Atwood electric/lp water eater

wa8yxm wrote:

retiredtravelers2013 wrote:
Hello to all,

My wife I are wintering n Florida in our HR Endeavor.
It is equipped with a DC/LP 10 gallon water heater model GCH10R-E3
The electric portion stopped working. The LP is fine. I think I can rule out a power supply problem since the on/off toggle switch lights up. Does anyone have any simple trouble shooting ideas?
Thanks in advance.

First, it is not DC/LP, it is 120 volt AC/LP with DC controls

The light in the switch is 12 volt, it is controlled by the switch itself and has nothing to do with 120 volts issue or element, I am not even sure the control board has anything to do with it, a very simple lighted switch is all it is.

120 volt system has 3 components
1: The control board
2: A relay (This is on the "Back side" (The front is the outside).
3: Heat element.

In addition the support devices include the circuit breaker and wires, and the switch and wires mentioned above (With the light)

IF YOU ARE NOT COMFORTABLE WORKING ON 120 VOLT WIRING CIRCUITS HIRE A PROFESSIONAL AND STOP READING NOW.

Access the relay box inside the motor home behind the water heater

or the first two tests the heater should be OFF.

Measure the resistance of the heat element (Open circuit= bad element, this is a standard component used in many water heaters, LOWES, Home Depot, et-al carry them, MAKE SURE you get the proper voltage)

Check for 120 volts incoming to the relay If none, you have a supply issue.

Check for 12 volts to the relay For this you need to turn on the heater If you do not get 12 volts, and the unit works on PROPANE, you have a control board issue. (Which I actually doubt you have).

IF the control board is bad order a DINOSAUR BOARDS repelacement, you may also need to order the propane/AC adapter for the Dino Board,, American RV in California is where I buy my Dino Boards.

Not correct for OPs vintage/model.......majority of doesn't apply until 2004 models.
Ops is a 1998.
120V AC side is all 120V AC....DC is for propane side only.

wa8yxm wrote:

retiredtravelers2013 wrote:
Hello to all,

My wife I are wintering n Florida in our HR Endeavor.
It is equipped with a DC/LP 10 gallon water heater model GCH10R-E3
The electric portion stopped working. The LP is fine. I think I can rule out a power supply problem since the on/off toggle switch lights up. Does anyone have any simple trouble shooting ideas?
Thanks in advance.

First, it is not DC/LP, it is 120 volt AC/LP with DC controls

The light in the switch is 12 volt, it is controlled by the switch itself and has nothing to do with 120 volts issue or element, I am not even sure the control board has anything to do with it, a very simple lighted switch is all it is.

120 volt system has 3 components
1: The control board
2: A relay (This is on the "Back side" (The front is the outside).
3: Heat element.

In addition the support devices include the circuit breaker and wires, and the switch and wires mentioned above (With the light)

IF YOU ARE NOT COMFORTABLE WORKING ON 120 VOLT WIRING CIRCUITS HIRE A PROFESSIONAL AND STOP READING NOW.

Access the relay box inside the motor home behind the water heater

or the first two tests the heater should be OFF.

Measure the resistance of the heat element (Open circuit= bad element, this is a standard component used in many water heaters, LOWES, Home Depot, et-al carry them, MAKE SURE you get the proper voltage)

Check for 120 volts incoming to the relay If none, you have a supply issue.

Check for 12 volts to the relay For this you need to turn on the heater If you do not get 12 volts, and the unit works on PROPANE, you have a control board issue. (Which I actually doubt you have).

IF the control board is bad order a DINOSAUR BOARDS repelacement, you may also need to order the propane/AC adapter for the Dino Board,, American RV in California is where I buy my Dino Boards.

Once again, you have NO IDEA what you are talking about. He has an OLDER model 120/LP and the 120 control is ALL 120 switch and wiring. Doug

retiredtravelers2013 wrote:
Hello to all,

My wife I are wintering n Florida in our HR Endeavor.
It is equipped with a DC/LP 10 gallon water heater model GCH10R-E3
The electric portion stopped working. The LP is fine. I think I can rule out a power supply problem since the on/off toggle switch lights up. Does anyone have any simple trouble shooting ideas?
Thanks in advance.

First, it is not DC/LP, it is 120 volt AC/LP with DC controls

The light in the switch is 12 volt, it is controlled by the switch itself and has nothing to do with 120 volts issue or element, I am not even sure the control board has anything to do with it, a very simple lighted switch is all it is.

120 volt system has 3 components
1: The control board
2: A relay (This is on the "Back side" (The front is the outside).
3: Heat element.

In addition the support devices include the circuit breaker and wires, and the switch and wires mentioned above (With the light)

IF YOU ARE NOT COMFORTABLE WORKING ON 120 VOLT WIRING CIRCUITS HIRE A PROFESSIONAL AND STOP READING NOW.

Access the relay box inside the motor home behind the water heater

or the first two tests the heater should be OFF.

Measure the resistance of the heat element (Open circuit= bad element, this is a standard component used in many water heaters, LOWES, Home Depot, et-al carry them, MAKE SURE you get the proper voltage)

Check for 120 volts incoming to the relay If none, you have a supply issue.

Check for 12 volts to the relay For this you need to turn on the heater If you do not get 12 volts, and the unit works on PROPANE, you have a control board issue. (Which I actually doubt you have).

IF the control board is bad order a DINOSAUR BOARDS repelacement, you may also need to order the propane/AC adapter for the Dino Board,, American RV in California is where I buy my Dino Boards.

Thank you to everyone who replied. I will do some poking around with my meter tomorrow.
Not a huge deal, we are running on LPG right now.
Again, thanks.

Here is a link to a guide for your water heater:
http://manuals.adventurerv.net/Atwood-Water-Heater-Service.pdf

On your model water heater, the Electric tstat AND 120 element on accessed from the rear of the water heater. Monaco/HR also used a standard 120 plug in cord to power the water heater. This was a short 3 foot cord with a standard plug in and plugged into the water heater 120 receptacle behind the water heater. Make sure that the cord is plugged in.

On your year water heater the electric and propane are separate so no 'relay used' and DC is only for propane side (2004 Atwood combined them)

The 120V AC power comes from a circuit breaker to the switch to the t-stats then to element.

With POWER ON
Check for 120V AC to/thru set of t-stats (on backside of water heater) and at terminals on element (also backside of water heater).

With POWER OFF
Check for continuity between terminals on t-stats....no continuity bad t-stat (check that ECO is reset)
Check for continuity between hot & common terminals on element...no continuity bad element
Check for continuity between common terminal and element flange.....continuity element is shorted

Not sure on your exact model but some of the Atwoods have a relay in the control box.

Thanks for the quick rely.
I am suspecting the element as well, but was wondering which other components to check. Thermostat etc. I know for a fact the heater was never on empty

You most likely have a bad electric heater element. The electronics and light circuits run on 12V DC not 120V AC like the heating element. It only takes a few minutes with the electric element on and no water in the tank to burn it out...