wayne0
Active Member
Posted this in the electrical forum too. I keep burning out thermostats on my water heater. This is the third one in 4 years.
Any ideas as to the cause??
Any ideas as to the cause??
Atwood water heater issue
- Thread starter wayne0
- Start date
hottoddie
Well-Known Member
- Jan 11, 2012
- 2,230
- Boat Info
- 1986 Sea Ray 390 EC
Garmin 4212 Chartplotter
Garmin 24 HD Radar
Garmin 546s Plotter
- Engines
- 454 Crusaders
Where are buying the replacements? May be China related. Try a plumbing supply store. Bring the old one and tell them your issue.
NotHerDecision
Well-Known Member
- Jun 28, 2016
- 2,173
- Boat Info
- 2001 Sea Ray 460 Sundancer
2014 Seadoo 155 LTD
2105 Seadoo 130 SE
2013 Mercury Dinghy
- Engines
- Cummins 6CTA 8.3L
Sometimes having the water heater on without water will do this. Make sure you don’t have air in the system as well and if you run low where it’s sputtering then make sure the water heater breaker is off.
wayne0
Active Member
The components are stock Atwood. Water heater is always full as we are connected to dock side water.
PlayDate
Well-Known Member
Boat Guy
Well-Known Member
- May 15, 2013
- 2,289
- Boat Info
- 400 DA
- Engines
- CAT 3116s
I know the one I had failed when I was switching the unit off and on at the breaker regularly to make sure I didn't overload the breaker for line 2. I'm not sure if the part was faulty because after the new one was in place I stopped flipping the breaker. Haven't had an issue since....
wayne0
Active Member
I only shut it off when I'm of the boat for the week.
PlayDate
Well-Known Member
I would assume the reason they are failing is that the draw for the heating elements is somehow mismatched for the thermostat. Since you have burned up three in four years.....your elements could be the problem.
I would send Atwood an email with your Water Heater serial number.
wayne0
Active Member
Good idea. Where the f**k do I find the serial number. The danged thing is under my vacu-flush pump and I can only work on it with a mirror!
markrsimon
Active Member
is the thermostat actually bad, or are we fixing the burned/overloaded connector? I would look at improving the connection. Either crimp down lightly on the connector (in two places) before attaching to thermostat - helping to tighten it up and get more surface area to contact. Or even crimping after you have connected it. Soldering is another option since there appears to be a small section of wire your replacing anyway. Is that connector closer to the heating element or anything else? The other connector looks fine.
wayne0
Active Member
Yes, that connector is closer to the element. I did think about solder, and may do that on the new one. Thanks for your input.
wayne0
Active Member
New set came today. I cut back the insulation on the plugs and soldered the plugs on. Installing them Friday. We'll see how it goes! May be a while, like a year or so.
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