FIXED: No hot water on either electric or gas -- Atwood Model GC6AA-10E

[TxCowboy]

Had hot water yesterday -- none today.

Tagalong trailer is using an Atwood GC6AA-10E water heater, 6 gallon, auto-ignition for the gas side.

Was running it on electric only yesterday. Worked like a champ. This morning, no hot water. Turned on the gas side in addition to the 120v electric. No hot water.

No blown fuses and no issue with water pressure from the hot water lines (city connection). Gas is on and operating (had to run the furnace this morning).

No reset buttons on this Atwood model that I can find in either the user manual or on the unit itself.

Suggestions?

 

[danemayer]

Re: No hot water on either electric or gas -- Atwood Model GC6AA-10E

Jeff,

On Atwood units, if they don't work on either 120V or propane, I think it's likely to either be a failed thermostat or a failed control board. The board uses a single thermostat for both 120V and propane operation.

On the 120V operation, the control board energizes a relay that connects the 120V AC to the heating element.

You might also check the control board to see if it's getting any power. There have been a few cases where the wiring in the junction box attached to the corner of the water heater had degraded connections.

 

[TxCowboy]

Re: No hot water on either electric or gas -- Atwood Model GC6AA-10E

Dan, thanks. Edited my OP to remove the references to 12vDC. The point is I was running on shore power -- the interior switch is labeled "electric".

As for your other good comments, I really don't know how to, or even have the tools to, check the electrical connections. Time to pick up the phone and get a work authorization from Atwood for a mobile tech. Hope they step up to the plate. This RV is less than two months old.

BTW, this is NOT a Heartland product RV. This little tagalong is the DW and my office during the work week. Home is now the Landmark since our house goes on the market next Monday. But this is a common unit used on HL products and this forum is much more active than the SOB forum.


And I have already downloaded and read through the Atwood manual.

 

[jbeletti]

Re: No hot water on either electric or gas -- Atwood Model GC6AA-10E

...But this is a common unit used on HL products and this forum is much more active than the SOB forum.

Oh stop making us blush here

Atwood may authorize a mobile tech but you'll likely have to pay the tech's mobilization fee to show up. Hope they get you fixed up.

I was in a campground recently and saw a woman struggling outside with her water heater in a new Jayco TT. I walked over to see if I could assist. I'm not too familiar with the Atwood water heaters but her issue was simple. Her dealer did not put the plastic drain plug into the hole so she did the best she could - finger tight and cross-threaded. I removed it and ran it in with the correct socket - issue solved.

Your issue won't be as simple but here's hoping a tech can get you up and running on their first visit.

 

[TxCowboy]

Re: No hot water on either electric or gas -- Atwood Model GC6AA-10E

Had the issue fixed. Bad computer board.

Atwood actually told me to go to their website, do a zip code search for their authorized repair folks, and do a search. There is mobile tech here in town that I've worked with for years who is on Atwood's list. He showed up first thing this morning, determined the computer board was bad, and fixed it. Cost me $50 for the service call and worth every penny for me not to break camp and haul it the six miles to their shop.

 

[jbeletti]

Awesome outcome.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[ksucats]

Jeff - glad that you got it fixed.

For others another thing to look at is the one-way valve at the top of the water heater. On our SOB we had similar issue - hot water one day, none the next. At that time we only ran on Propane and it was heating the water. The one-way valve (intended purpose is to keep cold water from coming into the hot water heater as the water cools. In any case it had corroded so much that it froze in the shut position. Mobile repair put in a connector that just opened the line; we had it changed back to valve when we returned to home base. As I said, just another thing that might be involved and definitely not to hijack the thread.

 

[TxCowboy]

Kats, thanks for the follow-up. Good information.

 

[TxCowboy]

Just a follow-up question -- Is there a thermostat on this unit that automatically shuts off the heating function?

