Dometic/Atwood RV Water Heater Overview, Burp, And Backflush

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Certified Mobile RV Technician, Darren Koepp, walks you through a few maintenance items on an Atwood RV water heater. The video starts with a general overview of how the heater works, followed by a demonstration of how to "burp" your RV water heater, and wrapping up with how to clean out or "backflush" your RV water heater.
If you are in need of RV Repairs in the Olympic Peninsula area of Washington state, submit a service request on our website at myrvworks.com today!

[@RichardRincon-77]

The most informative I've seen regarding an Atwood/Dometic water heater maintenance and repair video! The only thing this video didn't have is how to boil hot water LOL

[@alecruzcruz9047]

*Works great **Fastly.Cool** compact and Easy to install*

[@danielrayturpin]

This guy has obviously spent his life on top of a large hill in a really cool historical building with neatly maintained plants studying the way of rv hot water heaters. Wow.

[@johnflynn1381]

Best description of the water heater function I have ever seen!!

[@hardtruth2039]

Excellent video! I carry an extra pop off valve in my 5th wheel. We live about half the time in our rig and I try to carry a few parts just for peace of mind. When I bought my rig I almost bought a couple of anode rods that were labeled for Atwood water heaters. I’m glad I did a little research first before buying them.

[@chetgarrison9101]

Fantastic video. I was having some blowback from the P/T valve. Thought it might be gone but used a punch on the little stem and small drip stopped and no leakage and no stream of hot water. Thanks you were great.

[@erikrezlman7900]

Great video Darren! Appreciate your explanation of all the various items on a water heater and how they work.

[@rolfschubert1853]

Great explanation. I love listening to people who know what they're talking about. I now have a much better idea of what to look for in my water heater.

[@davidmiller8727]

Thank you. Exceptional explanation of how the Atwood water heater should work. 😊

[@markbartlett1251]

Thank you for the common wisdom that share with your viewers. Your channel is my favorite RV channel. Keep up the great work.

[@lishster]

Thank you for breaking down the operation system on the Atwood hot water heater! Great explanation!

[@richardwolske2015]

I count on the videos posted on you tube to learn when I need information, you Sir have posted the best video I’ve ever seen Thank you ! absolutely the most detailed information ever . 👍

[@Lineman052]

Just stumbled on this amazing information. As a newbie camper it will be invaluable to maintain my camper. Also comes with great explanations.

[@tkfess]

Excellent video with thorough descriptions.

[@yaacovbenchaim2094]

great video ! Incredible tool for full timers ! Darren, you rock !!

[@MyRVWorks]

Thank you!

[@fairoaks42]

Just the type of video I was looking for. New RV owner and needed to feel comfortable messing with the water heater. Thanks for the info!

[@burtburt1755]

Thank you for explanation of these wires. I really needed this info. I also really like the area you are in. Beautiful part of the states. We are in south Alabama on August 19th 2023 and it is 101 and that's not the heat index. Thanks again for all the very informative videos...

[@peterdanniels2310]

Peter Danniels, Victoria BC, eh? Great explanation of this burp & backflush process. You really seem to know your stuff - not a wasted second!

[@isaacmiranda9250]

Thank you so much for your videos. they help me out so much at work and you explain things in a great way where i learn what i need to do and how to find out how and why not just fixing the problem and not learning anything but that fix 🙏👍

[@sheshickey]

Really interesting and informative! Thank you. Our brand new wh is now clicking, but that's hopefully a repairable problem and better than the backfire due to (likely insect) obstruction that created the need for a new wh ....

[@frankchen1237]

Excellent explanation, I know the control circle very clearly. And solved my problem. Thank you.

[@Wildmouse73CJ5]

Great explanation! Saved our week camping. Turned out to just be dirty but know where to look.

[@kylewilliams8390]

Excellent video, definitely the best video I've ever found on RV Atwood water heaters! Thank you so much!

[@rogerpolson]

Wow, great job of explaining how it works.

