atwood/Dometic GC6AA-10E new problem

[BobinICT]

howson here are the results from your connection testing. I’ve checked the wire connections that connect the water heater to the wiring harness. I’ve replaced both switches. No change in the issue.

White2 with electric on= no power
Orange2 with electric on= -.475 volts
Orange2 with electric off= -.475 volts
Orange2 with electric on= 13.2 volts
Red4 with all switches off= -.024 volts
Red4 with electric on= -.031 volts
Yellow with electric on= -.031 volts
Red4 with gas on= -.031 volts

[howson]

howson here are the results from your connection testing. I’ve checked the wire connections that connect the water heater to the wiring harness. I’ve replaced both switches. No change in the issue.

White2 with electric on= no power
Orange2 with electric on= -.475 volts
Orange2 with electric off= -.475 volts
Orange2 with electric on= 13.2 volts
Red4 with all switches off= -.024 volts
Red4 with electric on= -.031 volts
Yellow with electric on= -.031 volts
Red4 with gas on= -.031 volts

I don't see an "Orange 2" in the drawing? And it is listed twice with different results?

[BobinICT]

I don't see an "Orange 2" in the drawing? And it is listed twice with different results?

Sorry, typo. Orange1 as you instructed.

[howson]

Orange1.

How did you get the two different states for Orange 1 with electric on? (One time listed as .475 volts and the second with 12V.) Is this another typo? I assume one of the states must be with the GAS switch on?

To save some more back-and-forth, what I'd have measured next is the input to the control board at WHITE 2 and ORANGE 1 (one at a time). Toggle the switches through their ON and OFF state. The negative lead of the multimeter on the board's GREEN 5. Results should be 12V with a given switch ON and 0V with a given switch OFF.

If the results are as expected, your speculation (documented earlier in this thread) that the control board is bad is likely IMO.

Thanks for the continuing updates. Very curious to know what fixes the problem.

Howard

[BobinICT]

How did you get the two different states for Orange 1 with electric on? (One time listed as .475 volts and the second with 12V.) Is this another typo? I assume one of the states must be with the GAS switch on?

To save some more back-and-forth, what I'd have measured next is the input to the control board at WHITE 2 and ORANGE 1 (one at a time). Toggle the switches through their ON and OFF state. The negative lead of the multimeter on the board's GREEN 5. Results should be 12V with a given switch ON and 0V with a given switch OFF.

If the results are as expected, your speculation (documented earlier in this thread) that the control board is bad is likely IMO.

Thanks for the continuing updates. Very curious to know what fixes the problem.

Howard

OK, question. I took the readings with the connections disconnected from the board. Should I leave the board connected and retake the readings?

[howson]

OK, question. I took the readings with the connections disconnected from the board. Should I leave the board connected and retake the readings?

Yes. Without an input, there won't be an output. Without a -12v return ("ground") connection (Green 5) nothing will work.

A hazard of this type of communication, I assumed the board was connected while the measurements were taken.

Be VERY careful with the meter leads while checking the voltage -- if the board's not bad already if something is accidentally shorted it may be.

[BobinICT]

Problem solved! I kept thinking it was a connection issue, ground or something. Last night wife was taking a shower and I noticed the heater didn’t kick on. Out to the heater once again. With the gas switch still on I pulled on the six pin connector, reconnected and the gas started. This morning once we came back from the dump station and before the skeeters came back out I did the following.

With the old dinosaur board still installed I pulled the connectors and pushed in the little window in an attempt to strengthen the female connectors. With that done, gas was still firing with the electric switch in the on position and by the way, the dinosaur board has three LED,s. Green for power, Red for gas valve open and yellow for AC relay activated. All along when the electric switch was on both red and yellow would lite up. Pulled igniter wire with electric switch on and no red lite. Connect igniter and both come on and gas lites.

Installed new board, hold breath, tilt head to one side and turn on electric switch. No gas light off. Silence. Turn off electric switch, turn on gas switch, got a lite. Turn off gas, check water temperature in the shortest line, turn on electric and bait a hook. Check water temperature and it’s hot on electric mode.

So. I’m thinking all my water heater troubles were because of the sometime operation of the gas solenoid. I’m also thinking because of all the connecting and disconnecting I’ve done the connectors became compromised and as a result of bad connections the board ended up getting compromised.

Thank you everyone for the help. In the end pretty much every DC component has been replaced but, it’s back up and running.