Help diagnosing Water heater

[Jim McElwee]

05 Monaco Windsor 40 ft, water heater suburban with both gas and 120 volt. Both my gas and 120 volt are inop. I have 12 volts in the bedroom fuse panel and 120 volts on the water heater circuit breaker. In the kitchen there isn't any voltage on either control switches to turs heater on. I would like to know if there is any other fuses going to these switches. I would like to trouble shoot by running a 12 volt wire to one or both switches or direct to the water heater board. Does anyone know how the circuit are run and if there are any other boards or fuses in this wiring. Thanks for your help.

[okcnewbie]

Here is some good info that may help you understand what is required for the heater to work. I haven't been able to find your schematic yet.

Atwood Water Heater Troubleshooting

[Mike Canter]

You mention 120 volt then 12 volt. Normally the water heater is gas with a 12 volt remote switch so you can use it when dry camping without 120 volts. Are you saying that you have a 120 volt heating element as well as the gas?

[dpinvidic]

Hee is a 10 gal heater install manual
Suburban water heater

It sounds like your thermostats may not have power, also check the rocker switches on the heater (near the burner).

then there is over-temp limit switches that might be causing the problem.

Dan

[jacwjames]

Both switches are 12 volt.

The 120 volt circuit is actually controlled by a relay. When you turn the switch on a relay closes turning on the water heater. On my coach the relay is mounted in a small 6" X6" subpanel behind the main circuit panel. If you have schematics it shows this panel. Can't hardly get to it without taking everything out.

For your problem I'd check for a fuse somewhere close to the 2 switches. Others have reported the same problem and ultimately found a fuse tucked close to the switches.

[Jim McElwee]

Let me start by saying thanks. I have been having a little health problem for a few days so my reply is late. Thanks Okcnewbie and Mike Canter I will use your information to help. Thanks Jacwjames. Yes, I am missing the voltage on the two rocker switches that control both lp gas and 120 volt. I will try looking for a fuse between the 12 volt fuse panel and the two rocker switches below the cooking stove in the kitchen. I do not want to pull out the fuse panel or the breaker panel in the bedroom looking for a control board. If anyone knows the exact location of this control board that feeds two rocker switch or the fuse, it would help. If you have time call Jim McElwee 850-380-8001. I will try to add a fused wire from another 12 volt source to these two rocker switch. Without voltage on the two rocker both of my supplies to the water heater would be out.

[steve11669]

Check that your outside facet valves are closed. If they're open it confuses the heater and it won't heat.

[nodine]

Originally Posted by Jim McElwee

Let me start by saying thanks. I have been having a little health problem for a few days so my reply is late. Thanks Okcnewbie and Mike Canter I will use your information to help. Thanks Jacwjames. Yes, I am missing the voltage on the two rocker switches that control both lp gas and 120 volt. I will try looking for a fuse between the 12 volt fuse panel and the two rocker switches below the cooking stove in the kitchen. I do not want to pull out the fuse panel or the breaker panel in the bedroom looking for a control board. If anyone knows the exact location of this control board that feeds two rocker switch or the fuse, it would help. If you have time call Jim McElwee 850-380-8001. I will try to add a fused wire from another 12 volt source to these two rocker switch. Without voltage on the two rocker both of my supplies to the water heater would be out.

Most of these two-way water heaters are controlled by two separate switches. As mentioned both switches actually use 12 VDC to control the water heater. Just because the lamp in the switch does not illuminated does not mean the water heater is not on. In the case of propane it is easy to tell if the water is working because you can hear it. Not so when using 110 VAC to heat the water. I once thought our 110 VAC portion of the water heater was not working but it turned out to be a burned out lamp in the switch. I suggest you turn on the AC section and wait 30 minutes and then test the water at a faucet. It is not likely that both the propane and electrical modes failed at the same time.

Bob

[Jim McElwee]

Thanks nodine. I have a volt meter and neither rocker switch has any 12 volt power. Both water heaters went down at the same time. I was using an extension wire to get ground from the battery to test the 12 volt power. It is hard to see where the wiring cable goes from the two rocker switches under the 2 burner stove.

[8.3Oilbuner]

Hello Jim. By any chance have you located the control board. On my 2000 Windsor, the control board was fastened to the back of the water heater with two sided tape. Over time the tape failed and the board was hanging by the wires. I found some connections that were loose since it was hanging by the wire connections. Do not know if this is any help. I refastened my board with better two sided tape along with zip ties. Not sure of the location of your control board on your Windsor.

[Jim McElwee]

Thanks for assistance in dealing with my problem. I will be off line for a week and still have some diagnostic work to be done. When I find the problem, I will let you know what the fix was.

[Old-Biscuit]

Which BRAND do you have???

Atwood uses 12V DC to control both electric & propane
USED 12V DC goes to both on/off switches then to water heater circuit board
12V DC goes to a relay that triggers the 120V AC to electric element (from a 120V AC Circuit Breaker)
12V DC goes to spark electrode and gas valve solenoid for propane
Same set of t-stats for both electric/propane....


Suburban ......
Separate systems for electric and propane
120V AC directly (AC circuit breaker) to on/off, to set of t-stats to element
12V DC (Fused) to on/off to set of t-stats to spark electrode/gas valve solenoids

[YC1]

Just because you have 12 volts on the fuse panel does not mean you have 12 volts at the panel. If the lights do not go on the 12 volts is probably not getting there.

Gently pop the fuse panel out or go to the back of the switches to find the 12 volts.

I had a bad connection on the back of my fuse panel.

Another person failed to mention they were "exercising" the plugs on the fuse panel and put one back on the wrong bank of fuses.

You may have some variances but this may help.

[Jim McElwee]

Thanks everyone for their help. To recap it was a suburban water heater, 05 40 ft windsor both gas and 120 volt. I did not have 12 volts at the control switches inside the coach and both went out at the same time. The fuse panel was good and I was looking for a fuse or relay that sent the switches 12 volt. To fix the problem I added a short 12 inch wire from the 12 volt courtesy light to the control switches. Both 120 and gas heater elements came live. Sorry it took so long to complete this repair as a little health problem came up. Thanks again.