day and today I made sure the tank was full of water, depressed the reset button and turned the power switch back on and three hours later the water was just as cold as it was when I filled the tank! What do you think, is it fried and how can I check it? Does the whole unit have to be replaced or just the element that goes inside the tank? Thanks for any help you can give.

 

[Wrascal]

Just a swag on my part, but you should ensure that there is power to the heating element before you declare it dead. You may have another breaker turned off some where.
Then - if need be - shop around for another element.

Safety note: if you're not comfortable with gas ... well, messing around with 110V can also be nasty (like 60 times a second) if you don't know what you're doing.

 

[PopRichie77]

Do you have the switch turned on that is near the top of the fridge?

 

[hootliz1]

Just a hunch, but the heater could have a feature that prevents the electric element or gas burner from coming on if there is no water. Your unit might be perfectly fine.

 

[JackandJanet]

I have not checked, but normally the heater will have a replaceable element if it has burned out. Replacement should be easy and not too expensive (I've done it on full sized home hot water heaters). You can probably check the heating element itself with an ohmmeter to see if it is OK, after you check for voltage at the leads to it as Wrascal suggested.

- Jack

 

[jcurtis95]

MansizeIN,

RE: "the water was just as cold as it was when I filled the tank!".

Aside from the AC switch you found going to the WH, there is usually a handier switch that gives you the option of either AC or Gas. Was the WH electric switch also "on" along with the AC feed during the times you had the unit plugged into land power? If so, the heating element is probably 'fried'.

As I understand it you filled the freshwater holding tank. I no longer have a HiLo and am going from memory but as I recall, there are valves that must be opened to allow water to go into the HW tank and bypass valves closed. Watch this film on winterizing keeping in mind the plumbing varies by year and model and your valves may not be located as those in the film: 36 Hi-Lo- winterizing - YouTube

Did you operate the pressure relief valve on the water heater to see if fresh cold water is inside the tank? Going from memory, you must close the bypass valve, open the intake valve and output valve. If you open just the intake side there will be air pressure build up that prevents the water from filling the tank. Just keep in mind that you must close both bypass valves and open both WH valves. If you have done this and you have verified there is water in the water heater and AC at the heating electrode, you can then be pretty sure the electrode has burned out.

Here is a video for HW heater maintenance: How To maintain your RV Water Heater by RV Education 101® - YouTube

If the electrode is burned out, I believe as Jack and Wrascal said you can easily find a replacement.

I wish you good luck.

Jcurtis95
Fredericksburg, TX

 

[retiredcamper47]

I believe Atwood made two types of heating elements, a bolt in type and a screw in type. An element for a 6 gallon heater would be shorter than an element for a 10 gallon heater (I think). Hope this helps.

Bob

 

[MansizeIN]

I'm impressed and very thankful for all your suggestions! When I initially joined this forum I thought it was going to be like all those others - soon forgotten and the most current post being several years old! The following is in response to several of your comments: Wrascal, there are only two switches that I can find related to the HW heater - one on top of the heating element cover and the other being the circuit breaker in the breaker box. None of the breakers appear to be tripped unless it is possible to be just partially tripped and not show as being tripped. PopRichie77, the only switch in the "cabin" is a small toggle switch with a red pilot light that indicates if the power to the electronic ignition is on or off or if the unit has gone into lockout. I know the type switch you're referring to as it as two separate switches - one for gas and another for electricity. Mine is very basic with the switch for the electric heater on the unit itself. Hootliz1, I should be so lucky, but I was sure beyond a shadow of doubt that I had water in the HW tank the other day when I attempted to see if it would heat and nothing. The only thing I got was condensation on the outside of the exposed tank when the cold hit the warm humid air of Indiana! Jcurtis95, the switch which I think you are referring to was never on after I purchased the camper, but I do recall the salesman very quickly reaching down and turning it off the first time I went to checkout the camper saying very hastely,"Why is that on, it shouldn't be!" I'm guessing from everything that has been offered up that the electrode is "fried" and the only way of knowing is to attempt to replace it. Another fear is that perhaps the thermostat is "fried" also if it was allowed to get hot enough to render the electrode useless. Once again fellow "Hi Lo Owners" thanks.

Gary

Peru, IN

 

[Wrascal]

It's still cheaper AND EASIER to check for power at the element before removing it, shopping for another, installing it, only to find out it still doesn't work due to no power. Maybe a bad switch, another unknown switch, a broken wire, etc.

NOTE: when circuit breakers trip they don't go to full off, they hang half way. Try cycling them all off then back on.

 

[MansizeIN]

Problem Resolved

For those of you who have provided valuable information on my issue with the electrical heating unit not working in my Atwood hot water heat I want to report that it was in fact the heating element that got fried and today I replaced it with a new one and now have hot water - almost too hot! Thanks for all your help! By the way, if you didn't already know this, they make a special wrench for removing an electric water heater heating element that you can purchase at any of the following places of business: Ace Hardware, Royal King Farm Stores or Home Depot, they call them a "screw-in element wrench". I bought one and it made removing the old one and tightening down the new one a breeze. I'll put it in a drawer in the camper seeing as that is the only electric water heater I have.

 

[jcurtis95]

Congrats on replacing the element and fixing your water heater problem. You will find that there are many folks here on this forum that are more than willing to help you with any problem you may encounter on your HiLo.

jcurtis95
Fredericksburg, TX

 

[Wrascal]

Good deal. Now get to work on checking out the propane option.

 

[sam-HILO]

Fixing water heater

Glad to hear you were able to get a new electric heating element installed. Isn't do it yourself fun!!. Not everyone lives near a RV repair shop and it gets expensive.

 

[Elaine and Bill]

water heater

Don't forget about the on/off switch on the monitor panel. We turn our water heater off using the monitor panel after every campout and turn the main switch to off when the unit is winterized.

We also turn the main furnace switch off when we winterize.

 

[RichR]

It is good insurance to turn the breaker off for the water heater, that will guard against turning the water heater on accidentally when it's empty and burning out the heating element.