Atwood water heater

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Tin man

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Feb 20, 2011
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Long island NY
My hot water heater stopped producing hot water this morning, gas works. Checked breakers, ok. I read on line that it might be the heating element. Has anyone replaced this element? 
Model number of heater is GCH10A-4E.
It appears the element is in the back of the heater..

Comments suggestions.

Do I have to pull the heater to get to the back. It looks like the heater is built in.

Sitting in Cummings for service tomorrow. Do they work on heaters? It's Sunday no body is here to ask.
 
Are you sayint it will not work on ELECTRIC but works on GAS?  if that is the case..  Option one is to burn gas till you get to a shop.

Option 2: Access the "Back" (inside) of the unit, you should see a box.. Inside the box is both 12 volt DC on occasion and 120VAC (All the time assumiing everything works save the element)  The box contains a relay.

Observe the relay.. With the water cool, turn on the ELECTRIC switch and observe the relay  it should pull in after a few seconds dealy if not immed.  Just observe and listen (Makes a soft click) 

THat is the 1st step.. If it is pulling in properly turn the power back off and trace the wires, they go under a removable piece of insulation and that is where the heat element is.. If you can access the wires using a volt meter or test lamp check again.. (Turn switch back on but be careful of the electricity)  If good power.. Turn power off, Measure resistance.. If HIGH (more than one ohm is high) Heat element is bad.
 
If you find that the element is bad, it's real easy to replace. Just remove it and purchase a new one at Home Depot. If you don't have a socket that size, the also sell the socket wrench.
 
I had exactly the same problem last year. I found the stud for the ground had rusted off. Merely ran a screw in place of stud and regrouped the water heater. The stud is behind the water, easy to trace. Hope this helps.
 
Yes, the heater element is on the back. In many RVs you have to pull the entire heater out to change it. Check all the wiring and the 120v circuit breaker that supplies it before doing that.

It's a standard 1400 or 1440 watt heater element and available in places like Depot, Lowes, or hardware stores.
 
Did it all Gary, thanks. Looks like I'll get it fixed when I get home. I'm sure if I pull it'll rake something else.

Jim

Anyone rv shops in Bethlehem PA?
 
There is always access to the backside.. Sometimes you can open a panel (may not look like it opens but it does) sometimes, as Gary said, you pull the entire unit (I do not like doing that) but there is always access.

I see you figured it out.
 
Thanks guys, I'm in a Cummins service center for annual service. Spoke to the service rep, and said they will fix It if they have the parts.

Thanks for the help. I'll keep you informed. Like I said if I pull it, I'll break something else.gas lines, water lines electric. The list goes on.
 
Same problem, but with mine the relay, already mentioned, had burned out. Easy to fix and the Atwood relay was a next day delivery, even here in England, although I suspect any 12v relay with the right contacts and capacity would have done, but I could not be arsed as it was only about ?14 ($20 ishhh)
 
The tech said there was power going to the unit, said if the element was bad it would blow fuse? Did not. I replaced the on off switch two months ago, but except for that it always worked. Replaced the switch because the bulb burnt out.

Checked the ground it was ok. I think he said if it was bad it would blow breaker.

 
A bad element won't always trip a breaker. It will only trip if the "hot" side of the actual element is grounded. That doesn't always happen.
 
Pretty dumb to go to all the trouble to pull the WH out and NOT replace the element.  Unless the element is less than a year old.  Under $20.

The other thing that might go bad is the mixing valve if you have one.  It can be cleaned in a bath of vinegar to get the calcium out.

I recently took my Atwood out to replace the mixing valve.  Also did the element and flexible lines.  Just because.
 
Here's the element.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/1500-Watt-120-Volt-Screw-In-Type-High-Watt-Density-Water-Heater-Element-15896/204220144
 
Tin man said:
The tech said there was power going to the unit, said if the element was bad it would blow fuse? Did not. I replaced the on off switch two months ago, but except for that it always worked. Replaced the switch because the bulb burnt out.

Checked the ground it was ok. I think he said if it was bad it would blow breaker.
Click to expand...

Element can fail two ways, Short (blows breaker, not fuse) and Open (No current flows)

If you are in S.E. GA and can get me access to the relay and element I have the test gear.. Else, others do too.

NOTE I won't tear your RV apart, I leave that up to you :) but if you can pop an inspection panel like I can, No problem.
 
Hey everyone, like going to the dentist.  I'm still at Cummins in Kenly NC EXIT 106 on I95 NC, waiting for a hose to be replaced.  The water heater is working.  They did the tests and could not find no problems.  They did not pull the unit since it was working.  They think it might be a intermittent circuit board.  They said they ran several tests and all was well. Like the tooth that stops hurting in the waiting room. Guess we will find out when we go to Glacier this August.

John..we left LI last October after 67 years.  Now residing in Bethlehem PA. Hope to be home WED.

I had service here last year, and I had the MH serviced again this year. A real nice service center, and super nice people. They have water and 30/50 amp service with dump station and prophase $1.95 a gal.

Thanks everyone I'll give updates as they happen.
 
The tech said there was power going to the unit, said if the element was bad it would blow fuse?
Click to expand...

I would lose all confidence in a tech that said that.  First, the element has a circuit breaker rather than a fuse. And the most likely failure mode is an open circuit, not a short, so it may not trip the circuit breaker at all.

The switch you replaced sounds more like the gas mode than electric. That's the one that normally has a light. The 120v switch may or may not, depending on the RV maker's whim.
 
BigJohn said:
I had exactly the same problem last year. I found the stud for the ground had rusted off. Merely ran a screw in place of stud and regrouped the water heater. The stud is behind the water, easy to trace. Hope this helps.
Click to expand...
The ground stud is broken off on my Atwood electric hot water heater also. I assumed it was welded to the tank. Did you drill a hole where the stud was mounted for a screw? Is this some type of shroud around the tank and not the actual tank itself?
Thanks
 
One other thing.. When I got my new tank (My old tank got religion. It became Holy..er. Holey) it came with a new element (Hence passed on to Rachel my RV-Girl, er, Techniian) I replaced the new 1500 watt with a 1500watt 240 volt from Lowes or Home Depot (forget which) that's 375 Watts at 120 volts about the same as the Hott Rod.

Yes it takes longer to heat the water
Take a lot longer between trips out to the power pole on 30 amp sites too
 
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