Water heater

[Thomas James]

OK Guys/Gals...Took my 94 Patriot on a dry run before we head Cross Country for the first time, and a couple of things came up. First, the water heater works sometimes, and sometimes it don't. Now, I don't have the panel under the lip of the Kitchen counter like the manual says. All I have is a switch with a red light inside one of the Kitchen Cabinets. I turn it on, and the red light stays on. And I read what it says about LP vs Electric, but it just seems to work when it wants to. The second is I have some leaks coming from my overflow tubes(black/gray), and around the flange where the 90 comes down to connect the sewer line to. And it doesn't matter if they're empty or not, and if I'm running on city water or tanks. I've tried it both ways. And on my water heater....IDK if I have LP/electric or both. Is there any way I can tell??? Thanks in advance for any help.

[john brunson]

a good cleaning of the flame tube and combustion chamber worked wonders for mine

[Thomas James]

Yeah, but where is it?? I really have no clue.

[Fred Brooks]

  Tom,
 Check the house circuit breaker box in the overhead cabinets in the bedroom. If it has the electric option you will find a circuit breaker identified as "water heater" 20amp. I believe you also have a 2" by 2" panel for the water heater gas operation. It may be in the galley or bathroom. The way it works, flip the rocker switch and the red indicator should light up for 10 seconds to indicate it is about to light, then the indicator turns off. If it fails to ignite, the light comes back on. Turn on the propane or the LPG detector or clean the burner for starters.
   Fred

[Thomas James]

Thanks Fred. The light comes on and stays on. I finally found the water heater on the outside. I've been looking at how to videos, but none of them....including the Atwood's are anything like mine(imagine That). Here are some pics. I don't have a drain plug. Unless that thing at the bottom with the black connector is part of it...IDK. Thanks.Oh, and there IS no breaker for it. I also have a small rocker switch with a red light on it on the bathroom cabinet front. But it never comes on.

[Thomas James]

here'a another pic(I'm not very good at this).

[Thomas James]

And one more.....

[Joel Ashley]

Thomas, yours is probably similar to the one in the below link, but 10 gallon.  The black thing near the bottom may be a boot over an electric heating element fitting, judging by what appears to be 110v wiring coming in from the left.  The unit on our Pace Arrow had a brass pipe plug that was removed to drain the tank, but I don’t see that in your photo angles, and ours was gas only and less complex than yours, so I’m not much help.  Some may have a brass T valve in place of a plug for easier draining.
http://www.rvpartscountry.com/Atwood-6-Gallon-Gas-Electric-Water-Heater-GC6AA-10E-_p_27471.html

You should see if you can find an Atwood model number on the label on the right frame wall.

Also check this:
http://beamalarm.com/Documents/atwood_water_heater_troubleshooting.html

Joel

[Fred Brooks]

   Hey Tom,
 You have an Atwood 10 gallon. Unknown has added a 120volt after-market heating element in place of the drain plug. Trace those wires and you should find an on/off switch probably in a cabinet. The brown wire coming into the water heater is the trigger wire from the switch with the indicator light. With that switch on, check the brown wire with a test light or meter for 12volt. From there it goes thru a safety device mounted above the air/fuel mixture slide tube. this safety device will "open" the circuit in the event you have a flame at the air/fuel opening because of a spider or mud-dauber nest at the burner tube end. Not uncommon to have 12volt going into this device and NO 12volt coming out. From there it goes to the t-stat and then to the pc board. From there it goes to the hi-limit safety switch, gas valve and ignitor circuit.
  Hope this helps, Fred

[Fred Brooks]

   Just to clarify my post, this safety device is called a "Thermal cut-out" if you are looking at the schematic. In the event you have no 12volt passing thru it, it is no good and have to replace it. Sorry about that. Fred