I have a habit of operating the propane side from time to time just to make sure everything is working well (normally on shore power and don't use the propane much). Turn off the electric and turn on the propane side so the water is already hot. After half an hour, I can still hear the propane side running.

Is that normal?

 

[JohnD]

Just a follow-up question -- Is there a thermostat on this unit that automatically shuts off the heating function?

I have a habit of operating the propane side from time to time just to make sure everything is working well (normally on shore power and don't use the propane much). Turn off the electric and turn on the propane side so the water is already hot. After half an hour, I can still hear the propane side running.

Is that normal?

You should have a separate switch for both electric and propane inside by the control panel . . .

Plus, outside by the hot water heater drain plug there should also be an on/off switch for the electric.

If you already made the water hot with the electric and the gas wants to keep going, then perhaps the electric side is not making the water hot enough?

 

[ksucats]

Jeff: That is not normal - two questions - first, is the water abnormally hot? I find that the propane heats the water up a bit higher than the electric but not scalding or anything - it just seems to be a bit warmer. The next question is have you gone and verified that the propane is actually burning (flames there)? There is a safety built in (on my old coach there was a red light next to the interior switch that would light up if the water heater had a no-light condition. Not sure how our coaches are set up as I've not noticed that light on mine (yet).

Guess the last question is - is it actually just running because someone has used hot water / the water actually needs to be heated (know that is a dumb question but maybe the cause LOL ).

 

[danemayer]

Just a follow-up question -- Is there a thermostat on this unit that automatically shuts off the heating function?

I have a habit of operating the propane side from time to time just to make sure everything is working well (normally on shore power and don't use the propane much). Turn off the electric and turn on the propane side so the water is already hot. After half an hour, I can still hear the propane side running.

Is that normal?

Jeff,

I believe Atwood units have a single thermostat that signals the control board to cut off the heating operation, whether on propane or electric operation.

If the water was already hot from the electric operation, I doubt it should take 30 minutes on propane to trigger the thermostat. 5-10 minutes maybe. 30 seems like a lot.

Thermostats convert heat into an electrical value that the control board interprets. Given that you just had the control board replaced, if this is a new behavior, perhaps the new board has an issue.

But before going down that path, you might want to get a thermometer and measure the water temp on both electric and propane operation to see what temp you're getting. Should be the same. I think Atwoods with factory thermostat should deliver 130 F. If above 140 F on propane, the control board may be failing to shut off the gas valve.

Also, check for water coming out of the temperature/pressure relief valve on the water heater. That would also be an indication that the water is too hot.

And if you can see the connectors, make sure the control board connectors are fully seated.

 

[TxCowboy]

Both side, individually and collectively, make enough hot water.

The question is -- Is there a thermostat on this unit that automatically shuts off the heating function? I'm really more concerned about the propane side and whether there is a automatic shutoff there.

 

[danemayer]

Both side, individually and collectively, make enough hot water.

The question is -- Is there a thermostat on this unit that automatically shuts off the heating function? I'm really more concerned about the propane side and whether there is a automatic shutoff there.

Yes there is a thermostat that automatically shuts off the heating function, if everything is working correctly. There's also a 2nd device that shuts it off if the thermostat fails to do its job and the water gets 30 or 40 degrees higher than the thermostat setting. Both devices signal the control board. The control board operates the gas valve or the relay for the electric heating element.

 

[TxCowboy]

Thanks, Dan. Everything on this water heater seems to be working well since the computer board was replaced recently. Going to test this auto-shutoff capability in the next couple of days if things slow down.

Say, is the thermostat temp programmable by the user? I don't see an adjustment knob, screw, etc., on the water heater. I just tested the water temp at the kitchen sink and it is in excess of 140 degrees. (Had to use a meat thermometer -- only thing I have available.)

 

[danemayer]

My understanding is that that the Atwood units Heartland ships come with a fixed thermostat set for 130 F. It's possible to replace it with an adjustable thermostat available from Atwood. It's possible another RV manufacturer could use a different model with a different thermostat.