Water heater removal May 08, 2016, 11:14:50 am Yahoo Message Number: 160376Can anyone tell me the easiest way to remove the hot water heater from a 1997 261/2 ft Island bed .thanks.
Re: Water heater removal Reply #1 – May 08, 2016, 04:00:25 pm Yahoo Message Number: 160379There are several sites and You Tube videos on the process; this explanation looks pretty straightforward (ignore the photo of a house water heater!).How to Replace an Atwood RV Water Heater | eHowI haven't done this operation, but I believe that one critical part of removal and re-installation is making sure that the propane is OFF!Good luck.Joan
Re: Water heater removal Reply #2 – May 08, 2016, 04:20:24 pm Yahoo Message Number: 160380Looking from the inside it looks like the water heater is a little bigger than the opening. i was wondering if I got to take out the base cabnets to get at it.
Re: Water heater removal Reply #3 – May 08, 2016, 10:31:16 pm Yahoo Message Number: 160383Nope. Water heaters have uniform sizing based on brand. Every Atwood 6 gallon is going to have a very similar footprint and they all come out through their exterior opening.Heater removal follows this general process. 1. Remove the exterior door to the heater. 2. Open the tank drain and drain the heater. It drains much faster if you open the hot water valve on a sink. 3..Disconnect the feed and outlet water piping from the back of the heater. You may find this is easiest with the heater unscrewed and pulled out a few inches as space can be very tight (on our 22' MP, the heater is backed up right to the power converter with no room at all). In which case, hold off on this step and do #4 and #5 first. Other models, pulling the heater out can pull on the pipes- check access first. 4. Disconnect the propane line at the heater. Obviously shut the propane off at the valve first, and burning up the remainder of the propane in the lines by lighting a stove burner for a little bit isn't a bad idea. You may also need to clearance the gasket that the propane line runs through so it doesn't catch when you pull the heater out. 5. Undo the perimeter screws. These are what holds the heater in place. 6. Work the heater out maybe 6" or so. The 12V control and ignition wiring run along the top of the heater. Disconnect this wiring. On my older (1989) LD, the colors of the LD harness were totally different than the wire colors used by Atwood. If the LD harness colors are different, take a picture to save yourself some time poking around with a multimeter. 7. Take the heater the rest of the way out. Do newer LD's have a 120V heating element as well? If so, you need to disconnect the wiring at the back of the heater. I believe they should leave you enough romex to pull the heater out and then disconnect.How much time this takes is dependent on how much access there is, whether you need to fix any of the plumbing fittings, and other random acts of fate, but for a simple R&R, I'd estimate about 3 hours.Mine was a weekend project because I bought my rig with the water heater removed. I suspect the previous owner didn't winterize and ruptured the tank, and then yanked it. He had a cheapo bypass kit in it's place.I also purchased a propane/120V model to retrofit electric heating. I like using "free" campground electricity over propane when I can. The unit will use both electricity and propane to heat, which also speeds up the recovery time. It was a pretty easy conversion considering that in my rig, the power converter and heater are in the same space.-Jeff
Re: Water heater removal Reply #4 – May 09, 2016, 01:48:56 am Yahoo Message Number: 160385"There are several sites and You Tube videos on the process; this explanation looks pretty straightforward (ignore the photo of a house water heater!). How to Replace an Atwood RV Water Heater | eHow"That covers most of the process. LD does like to glue things in so be prepared to cut the seam, around the perimeter, using a sharp putty knife. Mask the surface around the perimeter of the exterior frame with several layers of painter's tape, to protect the paint, during the removal and installation. By the time an LD needs a water heater, the plastic plumbing fittings will be getting brittle, be gentle with them. Try not to bent the propane tubing, get the fitting bent slightly at an angle can make the reconnection a real PIA. And as Joan instructed, make sure the propane is turned off and the 12-volt power disconnected.This is the perfect time to install a water heater bypass, if you live in or plan traveling to areas that require winterizing.Larry
Re: Water heater removal Reply #5 – May 09, 2016, 07:53:49 am Yahoo Message Number: 160389"...make sure the propane is turned off and the 12-volt power disconnected" ---- Thanks for the reminder to disconnect the 12V, Larry! I looked at my water heater after reading the OP's post; it is indeed stuck in the hole with LD's usual "seal zeal"!Joan
Topic: Water heater removal (Read 27 times)
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Topic: Water heater removal (Read 27 times)
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