Atwood Water Heater fix solution story
- From: TonyQ <TonyQ@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 11 Sep 2008 14:21:57 -0500
Well... I have the 2001 6 gallon LP only version with electronic
ignition. It failed. The light on the switch inside the coach did
not even light anymore. When it failed to work, I checked the on-off
switch and tried to clean all the connections at the water heater and
the thing was still totally dead. Then I did the Google thing and
found some of the old good posts from Chris Bryant. Then I downloaded
a trouble shoot procedure from Atwood.
atwood_wtr_htr\Atwood Mobile Products - Troubleshooting.htm
I had a hard time following the guide. My schematic inside my water
heater door is totally obliterated.
I had to go thru a lot of tests and reading before I figured out what
does what and when and why....maybe you will learn from my experience.
One big conclusion) If your unit seems dead, start off by having
someone push the on-off switch while you sit close to the
water-heater outside the coach. If there are no clicks, the circuit
board is not opening the gas valve solenoids... and basically nothing
else happens thereafter if they do not open. Or if you are alone,
leave the switch "on" and plug and un-plug the circuit board connector
and listen for a "click". If it clicks then your problems are beyond
this treatise. If there is no click...read on.
I am not too quick mechanically so this episode took me 2+ hours
each day for two days to resolve.
....almost to no avail. That is... it seemed I definitely needed a new
circuit board...$70-$150.
Again, my symptoms. Unit would not turn on at all. The red button
control switch light inside the coach did not even go on when pushed
to the on position. I removed it, tested it with an ohm meter and it
checked out ok!?
I plugged and unplugged all wires in the heater cavity outside and
cleaned them all and tested current on all with and without the on-off
switched on etc. Power was coming from the control board everywhere
it seemed but I did not needle into the gas solenoid feed line(s).
They go in and out of "ECO" on the water heater. I am not quick to
sharpen my probes and pierce a feed wire. I did not know I had to
either. Hey.. I am very inexperienced at this stuff.
I had the wife cycle it on and off while I stood next to the water
heater...got no sound or " clicks"...but power arrived and shut off
and on almost all control wires except I could not-did not check the
gas valve feeds. I think I checked the ECO and it was dead but can't
remember. At that point I did not fully recognize the significance of
that circuit anyway. But that still would not clarify if the board
was dead or the connectors not making good contact.
I removed the circuit board and visually looked at it front and back,
cleaned all the contacts again and re-installed it ...nothing.
Then I did the "third time is a charm" thing. With the power on via
the inside switch I plugged and unplugged the four? wire connector
that goes on the circuit board. The third time I did that I heard a
click, but I immediately unplugged it. I plugged it in again, got a
click.... "interesting" I thought. I immediately unplugged it.
Finally I plugged it in again, got a "click" and left it ...and.. in
three? seconds.. everything came to life!! Voila.
When they say clean the contacts, they mean "CLEAN THE CONTACTS".. I
thought I had. Wrong.
Those printed circuit paths on the circuit board need cleaning...but
be careful. Don't screw up that control board. I used a pink
eraser on a wood lead pencil on the control board "prong", emery
board on the regular metal male plugs
AND sprayed every male connector with CRC 2-26.. two or three times
and still did not get all the connectors cleaned adequately. In my
situation, only plugging and unplugging the circuit board connector
scraped the contacts enough to carry current..!?!? You know... that
connector goes on and off kinda easily. Obviously the tension on the
plug prongs is not a lot. BUT DON'T TRY TO SQUEEZE THEM TIGHTER. At
least I wouldn't.
Those printed circuit paths on the circuit board need cleaning . And
remember, no gas will be released nor will the ignitor fire if the gas
valve is not triggered. And if the board connector "paths" aren't all
clean it isn't going to talk back to your on-off switch. It will
look dead or screwed....even if some current will be switched on and
off by the control board.
DO listen for the gas valve solenoids "click".
six hours of trial and error. Cash cost to repair....zero. All works
fine again now...after significant labor, but labor only.
End of story. Good luck...best wishes to all.
Bye for now.
.
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