Atwood Water Heater

[skipro]

Every year when I begin to winterize, I am faced with the problem that my Atwood 6-gal. water heater does not have a bypass. I end up getting some of the pink stuff in the tank. Is there one that I'm missing? The manual is no help.

[Beverley_Ken]

Thanks for the update, glad we helped.

Ken

[skipro]

Well don't I feel dumb. I've had this camper for four years and never noticed the removable panel under the Ref. Four screws later and there it is! Live and learn. Thanks for everyone's patience and advice.

[troubledwaters]

If you look really close, you probably find two (or more) screws in the panel below the refrigerator. Take them out, then you you'll have to pry the panel out some because they usually are a pretty tight fit. You should see the water heater and valves behind the panel.

[skipro]

Ok, thanks to all who responded. I'll have to dig around some more. The location of this WH is under the Ref., so I'm hoping that there is a panel I can remove.

[winniman]

Agreed on looking behind the water heater. My old coach, the bypass was in the water bay. My new to me one, I have to remove a drawer under the bedroom closet. The bypass is on the back of the water heater, and can be reached through the drawer when removed. Yours might be similar.Cheers

[Beverley_Ken]

According to your trailer specs, you have a water heater by pass. As said look inside trailer behind some panel or drawer.
I would think that very few, if any RVs made in the last 10 years do not have them factory installed/

Ken

[downtheroad]

Got to be access somewhere.....(I have to pull a drawer out and remove it from the tracks....drawer is under our wardrobe closet) water heater access is behind this drawer.

behind a drawer
behind an access panel
inside a cabinet
under a bench

[D_E_Bishop]

I hope you will take this as intended, to help you help us answer your questions. Please include the year, make and model of your rig, and your level of handyness. The make and model of the WH is also very helpful.

The bypass kit linked by SoundGuy looks great. Personally, I hope I never live or camp it places so cold I need to winterize. I do have a full system but it was in the rigs design, I guess I should make sure it works in case I am in a situation where I nee to winterize.

[newman_fulltime]

attwood is not who does the bypass it is the factory.

[skipro]

Thanks for the quick replys. I was able to use a bypass kit when I owned a pop-up,because I could easily access the Suburban WH. In this case, I don't believe that I can get to the water lines without removing the WH itself. I was hoping that someone who had an Atwood might chime in.

[SoundGuy]

skipro wrote:
Every year when I begin to winterize, I am faced with the problem that my Atwood 6-gal. water heater does not have a bypass. I end up getting some of the pink stuff in the tank. Is there one that I'm missing? The manual is no help.

Whether your trailer's water heater is equipped with a bypass kit has nothing to do with the water heater but rather whether your trailer manufacturer installed the water heater with a bypass. If yours doesn't have one then simply install your own water heater bypass kit OR just disconnect the intake & output lines to the water heater and couple them together.

[bobndot]

I think you are missing to turn one valve.

Here are some pics of a systems valve configuration, scroll down thru it.


http://www.kinstler.com/how_to/winterize_an_rv/how_to_winterize_rv.html