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down_home's avatar
down_home
Explorer II
Mar 18, 2020

Help!

Atwood gas/elect water heater.
Dual switches one has orange led when there is a fault.
The manual does not even make mention of what the switches relate to.
Atwood help line has long disappeared.
What does the illuminated switch indicate: bad electric element or what?

6 Replies

  • Manusl says diddly about led light.
    However video on the net told of the linage to high temp and low non adjustable thermostat on side of water heater.If temp exceeds cap it causes the light to go on an the thermostat is toast. Replace both thermostats 25.00 each a lot cheaper from the net and do it yourself.
  • opnspaces wrote:
    it indicates the heater failed three times to light on propane. If you turn it off and back on the light should be off until it tries and fails again.


    Correct^^^
    It is a FAULT Light to visually indicate 1 of 2 things have occurred:
    If using GAS then the flame has failed to ignite/prove that it lit---3X attempts then 'lock-out' by circuit board and Fault light circuit energized.

    BUT there are other FAULT conditions that can trigger the Fault Light coming on.
    On Gas OR on Electric IF the ECO (Energy Cut Out/High Temp T-stat)OPENS it will also cause Fault Light to come on
    *on GAS full 12VDC is on ECO/Gas Vlave circuit----disrupt that DC Circuit and it is a Fault
    **in electric millivolt DC is in ECO/Gas Valve circuit so ECO is in 'temp control loop' (safety feature)----disrupt that millivolt circuit and it is a Fault


    Orange wire from On/Off Switch-----DC to circuit board for GAS operation
    Whire wire from On/Off Switch.....DC to circuit bard for Electric operation

  • wa8yxm's avatar
    wa8yxm
    Explorer III
    Guessing water heater. Does one switch feature a lightening bolt (Electric) and the other perhaps something that might be interpreted as a Flame (And that one has the fault light) (Mine say Elec and Gas)

    Fault light is for gas.. If it tries to light 3 times and still does not detect the flame (NOTE: It can light and still not detect) it will fault. Or if the HIGH TEMP CUTOUT opens it will fault on both gas and electric.

    Or.. .The winterize instructions say to "Remove the red wire" this is the wire that goes to the ECO thermostat (high temp cutout) and if you remove it during winterizeration and forget to restore it when you re-fill in the spring... Fault.. as well it should cause empty is not a good way to operate the water heater by accident.
  • it indicates the heater failed three times to light on propane. If you turn it off and back on the light should be off until it tries and fails again.

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