ATF: North Trail - water heater problem

suncamper

Member
The water heater willnot work in electric mode,,when the gas switch or the electric is turned on it fires up the gas heater.the gas mode works good. Please help thanks bill
 

cookie

Administrator
Staff member
Suncamper, welcome to the forum. There is a lot of good information here.
So what you are saying is that when the gas switch is turned off and you turn on the electric switch the gas fires up?
Is this a new rig? If so did the dealer check the function of the water heater?
There may be a 'red' residential looking switch inside you rig. There may also be a rocker switch on the water heater itself. Both need to be on.
Let us know it this was any help.

Peace
Dave
 

danemayer

Well-known member
secondary 110V switch.jpg

Suncamper,

Here's a picture of the back of the water heater. The second switch for 110V operation is shown here in the bottom left hand corner. There may be a small cotterpin keeping it in the OFF position. Remove the cotterpin and rock the switch to ON.
 

suncamper

Member
checked my heater it doesnot look like that,it is a atwood gc6aa.cannot locate any other switches besides the circuit breaker and the on off switch on the wall.
 

suncamper

Member
i have checked high and low cannot find a rocker switch on the heater itself,inside or out,your right we bought it new this way.the dealer must not have checked it
 

danemayer

Well-known member
Hi suncamper,

We didn't hear from you in so long I thought you must have resolved the problem. I'm not too familiar with Atwood water heaters; perhaps they don't have the rocker switch that's found on Suburbans.

If you've got a Voltmeter and are comfortable working with 110V wiring, you can probably do some diagnosis yourself. If you test voltage at the heating element terminals (probably underneath a cover), you ought to have 110V when the inside switch is turned on.

If you have voltage there, you may have a burned out heating element, which can be caused by turning the electric side on without first filling the water heater with water. For example, when you have the trailer winterized, the water heater is drained. If someone turns the electric switch on, the element will be burned up.

If you don't have 110V at the element, the ECO (electric cut off) breaker may have tripped. You can try pushing the reset button.

If you still have no voltage, you'll have to check the voltage at all points between the inside switch and the heating element. I think there may be a relay somewhere between the inside switch and the water heater circuit board, probably behind the inside switch.

Or you can take it to your dealer. It may still be in warranty. The water heater may have a multi-year warranty.
Atwood Electric diag.jpg
 

ICamel

Active Member
suncamper:
Can you access the backside of the water heater (probably behind a panel on the inside of your North Trail)? This would be the area where the water inflow/outflow lines to the water heater are located. See page 35 at this linked site http://manuals.adventurerv.net/Atwood-Water-Heater-Service.pdf for the Atwood Service Manual. There should be a metal relay/junction box with the switch located on the top of that junction box. Hope this helps you solve the problem.

i have checked high and low cannot find a rocker switch on the heater itself,inside or out,your right we bought it new this way.the dealer must not have checked it
 

suncamper

Member
great manual thanks.mine is the 6 gal dsi ignition top picture without a switch. thanks for your help I thinks its going to the dealer.
 
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