[@PaulMotu]

My almost exact same unit has stopped working and your information has been absolutely brilliant thanks mate. I can at least try and diagnose where the issue might be armed with this extremely helpful information and just a multi-meter. I cleaned it out as it had a ton of Aussie red fine dust in the whole unit built up over a year of two of outback travels and may have created my own problem by applying a small amount of hose down water (indirectly) but still in there which may have caused a problem in the sensor line. At least I have an idea of how it should work now so can try and diagnose the issue before employing outside assistance that I fear will be at exorbitant rates given the shortage of tradies here in Australia in this post COVID era we're in! Appreciate this a ton! Thank you very much. Paul (& Sans) 😀 I know now to give it a clean out a lot more frequently too!

[@soozsavoy]

Absolutely fantastic explaination. Thorough, detailed description that was easily understood and instrumental in allowing me to diagnose my hot water heater problem.

[@clogtowner]

Great video - very professional.

[@teriluna1855]

Wow, best video I've ever seen on the water heater! Thank you! I am new to this, and the manual says flush the water heater annually, but not how to do it. I wondered if it meant drain it and refill it a few times, which I figured wouldn't get that crud out of the bottom very well. And the explanation of how things work and troubleshooting tips really helped!

[@marykeandgarrygauvreau2355]

is there an electric 12 v fuse for the heater

[@tomstrothers4104]

Once per year should be adequate as long as your fresh water source is contaminated.

[@LeoSilva-vp1lt]

Thank you very much for your video! Great explanation! You really knows what you are talking about!!! You really helped us! God bless you!!!

[@garyosterhout128]

Great video, this is the one I was looking for. Thank you so much for this information. good job.

[@daveschuberth2081]

Very well done video, thanks!

[@flow_922]

You just saved me I just checked the hot water fuse and it was fine.. but after watching your video I went ahead and checked them all and one was bad and I replaced it now my hot water heater works thank goodness two days without a shower but that's all over now thanks to you

[@flow_922]

I would have never thought it would have been a different fuse you would think it would be the hot water fuse what's the chances thank goodness for you tube and people like you

[@iair-conditiontheoutsideai3076]

Hello I appreciate all the videos you have they really helped me I have a question though how often should I replace my anode rod if I live in my RV full-time and my water heater is always on I would assume it needs to be replaced more often given the fact it is always on?

[@bryanguthrie4038]

This was great and very informative. Thanks

[@chicofino111]

Extremely helpful! Thank you!

[@phillipmorris1334]

hello from the ozarks!! thanks for a very informative video! how do u check electric atwood control board on electric. im getting 12v to switch inside and 12v. leaving switch inside and into my control board but nothing happens

[@levimessinetti5213]

Another great video. Thank you.

[@mrjeanbeaulieu]

excellent explanation, clear and organized, thank you :))

[@alexisvaldes7029]

Hola buenos días, es de por mucho la mejor descripción que encontré a cerca del funcionamiento del calentador, compré hace poco una autocaravana con ese mismo calentador, exacto, y no me funciona en ninguna de las dos formas, tampoco envía señal de mal funcionamiento al panel de control, ( led rojo ), hice un diagrama en papel de todos los cables voy a comenzar a medir he intentar encontrar el problema, gracias.

[@Josejohn22]

Excellent Video, THANKS!!!!!

[@Sleeperdude]

Good information thanks for sharing

[@mrkrause3]

Thanks for sharing!

[@wannabefulltimers]

this was an awesome video, thank you!

[@SG-hi4zn]

Thanks, I have got water now! Brown wire connection issue!

[@candicecameron6545]

Great video! I learned a whole lot more than from the manual or the dealership! But I was wondering if you've got a video or information on the back of the heater? The side thats in the RV. I'm having issues with leaks!

[@mwholty]

Great video. I am having an issue with my Atwood WH. It is burning back through the air shutter. I cleaned the tube and vacuumed the heat exchanger both not helped. Any ideas?

[@charlesrose7212]

Another very helpful video! 😀

[@TheBirdandEagle]

Great video. Thank you.

[@CoyoteGo]

Great video. All maintenance performed on my water heater. Electric side and propane functioning. Water gets hot, but after a few quarts it starts to go warm. Propane doesn’t light to keep hot on demand. Thermal cut off is good according to meter. I’m thinking the thermostats are faulty. Would you agree?

