How to disable the Atwood Water Heater.

[Kamper Dave]

How to disable the ATWOOD water heater from the exterior access panel of an RV?
One of our fellow work campers was transported 145 miles to a hospital. We happened by his camper and notice water running from multiple places beneath the camper. We immediately turned off the incoming water supply and pulled the dump valves to the black and gray tanks. We had no access to the interior of the unit to determine the problem. I wanted to disable the water heater in case it went dry. I pulled the wire from the STAT and hoped for the best. The next day the folks returned to camp and I reversed the process.
WOULD THIS HAVE KEPT THE WATER HEATER FROM WORKING?
Thank you in advance?. Kamper Dave

 

[Alfa38User]

I believe so because the 'stat' and over temp control (1 unit) should be in series with the electric element. Some water heaters have 2 of these, 1 for gas and 1 for electric.

Good thinking!!!

 

[Kamper Dave]

Thank You!

 

[John From Detroit]

From the outside panel you have a piece of what looks like foam rubber rougly front and center, ON it will be two sets of letters one is ECO,, There are two wires connected to something just below those letters,  Remove the red one.  This will put the heater into FAULT (Over temp) mode (ECO is "emergency cut off")

To restore normal operation... Reconnect wire.

NOTE: This is a normal part of the winterization procedure per Attwood manual.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Probably not. On most Atwood heaters, it would only have prohibited the heater from running on LP gas but not electric. Until very recently, Atwood water heaters had separate T-stats for gas and electric modes and electric would still have worked if the electric mode switch was on.  Pulling the camper's shore power cord would have done for the heater electric mode.

 

[Kamper Dave]

All is well that end well.... most of the time.

 

[SargeW]

Yep, I think pulling the power cord, and turning off the propane at the bottle would be your best bet.  However, that may also spoil whatever is in the refer as well.

 

[Jim Dick]

If you disconnect the power connector to the control board, the heater will be disabled. It's the multiple contact connector to the PC board. It is also useful when trying to trouble shoot a problem.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

If you disconnect the power connector to the control board, the heater will be disabled.

I'll have to play around with mine and see if that applies, Jim. My 2004-vintage Atwood seems to have a completely autonomous 120v power section, but I've never actually tested it to see.

 

[Jim Dick]

Gary,

When I posted that I was thinking propane. Guess I need to read the question more closely!