Atwood water heater VS Suburban

WoodGlue wrote:
Thank you edatlanta for explaining it better than I did!

WoodGlue

READ his post. He did NOT explain it at all. I want YOU to explain it. Doug

edatlanta wrote:
Doug, I think what this poster meant was that if you turn on a water heater with an empty tank, you will destroy the tank. It has to have water in it or the heat will damage it unless full of water. Apparently the new Atwood heaters have protection from this.

Well, they DO NOT. I want the person who stated it to explain why he thinks this. IF the 120 element is exposed to air and NOT immersed in water, it will burn up and NO RV water heater has ANY such protection to prevent this. THIS is how false ideas get out on the Internet. Doug

I have had both and noticed no difference. But I hate futzing with that anode rod.

Thank you edatlanta for explaining it better than I did!

WoodGlue

Doug, I think what this poster meant was that if you turn on a water heater with an empty tank, you will destroy the tank. It has to have water in it or the heat will damage it unless full of water. Apparently the new Atwood heaters have protection from this.

Atwood has an aluminum tank which might help distribute heat and provide faster heating and "recovery" than the steel/glass one in Suburban. We currently have Suburban SW6DE and I'm pleased with it. Like it better than a "standing pilot" Atwood we had, but technology keeps leapfrogging.

Anybody looking at this thread, the two brands use different mounting orientations, so if you have either of these brands and it requires replacement, you'd probably be better off replacing with that same brand.

WoodGlue wrote:
The newer Atwoods also can't be damaged by turning on the heater without having the tank full.

WoodGlue

Explain this comment. It makes no sense. Doug

The newer Atwoods also can't be damaged by turning on the heater without having the tank full.

WoodGlue