[@Sebastian-dx2xg]

Great video!

[@jbrosam]

You are my hero. Don't every change your process. Cant thank you enough for your videos bro❤️

[@rodtussing7880]

Great Video - thanks so much. I was boondocking and my Atwood WH was running on LP but when ever I turned on the Generator it would also turn on the Electric WH Element. Tried to switch off electric from inside coach but unable to make it run just on LP when Generator was running. If I turned off the Gas WH Switch it would turn off the WH. Trying for figure out what's causing this.??

[@terebianchi8772]

Great video. Explanation of wiring & what, where & how it does what it does. I have a 1988 rv, therefore a 1988 hwh i believe. It is dc/gas only. 3 wires: green, blue, black no orange or yellow. It is also heated by engine. Any reason you can think of where gas WON'T turn off after temp met. This was after engine off & water cooled. Turned on water htr switch & never heard it cycle off. Fortunately i was in rv when this occurred.

[@selayma]

Excellent vid... Question: I replaced the igniter and circuit board... Igniter now doed it's job, as well as the board in that it ignites, but even though the flame comes on, igniter continues to click, and then has closes as though it couldn't detect the flame after about 10 seconds. Any ideas? I'm also full time, with gdaughters that I'm raising... Cold showers in the summer is one thing... Not so fun in the winter... TIA

[@TheBobberVlog]

Thank you sir a great explanation 😮

[@chrismorgan89084]

Darren another GREAT VIDEO! Back Flush 101! Could you post a general pic of your Back Flush tool with general description, I see it a Ball valve 1/2 inch?, reducer (size) copper tube (size, length) bent end (60 or 90 degree) and crimped end! OR do you sell such tool? Quick question ; RV furnace gas system and water heater gas system are almost identical except the Furnace has a blower wheel to purge the gas system (15 seconds) but water heaters do not?? Thanks

[@davidcampbell4174]

Super helpful, thank you. Liked and subscribed.

[@kathyweber793]

Great video and that you mentioned if the water comes out of the pressure release area there is too much pressure buildup or the it's at 150 psi or 210 deg it will release the pressure shooting the water out of it. That's what mine is doing. So my question is, how do you adjust that? How do you adjust the pressure that's going through this? It only happened when I was trying to use hot water at the kitchen sink. No hot water. That's when I realized that the water was shooting out of the pressure release component. Thanks much!

[@donkimble1417]

I was there once. Built a power plant on eden's hook I think it's called. Out by the coastguard. I really liked Bushwackers restaurant. Nice place. Great video. Subbed from West Virginia.

[@MyRVWorks]

Hi Don, Yes, the area around Ediz hook has been under re-development the last few years. The papermill, that made all they 'yellow pages' shut down for many years but is back up and running making cardboard now and the fueling plant next to it is making Port Angeles a great fueling station for all the ships coming in and out of the straight. Always exciting to see such massive ships sitting right out in the port of Port Angeles. We are also getting a new hotel, conference center, art center etc. Thanks for making the power good all those years ago! Happy Camping My RV Works Media Team

[@tomsommer54]

I love your videos. Do you have a video of how to replace the old atwood 16 inches by 12 to the new Dometic wh-6gea 12 by 12 with the new doors 94067? The new door is 3 pieces the door and 2 spacers. I can't find instructions for the install of the 2 spacers. Thank you. Tom in NW Arkansas

[@glocksm40]

Thx for sharing !!

[@busaj383]

That was a lot of good info on how they work and easy enough to follow, after rewatching the wiring part about 6 times. My 120v water heater section stopped working a few months ago. So how do I get to the relay to check that since u said it is "behind" the tank. Also I just back flushed the tank yesterday like always and now the flame will not stay lit. Ignitor comes on and flames stays on for about 7 seconds then turns off. LP is 1/2 full and the gap is more than 1/8" but then it has been for the last 5 years with no issues. Since u work on these so much u prob would have fixed it already in the time it took me to write this. Thanks for the good videos.

