clicking - water heater

You rarely go wrong following Doug's advice.

UPDATE This morning no more clicking and no power to the yellow wire. I followed Doug's advise and hot wired the yellow wire. Left the control switch OFF (felt that this bypassed it). I heard a faint click when I attached the NEG.

20 minutes later and the water is warm.....No cold shower tonight!!!

Thanks again for the help!

I would state as earlier, the CIRCUIT Board is defective. A bad 120 relay would not cause a 5 to 12 volt back and forth. What I would do, to NOT have to access the back of the WH, is install 12 volts to the Yellow wire at the circuit board area, feeding the relay not TO the circuit board(Cut the yellow wire) and see if the click goes away. If it DOES---bad circuit Board. If it does NOT, bad relay. VERY uncommon problem. I have NEVER seen this in 20 years of this model circuit board system. Doug

riltri wrote:

dougrainer wrote:

Old-Biscuit wrote:
If 2004 or newer model that clicking is the DC Relay that closes to allow AC to the element
It is failing
DC Relay and element are inside that protective cover on backside of WH Tank

Never heard any of my RV water heater electric elements click or any clicking from an electric residential WH
Heard them 'buzz' from scale/calcium build up but no CLICKING

He has a 2015 model. The relay may indeed be bad. BUT, a way to test is to install a AC amp meter on the circuit and see if you have loss of amp draw during the clicking. AND, IF the clicking is at the BACK of the WH, then the relay would be suspect. IF at the front, then no. BUT, I would also test the YELLOW wire at the Circuit Board for intermittant 12 volts. That is the activation wire for the Relay. IF the yellow has on and off 12 volts, the circuit board is BAD. Doug

Click is definitely coming from the back not the front. Sounds to be coming from the metal box.

Yellow wire spikes between 5.x and 12.x with each click. NEG to drain plug if that makes any difference.

Will have to take garage apart again to test the AC in the back and we are pulling out shortly. Will test tomorrow when we get to the next CG.

Thanks for the help!!!

Yellow wire is the DC from circuit board to the DC Relay
It should be constant voltage ...not fluctuating
As I stated earlier....the DC Relay is failing

Bigger issue is ACCESS
Don't forget that under that cover is DC and AC Voltages

dougrainer wrote:

Old-Biscuit wrote:
If 2004 or newer model that clicking is the DC Relay that closes to allow AC to the element
It is failing
DC Relay and element are inside that protective cover on backside of WH Tank

Never heard any of my RV water heater electric elements click or any clicking from an electric residential WH
Heard them 'buzz' from scale/calcium build up but no CLICKING

He has a 2015 model. The relay may indeed be bad. BUT, a way to test is to install a AC amp meter on the circuit and see if you have loss of amp draw during the clicking. AND, IF the clicking is at the BACK of the WH, then the relay would be suspect. IF at the front, then no. BUT, I would also test the YELLOW wire at the Circuit Board for intermittant 12 volts. That is the activation wire for the Relay. IF the yellow has on and off 12 volts, the circuit board is BAD. Doug

Click is definitely coming from the back not the front. Sounds to be coming from the metal box.

Yellow wire spikes between 5.x and 12.x with each click. NEG to drain plug if that makes any difference.

Will have to take garage apart again to test the AC in the back and we are pulling out shortly. Will test tomorrow when we get to the next CG.

Thanks for the help!!!

delete delete

Old-Biscuit wrote:
If 2004 or newer model that clicking is the DC Relay that closes to allow AC to the element
It is failing
DC Relay and element are inside that protective cover on backside of WH Tank

Never heard any of my RV water heater electric elements click or any clicking from an electric residential WH
Heard them 'buzz' from scale/calcium build up but no CLICKING

He has a 2015 model. The relay may indeed be bad. BUT, a way to test is to install a AC amp meter on the circuit and see if you have loss of amp draw during the clicking. AND, IF the clicking is at the BACK of the WH, then the relay would be suspect. IF at the front, then no. BUT, I would also test the YELLOW wire at the Circuit Board for intermittant 12 volts. That is the activation wire for the Relay. IF the yellow has on and off 12 volts, the circuit board is BAD. Doug

Old-Biscuit wrote:
If 2004 or newer model that clicking is the DC Relay that closes to allow AC to the element
It is failing
DC Relay and element are inside that protective cover on backside of WH Tank

Never heard any of my RV water heater electric elements click or any clicking from an electric residential WH
Heard them 'buzz' from scale/calcium build up but no CLICKING

That makes perfect sense as it sounds like a relay switch opening/closing. Only $10 on Amazon. Certainly worth a try, Thanks!

If 2004 or newer model that clicking is the DC Relay that closes to allow AC to the element
It is failing
DC Relay and element are inside that protective cover on backside of WH Tank

Never heard any of my RV water heater electric elements click or any clicking from an electric residential WH
Heard them 'buzz' from scale/calcium build up but no CLICKING

dougrainer wrote:
That is why I asked how close to the WH the Converter is. Atwood Water Heaters will buzz/click in normal operation. On LP you cannot hear this due to the flame. On 120, you hear this because 120 is silent. It is NORMAL. Doug

Doug,

This is a constant click that sounds like a circuit rapidly cutting in & out until the water reaches temperature. So this is normal? Any idea what causes it?