Rhalium
Tri-Cities,WA
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dougrainer wrote:That is an Atwood. The Tstat and electric element are behind that black plastic box. Odds are from how old the W/H is, the element has burned out. Doug
so to fix that. just gotta go to the outside of the motorhome to the water heater access panel and se what I can do out there?
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Rhalium
Tri-Cities,WA
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Boomerweps wrote:My wolf pup also has a goofy single plug outlet near the water heater that the water heater plugs into under the front bed behind a filler panel. The only switch for electric is on the exterior of the heater.
If the indicator light is lit, even dimly, and goes out when you move the switch up to the on position, might your switch be mounted upside down? And operate the opposite of what you thought?
yeah, that's how it was on my old 2000 Komfort 23T travel trailer, one needed to flip the switch on the water heater access panel on the outside of the panel.
yeah I thought that it too might be upside down. but I doubt it since that would be kind of weird. I'll check the water heater access panel on the outside.
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Rhalium
Tri-Cities,WA
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https://imgur.com/a/F1fH0QQdougrainer wrote:That is an Atwood. The Tstat and electric element are behind that black plastic box. Odds are from how old the W/H is, the element has burned out. Doug
https://imgur.com/a/F1fH0QQ
here are the pictures of thr water heater from the outside.
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Rhalium
Tri-Cities,WA
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can the water heater work just fine on propane, yet still not work on 120 volt electric solely cause of the "element" located inside the hot water heater tank? in other words, the hot water will work fine on propane, but not work on electric cause of a bad element?
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wolfe10
Florida
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Joined: 10/08/2000
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Rhalium wrote:can the water heater work just fine on propane, yet still not work on 120 volt electric solely cause of the "element" located inside the hot water heater tank? in other words, the hot water will work fine on propane, but not work on electric cause of a bad element?
Certainly.
If the propane-side is working fine (12 VDC, good propane supply, thermocouple good, etc) all is good on propane.
If 120 VAC is not powering the heating element, it will not work. Could be issue with shore power, breaker, fuse in water heater PC board or burned out 120 VAC heating element-- will not work.
Basically two "mostly" unrelated heating sources. PC board being the point in common.
Brett Wolfe
Ex: 2003 Alpine 38'FDDS
Ex: 1997 Safari 35'
Ex: 1993 Foretravel U240
Diesel RV Club:http://www.dieselrvclub.org/
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Rhalium
Tri-Cities,WA
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wolfe10 wrote:Rhalium wrote:can the water heater work just fine on propane, yet still not work on 120 volt electric solely cause of the "element" located inside the hot water heater tank? in other words, the hot water will work fine on propane, but not work on electric cause of a bad element?
Certainly.
If the propane-side is working fine (12 VDC, good propane supply, thermocouple good, etc) all is good on propane.
If 120 VAC is not powering the heating element, it will not work. Could be issue with shore power, breaker, fuse in water heater PC board or burned out 120 VAC heating element-- will not work.
Basically two "mostly" unrelated heating sources. PC board being the point in common.
Thx. The common thread in all of this seems to be the heating element that is located inside the hot water tank. I know that I have a voltmeter and that I can use it to test the heating element, is that right? More than likely it is the heating element as that is what seems to be the common thread. Now, I need to see about shutting off the bypass valve to the hot water tank and then draining the tank itself. Then to replace the element, is that how you do it?
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wolfe10
Florida
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Two ways to diagnose the 120 VAC heating element:
Verify there IS 120 VAC to the heating element OR
Disconnect wires to the element and check the element with OHM meter.
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Rhalium
Tri-Cities,WA
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Today, I went to the bedroom ofthe motorhome where all the breakers and fuses are. I had someone watch the control panel where the 2 switches are for the water heater on propane and electric. I turned the breaker for the water heater [located in the bedroom] off then back on. The faint red light on the 120 volt heater switch remained on throughout this process. [me flipping the breaker of and then back on.]
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dougrainer
Carrolton, Texas
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OK, BOTH inside switches are 12 volt. NONE is 120 volt. Behind that rear black box is the 12 volt activated relay that turns the Black wire of the 120 wires ON to the 120 element. The YELLOW wire on the outside at the Ignition control module is what is HOT (12 volt) from the 120 red lighted switch in the RV. Inside that black cover are 3 parts.
1. 120 element
2. 120 12 volt activated relay
3. 120 volt water tstat.
The element comes out from behind and is about 12 inches long. Doug
PS. That yellow wire is butt connected to a red going into the black box
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dougrainer
Carrolton, Texas
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Last, you may have a problem removing the 120 element. It looks like the shelf behind the Water Heater is slightly higher than the back of the water Heater. IF that is the case, you will have to remove all the mount screws on the outside to lift the Water Heater up a few inches to get the 120 element out. Doug
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