Community Forums

sfrantz · 02-09-2012, 11:35 AM

The 120 AC heater on my Atwood Hot Water Heater (GC10A4-4E) wasn't working so I tried to troubleshoot it. This forum (iRV2) was GREAT and I learned a lot and made progress. The likely suspect, as I figured it, was the relay inside the motorhome next to the heating elements. I bought new one at a local RV store ($15) and it didn't help. Going back to this forum I found the best piece of advice of all from Traveler of California…"When I had my problem I called Atwood tech service and they were helpful in giving me instructions on how I might solve my problem."

So I called Atwood at 574-264-2131 and after a 3 minute wait was talking to a technician who walked me through all the troubleshooting tests and diagnosed the problem for me. FREE! And it was after the two year warranty!

It turns out it wasn't the relay, but rather it was the circuit board. She told me who could test the circuit board near me (not just sell me a new one). Wonderful.

So, call Atwood before you buy anything or tear anything apart. It could save a lot of trouble and expense.

BTW, for my GC10A4-4E, here is what she told me / confirmed.

There is no reset button my my model. It automatically resets.
The AC and LP gas both use the same thermostat and ECO.
The yellow wire from the circuit board outside to the relay inside should have -12 VDC when the AC switch is on and the temperature is below the thermostat setpoint. (mine didn't). That is what turns on the 120 AC to the heating element.

For the switches, the "12 Volt" switch turns on the propane, the "120 AC" switch turns on the AC. Both are actually controlled by the thermostat. You do not need both switches on, but you can turn them both on if you want.