110 volt water heater switch does no light.

thanks- hope it fitted well. was yours like ours? where removing it is awkward

The filament in my water heater switch's light burned out. They were cheap so I just bought a new switch and replaced it.

UHOH! thanks.
no access from the back

Lighted rocker switch 'snaps' into cut-out in wall.
If you have access to rear of switch you can pinch the tabs top/bottom and push switch out

If no rear access you will need to press tabs down using thin blade tip of screw driver and pull switch out.

With switch out you can check for voltage on terminals.
Bulb is probably not replaceable as those switches are inexpensive.....just replace if bad and issue is not lack of power

thanks all
we have hot water this morning and the propane was off so lets hope the electric still heats the water.
other than a huge axe... suggestions on how to get at the bulb?

Is there a reset? Well, in a manner of speaking yes, But more in a paragraph.

First: that there is clearly an ATWOOD model.

Now your answer: The overheat detector is the ECO (Emergency cut off)
It is a self resetting device, basically a disc thrmostat identically (physically) to the T-Stat but set for a higher temp.

The "Reset" is simply to let it cool off. a bit, then it resets itself.
NOTE: at this temp the water will still be hot.. Over 100 degrees.

NO there is NOT a reset for electric if overheated.

NO electric element can NOT be accessed from outside.
It is installed in the back of tank accessed from inside rv.

Tripped AC circuit breaker, blown DC fuse for control, bad DC relay, electric element burnt out.

IF water is very hot........normal t-stat is probably not opening.
But that depends on your definition of very hot.
Remember...t-stat is set for 140*F so straight water from hot side of faucet will be very hot......should be tempered with cold for use.
But if water is almost steaming coming out of faucet then it is probably due to bad t-stat and ECO is controlling temp (180*F)


Your switch for water heater...that is not Atwood so must be rv mfg. set up.
Regardless it should be a DC switch using 12V DC power because Atwood is set up that way (since 2004)...that is how they can use just one set of t-stats for both electric & propane operation

thanks all
is there a reset switch? for the electrical heater if it overheats?
can the electrical heater part be replace from the outside or does the whole thing have to come out?

There are a number of different controls for Atwood heaters. The panel is, shall we say, optional.

If you have two switches, one for gas, one for electric, and a light... Well let me describe my system

Two switches internal lights, plus a FAULT light. as someone above said the fault light only comes on if something goes wrong.. ON PROPANE this would normally be failure to light.. On both propane and electric if the ECO (Emergency Cut Off Thermostat) opens, it will set the fault light. IF you follow the factory suggested winterizing process (Which includes removal of the red wire from the ECO) and fail to re-attrach the wire.. FAULT LIGHT, If you have to ask how I know this.... You likely are unable to read this post :) ).

As for the lights inside the switches.. Yes, those like to burn out.

A electronics store (The kind of store where Joe's TV shops for parts) I freqauent sells a plastic tube, roughly a qauarter inch in diamater and perhaps 2 inches long. One end has a plastic lense, and a ring (Retainer ring or collar) the other end wires,, They also sell a bit of spring steels that slips over the tube (Speed nut).

They sell several versions of these, one is marked 120 volt (Wires are both same color) the rest are marked 12 volt (Differnet color lenses and one wire is red, other wire may be black or white, does not matter which)

I drill a hole near the switch, insert tube, slip nut over wires and tube and connect leads to switch.. Switch (lighted) has 3 terminals, one is ground one is 12 volt hot one switched. The light itself figures out which, RED is positive switched.

NOTE: if your panel does not have lighted switches, and you would like to add this feature... The same method works.. The only thing you will have to do is find a ground lead,, Hook the non-red wire to the ground switch.

now with the water heater switch OFF touch the red lead to one terminal, if it lights, hook it to the OTHER terminal, if it does not light, hook it to that terminal and try the switch, Should light when switch on.

If it's an Atwood combo water heater it has a dual ON/OFF Panel with Light in between switches.

Like this



That Light is a 'Fault' indicator light
It will come on when heating with propane IF:
Propane fails to light
Propane normal t-stat fails to open and the ECO (high temp t-stat) opens

It will also come on when heating with electric IF:
ECO (high temp t-stat) opens cause normal t-stat failed

Atwood uses the same set of t-stats for both electric and propane operation
Normal pre-set to Open at 140*F (re-closes when temp drops to 110*F)
ECO pre-set to Open at 180*F (re-closes when temp drops below 150*F)

IF ECO has opened.fault light ON water heater will not reheat again until fault light is cleared (water temp low enough/problem with propane not lighting) and ON/OFF switch turned OFF then back ON

Sounds like you need a new normal t-stat.
Normal & ECO t-stats are sold together as a set ($15-$18) and should change both.

Electric heating element is feed from a 110V AC circuit breaker..........but DC power is used to activate the 110V AC to element.
DC power from DC Dist. Panel (fuse) goes to ON/OFF switch (both electric and gas) then to a relay. When relay closes AC power then goes from Circuit breaker to element.
Electric element and relay are on backside of water heater tank (inside rv) under protective cover.

T-stat and ECO are in outside compartment under a foam cover.
Brown wires are on normal temp t-stat
Red wires on ECO

Also should be a thermo-fuse (brown wire with clear plastic tube---goes from circuit board to t-stat)
It melts if gas flame blows back out of combustion chamber (190*F). One time device-----cuts DC power