[@tedshantz6193]

learned alot from ur videos every spring my atwood water heater wont ignite 4 quite awhile sumtimes a day or then it lights and works great after that igniter is new and is adjusted properly anyone suggestions plse on how to get it to light faster thx

[@jerrykorf4444]

This is the second video on water heaters where you have a pop off dripping on the heat exchanger and rusting it out. I would add a fitting (maybe a 30 or 45 degree plastic fitting and a pipe to keep the drips below the components outside of the WH.

[@tjplusproductions]

You're just really good!

[@tmtex]

Excellent info

[@annblair4459]

Thank you

[@renaeelliott5037]

Can I use my water heater as strictly electric with no propane pilot being lit? I am a very new full time live in 5th wheel, I have this same kind of water heater that you are talking about in this video and so many things make sense from what I was told when purchasing it used and the whooshing noise that happens everytime we turn it on with the gas, so in addition to adjusting the gas I was just wondering if I could just strictly use electricity...

[@markdrevelator]

I think I will try this. Lost power and heated water hose froze. I got things thawed but now that I am hooked back to city water I do not have pressure when I turn my hot water faucets on. Was going to check for sediment in line out but I can’t get to it. Do you think this will work?

[@vegasrider2246]

I bought an older R/V. Ever since I found your channel and have been binge watching. Your information is very helpful to me. I have a question though. I have a gas only Atwood. It fires up no problem gets to temp. But when cools it will not restart to maintain temp. Would that be a new thermostat?

[@michellewhite7957]

Do you have a video on how you made the back flush tool?

[@Sam-qi4hm]

There was a foul smell when using the hot water. I did the back flush on my Atwater heater. After re-filling the heater had the same smell. Some one suggested using a 50/50 mix of vinegar and water mix and heat up the heater and let it run for a few hours, is this a good method or is there there a better way of getting rid of the smell? Thanks

[@lyman0715]

Will gas part of the hot water heater work if they electric relay is bad ? The only thing I haven't replaced is the gas valve/ solenoid and( the relay and heating element inside )

[@jeffreyengle2762]

Curious would you recommend using an anode rod in a aluminum tank water heater? And if not why?

[@tommybaez5260]

You sir are a god, thank you.

[@johnpratt9429]

GREAT INFO!

[@mattgb1111]

Question. I cleaned out my Atwood water heater from the drain plug. And as I was draining the water it was as hot as could be, hot enough to make coffee. And when I open a tap it's only say 75% hot. All faucets are closed and I make sure no faucet is open to mix hot and cold yet I'm wondering. Because no water is dripping or running anywhere and no mixing, and no taps on other than the hot water to a sink or to the shower. Any ideas or suggestions to check.

[@jerrylangevi3528]

I bought a new anode rod and the wan to flush the demotic water hear for my new grand design 17mke travel trailer. When I emptied the water heater I find it doesn’t use an anode and the wan will not fit into the drain. Is this the way new grand design trailers are being produced. I am. Trying to winterizing it for the winter.

[@lindaisabella9606]

Hi what would cause the tank not to shut down ? I replaced the thermostat and eco but still doing the same thing won't shut down . Temp gets very hot , then relieve value starts leaking thanks

[@JL-iu7bv]

So how do you use just electric? Is there a switch inside the outside panel? Or is it the switch in the bathroom? Thanks

[@ri5659]

Great info

[@greatfuldaddy]

Thanks!

[@stephenchristian5739]

i really liked this crazy thing is i dont know how or when does the water 'enter' the tank? When I turn the switch inside the camper on, the light goes on but I never hear any water entering the tank, also when the tank has water does it always refill itself from the fwt ? Should I empty my tank after a certain amount of time?

[@jaymewalter5788]

Hey, my HW tank was a bit different; however, you explained it so well, I could get the job done. Thank you so much for the tips! I am a new RVr with an old RV. I am somewhat confused about the inside lines that have all the different shutoffs and how they work. Can you please explain those also .. thanks so much

[@user-cg6di6li1j]

Enjoyed I enjoyed your video very much if you could please have a video of something about a hot water heater the hot water not lasting thank you have a nice

[@BigB1974]

Question for you. I have a 2004 cougar fifth wheel. On the RV name plate it shows the model of my hot water heater. Suburban SW60E. Is that supposed to read SW6DE??? Thanks

[@mjfriday2143]

Our dometic was working fine for over a year but then stopped on Saturday- the day before we were closing up for the season. We had hot water in the AM but in the PM it wouldn't work on either electric or propane. Any suggestions? RV is a 2021 Coleman and my guess is the water heater won't be under warranty.

