Atwood water heater clicks on Electric!

[donandlin]

Lately we switch on the electric to get hot water, it heats up fine but when it seems to reach the preset temperature it starts clicking. Now I am talking electric not propane. We can turn it off and all is fine but when we need to heat up the water it will happen again. Domestic offered no help just to take it in for service. It would seem that if it was a bad thermostat or maybe some kind of reset, we may be able to tackle it ourselves. Thanks

 

[Gizmo100]

Have you determined if the clicking sound is from the igniter or from a different source?

 

[Henry J Fate]

While it is making the clicking sound, take a look outside in the service door to see if you can locate the source of the clicking. Could be related to the propane circuit. Check in the service door carefully. The control board may be the source. Be sure to identify the correct source. This type of noise can be difficult to pinpoint. I generally use both hearing and touch to try and pinpoint these types of noises.

Also check to see if it will make the same noise using propane only.

 

[Henry J Fate]

Couple of other helpful clues...

The model Atwood you have and if the unit is using an after market electric heating element.

 

[8Muddypaws]

If it?s an Atwood propane/electric model the electric thermostat is on the rear of the tank.  If you can get to the rear it should not be hard to find.  It?s under the rectangular cover.

If you can?t get to the rear you?ll have to remove the WH to get at it.

Mine makes a clicking sound from the heater element itself.  Changing the element made it quieter.  But guess what?  That on the rear of the tank too.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Please identify the Atwood model number.  A clicking sound once the water is hot sounds very much like the thermostat circuit, but the where and how of the thermostat varies with the model. Older Atwoods have a dedicated thermostat for 120vac control, while newer ones share a single thermostat for LP and electric and the controller board cycles a relay to switch 120v power on/off as needed. The clicking could be the relay or the thermostat itself.  Try the heater on LP gas and see if you get the same clicking?

 

[John From Detroit]

Yes it will click. once when the heat element is turned on and again when it turns off.

On the back side (INside the rv where the pipes connect) is a black box
Inside the box is a relay
12 volt DC Coil
120 Volt (or higher) contacts.

 

[donandlin]

I plan on seeing what happens when we heat water using propane. The Atwood is GC10A-4E. It’s new in our 2014 coach. I’m leaning toward replacing the thermostat and ECO. $11 from Amazon. Atwood suggested a new circuit board, ironically they could send it for $286 or I can get it from Amazon for $129!

 

[donandlin]

Wow! I don’t remember that post from 2019 and now we have the same clicking again! I can’t tell you if it corrected itself or if we did something else!! I don’t think we did anything! I may just try the thermostat which seems like a quick fix if it works.

 

[Kirk]

I’m leaning toward replacing the thermostat and ECO. $11 from Amazon.

I think that would be what I'd do first as well if you aren't able to pin down just where the clicking is coming from. If you should replace the circuit board, I suggest that you get one from Dinosaur Electronics as they cost less and have a longer warranty. I have used their circuit boards for years and have never had one fail me.

 

[donandlin]

Thanks for the info. I did try it using propane and no clicking however yesterday it didn’t click when we used electric either! But this morning it clicked after 10 minutes with electric! Who knows??

 

[John From Detroit]

Please identify the Atwood model number. A clicking sound once the water is hot sounds very much like the thermostat circuit, but the where and how of the thermostat varies with the model. Older Atwoods have a dedicated thermostat for 120vac control, while newer ones share a single thermostat for LP and electric and the controller board cycles a relay to switch 120v power on/off as needed. The clicking could be the relay or the thermostat itself. Try the heater on LP gas and see if you get the same clicking?

And on the new ones there is a relay on the "Backside" (the inside of the RV the side where the pipes hook up) inside the black boc
So CLICK---very long pause----Click that's the relay and//or T-Stat

Snap-snap-snap-snap.. is the ignition system