Water heater leaking

[LKANER]

Water is dripping from the hot water heater compartment and I cannot see where the leak is coming from. How do you remove the hot water heater or is there an access panel on the 2006 Adventure ?

[LDP243]

Where are your water lines connected? if you can see them or get to where you can see em check those for leaks, hot & cold water in and out drain & relief valves. most hwh are double lined and have to be replaced when they leak. on our 5th wheel the heater came right out the side , but you have to get behind it to disconect the water lines and electrical and propane. on our MH it just slides out of the compartment door,a much easier fix. I just replaced mine yesterday. Hope this helps you out

[garykk]

The most common leak is the pressure relief valve from either excessive water pressure or mineral buildup in the valve, sometimes just opening it and letting it snap closed clears it....

[LKANER]

Thanx for responding, negative on the pressure relief, it is somewhere s Behind the wall. Unfortunately the water heater is built into a compartment below the floor level and is completely enclosed. The only option I can see is to remove the screws that are around the face and pull it out ? That's why I'm looking for someone with experience with the 2006 Adventure.

[skigramp]

I do not have a 2006 Adventurer ... but I have owned two Winnebagos ... in both cases there was a removable cover held in place by 4 to 6 screws. On my present coach it is on the bottom and just under where the piping enters and leaves the heater compartment.

I had a leak similar to what you describe ... a nylon elbow had developed a hair line crack that was leaking ... a brass replacement cured the leak ... a $3 elbow and 1/2 hour of labor.

The tank did not have to be removed to fix the problem.

[Sky_Boss]

I owned a 2006 38J last year. I don't recall the exact placement of the HWH relief valve but I did drain flush out junk from the tank and didn't have any problems getting to the plug. There should be a panel where you remove 2 screws locate below the outside wall of the RV to flip the panel up. It is on the driver's side. The relief valve would be out in the open then. Have you been able to open the outside wall panel to the HWH?

The relief valve for the suburban 10 gal with motor aid model is at the top, middle in the picture of the unit below. I am pretty certain it was a Suburban model in my MH.

BTW, I would recommend you plan on flushing out the HWH while at it. It is not a bad idea while you are there. You may find a rather unusual plug at the bottom of the unit. It has a long head and you might want to use a deep socket to remove it. It is some kind of PVC plastic and the "nut" you can put a wrench on wanted to strip a little bit. I showed a picture to the suburban folks and they had never seen that plug so for some reason it appears Winnebago put it on. You can replace it with any standard plug you can get at most any RV place. There is no anode rod in your model if it was the same as mine.

[Sky_Boss]

BTW...I don't have any good, unobstructed photos of the driver side but the picture below is the day we picked it up. the HWH compartment would roughly about where the back bumper of the Prius in the foreground is. Like I said, there are to screws at the bottom of the outside wall that have to be removed. You should easily be able to identify the proper panel because of the hot air vet it has.

[Sky_Boss]

When I responded I wasn't in reach of some of my records and I thought the picture I posted seemed "off". The 38J comes with a 10 Gal Atwood, DSI with motoraid. Still, the access to it is the same as I outlined and the pressure relief valve should be plain to see. Here is a better picture.

[LKANER]

Sky Boss, I am familiar with exposing the front of the water heater, draining and flushing the system, however I cannot see any of the plumbing ( where the water lines enter and depart the water heater ) which is what I need help with. I think I need to remove the screws across the top and bottom of the heater and then slide it out. However before I start this project I would like more info on removing the water heater.

[Sky_Boss]

Originally Posted by LKANER

Sky Boss, I am familiar with exposing the front of the water heater, draining and flushing the system, however I cannot see any of the plumbing ( where the water lines enter and depart the water heater ) which is what I need help with. I think I need to remove the screws across the top and bottom of the heater and then slide it out. However before I start this project I would like more info on removing the water heater.

OH...I misunderstood the situation but I understand it better now. I'm sorry but I have not had to remove the HWH itself. Maybe this will help.

How to install an Atwood G6A-8E RV Water Heater - RVpartsDEALER.com - YouTube

[LKANER]

Thanx Sky Boss. I just need to find the access to the water lines. I'll let you know how I make out. Len

[ernieh]

Very few RV's have enough slack in the water lines to remove the heater before disconnecting. They almost always have a panel, cutout, door, or some way to access the back of the heater.

My previous coach (Winnebago Journey) had a couple of panels that you removed from under the coach. My current coach has a shelf in the closet that you remove. Access to the back is not always from the back. It can be from the top, bottom or sides.

[amanda_h]

I agree with ernieh. There should be an access panel where you'll be able to access the rear of the water heater.

I believe if you put out the driver's side slide and crawl under, you'll see a panel approximately 9" x 14" that is screwed on and my have some sealant around the edges (I've seen them with and without). Taking off this panel should give you access to the back of the water heater.

-harry

[LKANER]

The leak is fixed. Found the access panel on the side of the water heater compartment. Plastic water line connector as loose, tightened it and everything is good. Thanx to everyone for their input. Len

[Clifftall]

Good deal. Thanks for the update.