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Old 12-28-2012, 09:53 PM   #1
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Atwood water Heater

Have a Journey 2003 and I am having a terrible time with the water heater. After putting the plastic tube fuse in it works about 10 times and then quits working. I have gone to 5 repair facilities and 5 fuses later, i doubt that I am any further ahead. The last repair place called Winnebago and they said there was a "fix" for it, just leave the basement door slightly open on the water heater compartment. They said they used to have "a fix" with a hinge device which held the basement door out from the coach about two inches. Really!!! We have had a metal shield put on to protect the fuse, decreased the air intake on the tube with ignitor, cleaned parts, and I have lost track of other things. Now we just buy a new fuze every two weeks at $30 bucks for two. Has anyone had the same problem and what did they do?
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Old 12-29-2012, 04:03 AM   #2
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Have a Journey 2003 and I am having a terrible time with the water heater. After putting the plastic tube fuse in it works about 10 times and then quits working. I have gone to 5 repair facilities and 5 fuses later, i doubt that I am any further ahead. The last repair place called Winnebago and they said there was a "fix" for it, just leave the basement door slightly open on the water heater compartment. They said they used to have "a fix" with a hinge device which held the basement door out from the coach about two inches. Really!!! We have had a metal shield put on to protect the fuse, decreased the air intake on the tube with ignitor, cleaned parts, and I have lost track of other things. Now we just buy a new fuze every two weeks at $30 bucks for two. Has anyone had the same problem and what did they do?
i removed the plastic view window from the wh access door and drilled about a dozen 3/16 holes in the bottom edge of the door to allow more air to get into the compartment.
i readjusted the air intake shutter valve so the flame is blue with the door closed and it doesn't roar.
my water heater works fine now.
there is a procedure in the manual for adjusting the flame on page 10.
radio shack has the thermal fuses for a reasonable price.

http://bryantrv.com/docs2/docs/atwoodwaterheater.pdf
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Old 12-29-2012, 08:51 AM   #3
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Does this happen while you a parked are moving? I have found it best not to have the hot water heater on when going down the road. I got the thermal fuses and spad connects at Radio Shack and kept a supply in the tool box. I also warped them in aluminum foil to help protect.
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Old 12-29-2012, 09:56 AM   #4
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Does this happen while you a parked are moving? I have found it best not to have the hot water heater on when going down the road. I got the thermal fuses and spad connects at Radio Shack and kept a supply in the tool box. I also warped them in aluminum foil to help protect.
What is the Radio Shack part number and description?
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Old 12-29-2012, 10:23 AM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by coit View Post
Have a Journey 2003 and I am having a terrible time with the water heater. After putting the plastic tube fuse in it works about 10 times and then quits working. I have gone to 5 repair facilities and 5 fuses later, i doubt that I am any further ahead. The last repair place called Winnebago and they said there was a "fix" for it, just leave the basement door slightly open on the water heater compartment. They said they used to have "a fix" with a hinge device which held the basement door out from the coach about two inches. Really!!! We have had a metal shield put on to protect the fuse, decreased the air intake on the tube with ignitor, cleaned parts, and I have lost track of other things. Now we just buy a new fuze every two weeks at $30 bucks for two. Has anyone had the same problem and what did they do?
Venting/insufficient air supply due to poor design of the water heater cover was a problem on earlier Winnie mhs. Some people would put 1/2 very small round aluminum slotted type,(such as those under overhangs on a house) on the cover while others would drill several small holes across the bottom lip of the cover and them alongate them with a dremel tool. We put (1) very small metal vent cover on ours and (3) elongated holes on the bottome lip of our former mh, 2005 Winnebago Voyage and adjusted the burner tube as described by another poster.
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Old 12-29-2012, 12:59 PM   #6
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John Hilley, The Thermal Cut-Off Fuse is rated at 250v, 10amps and a TF of
98 degs C. Radio Shack: Model: NTE8096 | Catalog #: 55048819
You will also need some 3/16" Insulated Quick Disconnects Model: 64-3132 | Catalog #: 64-3132
I put some heat shrink tubing on the female connector and I reused the clear tubing over the whole think.
You will be able to share with you friends under $10. I have 6 in my spare parts box.
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Old 12-29-2012, 08:50 PM   #7
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When you say the water heater quits working do you mean on electric and propane both? Mine has done this several times on my 2004 Meridian and the first time I pulled the wire with the tube covered fuse off the thermostat and also the wire next to it connected to the other spade on the thermostat. I then connected the two wires together with a bent paper clip thereby completely by-passing the thermostat which made the water heater start working on both electric and propane. DON'T LEAVE THE TWO WIRES CONNECTED LIKE THIS THOUGH. Assuming this meant a bad thermostat I contacted a mobile repair tech to purchase a new one but he said to first just polish the two spades on the thermostat and reconnect the two wires. This fixed my problem, which I have to re-do every 2-3 years. Might last longer if I replaced the thermostat but am saving my new thermostat in case it really fails.
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Old 01-01-2013, 09:34 AM   #8
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I didn't have a fuse blowing problem, but the flame was erractic. I cut a hole in the w/h cover and installed an aluminum slotted vent as reference by JC2 above. It now gets plenty of air and the flame is steady blue. Also had the problem on my 01 Adventurer 35U and at that time I bent the bottom hinges of the w/h door to hold the door out a little at the bottom and it worked fine.
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Old 01-01-2013, 11:07 AM   #9
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http://www.irv2.com/forums/f101/wate...ey-146636.html

check out this thread below yours. SCV Jeff has pictures posted of his fix for starving air.
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Old 01-02-2013, 08:07 AM   #10
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Check out

http://www.irv2.com/forums/f101/atwo...rce-34271.html

for another source.
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Old 01-02-2013, 11:08 PM   #11
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I had this issue on my previous coach (2003 Journey DL). You need to do two things. One, get more air into the heater. I was able to do this by prying out the bottom of the water heater cover. Two, make sure that when you install the thermal fuse, it is bent away (to the left if I recall correctly) from the burner tube.
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