Water heater melted (just bought)

Gjac wrote:
There should be a thermal fuse somewhere to prevent that from happening. I don't see it in the photo unless it is to the left and cut off from picture.

Older versions (6E and previous versions) did NOT have a thermal cut out fuse.

YES your flame has done a blowback out of combustion chamber AND up the burner tube (see soot on air shutter)
This happens due to dirty/obstructed combustion/exhaust 'U' tube

Need to replace that circuit board ---will need to upgrade as that one is obsolete
Need to remove burner tube, spark electrode/ground rod assembly (clean or better yet replace with new)----clean out 'U' tube chamber by pushing some bailing wire up thru and out exhaust/tie a rag to the wire then pull it back out (chimney sweep the 'U' tube)
Clean up burner tube using small bottle brush
Remove orifice (unscrew it from gas valve) soak in alcohol then blow dry (no poking anything thru it OR high pressure air---will damage the metered hole)

Should also buy new set of t-stat/eco and at very least use the foam cover to insulate/isolate the set of t-stats

Upgrades....plus you will need edge connector adapter
Atwood 6E model parts

Edge connector for upgraded circuit board and older harness connector

Atwood guide says if the flue is blocked by wasp nest or such and the main burner flame burns outside the main burner tube, then the "thermal cut-off device" (a one-shot fuse) gets hot and opens the circuit.

EDIT--next post says there might not be one on that unit.

You can still get all sorts of parts for those Atwood water heaters (BTDT for my 1991 rig) on Amazon, but it might be easier to get a whole one from somebody who is "parting out" his older RV.

The guide says To clear the flue start at the top left exhaust end , remove the screen, unfold a wire hanger with a rag on it and swab out the flue

X2, Home Skillet.

How old is the RV?

I would replace the entire water heater, for safety's sake.

There should be a thermal fuse somewhere to prevent that from happening. I don't see it in the photo unless it is to the left and cut off from picture.

Here's the picture (I hope)...imgur doesn't make it remotely easy to link to a picture directly, which is what the forum needs.



At a first glance I wonder if there's some blockage in the flue that is causing the flame or heat to come out by the burner tube rather than the exhaust port. At any rate it seems the control module ought to be replaced now.

Now you take the RV in for a new water heater. Assuming it's a new RV, the water heater is under warranty. No fun, but stuff happens.

Try http://photoposting.is-great.net/?i=1. Instructions here https://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/15775751.cfm