[@davidbrugger5145]

During repair and replacement if 110 power switch the connection was burnt, mine is burnt at the thermostat could say why this connections are over heated? Mine are burnt also and my water is getting above 130 degrees it has always been about 120, thanks for any advice.

[@evstudios9309]

great job. your a very good teacher.. when you fill back up can that be done via water pump or does it have to be from a hookup?

[@waynehall6273]

Doesn't matter. Just make sure the tank is full before turning it on.

[@jthebk3864]

So I've had an issue for a little while where my electric heating won't work but the gas does and I just used gas until I had time to fix it and now after going out to peak at it and burping it my blow off valve is dripping and when I flip the gas switch its not getting gas I can usually hear the gas blowing through but now all I hear is just an electrical noise like the switch is sending power but no gas and no spark, is this a safety feature or something that I tripped? It's a dometic 10 GC6AA-10E

[@TheAirboss1955]

First, Great video. Regarding the pop off valve, couldn’t you as a rv owner, pipe from pop off valve down to lower level of cabinet so water during flushing and if valve would start to leak it’s not dripping on heat exchanger? Again Thankyou

[@gregspasiuk1924]

My dometic water heater WH-6GEA isn't working on electric or gas. I also have 120V right at the water heater. However there is no 120V on the other side of the relay to go to energise my heating element. After trouble shooting I have 12V coming in on the white wire. I also have 12V on the top brown leaving and going through my thermostat and thermal cut off and ending up on the brown wire. However that is when my bottom wiring harness is not plugged in. Soon as I plug it in I no longer have my 12V. There seems to be a volt drop inside the board. So then I have no 12V on the yellow wire to close the relay so the120V will be switched to energize my element. This is a brand new 2022 Winnebago and did work at one rime but now doesn't. I think it's the DSI board but what do you think? My trailer is permanently set up for the summer so I don't want to pack up and drive to the dealership to repair under warranty. Too much hassle and they may keep it for a while.

[@brianwaddell6044]

My new dometic water heater does not have a an adjustment around the Venturi, how does this oxygen adjustment take place when it is wide open?

[@user-mt4zr5kp7h]

My pop off valve on my water heater came with a barbed end so I just put a plastic tube on it and run it to the outside. It's never dripped, but now even if I have to really suppress her for any reason or even just to test it, I can do so without getting everything soaking wet. It's a good idea and I kind of wonder why or manufacturers don't ship it this way. I do have a question though. My water heater fires perfectly every time. Never fails. However, occasionally when it fires the flame will flutter for a couple of seconds before it smooths out. What would cause that? What am I looking for? I've had it all apart on an unrelated matter(electrode), and everything looked fine so I fixed what I had to fix and put it back together, and the fluttering is still there. Like I said it doesn't do it every time but it's one of those little things that just drives me nuts.

[@ksh2488]

We have this in our new Forest River Solera. We have read that to heat with electricity there should be a on off switch inside at the place this is installed. There is nothing like that. We switched it on inside the camper but it did not heat up the water. We are perplexed.

[@Sebastian-dx2xg]

If you have on on/off switch can you just turn it off instead of pulling the wires off the board?

[@philc.9280]

Just wonderful. Thanks. Why doesn't the atwood have a sacrificial anode?

[@beckyyu7455]

Phil C. Atwood tanks are aluminum so don’t need sacrificial anode rod like suburban steel tanks

[@chuckmac6541]

Can you hook the thermostat to any RV heater

[@juliewaggoner4916]

Ours is leaking g at the bottom of the outside terribly. Do we need a new tank?

[@gallom325]

Can I use Teflon on the plug to place it back on?

[@joshhendrickson1441]

How do I determine if my Atwood water heater has electric mode. I dont see an on/off switch or an element showing. Is this gas only?