Replacing an Atwood GC6AA-10E with a Suburban SAW6DE

[skinnerguscassel]

I purchased from United RV a Suburban 6 gallon RV water heater - SAW6DE which is supposed to be a direct replacement for the Atwood GC6AA-10E. However on the old Atwood there are four wires whereas on the new suburban there are only three. I have been doing some research and according to many forums online I should have bought the SAW6DEL, however, United RV said what I did purchase should work. I need help with the wiring I do not want to have to change what I do on the inside of the camper. When I want electric hot water I want to be able to simply turn on my switch to electric hot water. If I want to use gas I would like to be able to turn the switch to gas. Will I be able to wire the new suburban with the three wires to the old four wire installation and be able to do that?
I am hoping to attach pictures.....
1st Picture: new 3 wire Suburban heater
2nd Picture: old 4 wire Atwood heater
3rd: Old Atwood heater minus the Styrofoam insulation
4th: Another view of the old Atwood
5th: Back of the new Suburban
6th: where the water heater goes and the wires it attaches too.
7th: close up of the existing wires. ( I keep the old wires attached so I would know how to match up the colors)

 

[Kirk]

I suggest that you download a copy of the Atwood service manual and look at the schematic on page 25. If you don't have a copy of the Suburban Service Manual you can get one here. The schematic for it is on page 10. You should also have a copy of the installation manual as well.

 

[CharlesinGA]

Basically, they sold you the wrong water heater. You need a Suburban SAW6DEL the letter L on the end being the key. The water heater you have DOES NOT have a way of controlling the 120v AC with the switches you have now, The Atwood uses a relay controlled by 12v DC from your switches to turn on the electric heat element. The Suburban DEL has this capability, but the DE (no L) does NOT. It has a manual rocker switch on the outside to control the 120v AC electric heat element.

Suburban Advantage water heater (the A in SAW of the model number, are direct fit replacements for the old style Atwood and early Dometic units) The correct model would have been a SAW6DEL and that is part number 5322A See page 12 (PDF page numbers) of This Catalog.

You also need a new outside door........ SUBURBAN ADVANTAGE DIRECT FIT UPGRADE WATER HEATER DOORS 6279APW - SAW6 Water Heater Door, Polar White | 6279AEB - SAW6 Water Heater Door, Black | 6279AAW - SAW6 Water Heater Door, Arctic White

If you are replacing the Atwood due to leakage, you can have the tank welded, and if the tank needs replacing, the tanks are still available

https://www.amazon.com/Atwood-AT91059-Replacement-Inner-Heater/dp/B000GAROLW

Charles

 

[CharlesinGA]

Lots of editing on my post #3 so go back and reread it, as I corrected part numbers and links, etc.

I see you found the other thread on this same issue. Wrong water heater. To make it work you would have to buy a 12v controlled relay that is capable of switching 120v at up to 15 amps and then wiring your white wire to the relay (and the relay to ground) and have the relay switch the 120v. Plain an simple, the RV parts people are not reading the literature that Suburban put on on this, and are recommending the wrong water heater.

Charles

 

[skinnerguscassel]

I purchased from United RV a Suburban 6 gallon RV water heater - SAW6DE which is supposed to be a direct replacement for the Atwood GC6AA-10E. However on the old Atwood there are four wires whereas on the new suburban there are only three. I have been doing some research and according to many forums online I should have bought the SAW6DEL, however, United RV said what I did purchase should work. I need help with the wiring I do not want to have to change what I do on the inside of the camper. When I want electric hot water I want to be able to simply turn on my switch to electric hot water. If I want to use gas I would like to be able to turn the switch to gas. Will I be able to wire the new suburban with the three wires to the old four wire installation and be able to do that?
I am hoping to attach pictures.....
1st Picture: new 3 wire Suburban heater
2nd Picture: old 4 wire Atwood heater
3rd: Old Atwood heater minus the Styrofoam insulation
4th: Another view of the old Atwood
5th: Back of the new Suburban
6th: where the water heater goes and the wires it attaches too.
7th: close up of the existing wires. ( I keep the old wires attached so I would know how to match up the colors)

 

[skinnerguscassel]

It is done! With the help of Fixrv Dotnet I was able to install, have electric heated water, gas heated water, and not have to go outside to flip a switch. I will put the fix in the comments, I have included pictures. I sincerely hope this helps others! I can not thank Alex from Fixrv enough! Tip of the Hat to you good sir!
Picture 1: Top wires are 12V DC and the bottom 3 are 120V AC, don't mix them up.
2: Leave the 2 black, the yellow, and the green wires connected to the relay. Unscrew or snip the wires from the water heater to remove the relay with wires. The green and yellow are 12v wires the black one is 12v
3 - 5: These are the 120v connections. Connect 1 to 1, 2 to 2, and so on.
6 - 9: wires and schematics

 

[CharlesinGA]

Did you use the relay from the old Atwood? At least its done properly, never, ever route 120v thru one of the rocker switches on the water heater control panel!

Charles

 

[Vann]

It is done! With the help of Fixrv Dotnet I was able to install, have electric heated water, gas heated water, and not have to go outside to flip a switch. I will put the fix in the comments, I have included pictures. I sincerely hope this helps others! I can not thank Alex from Fixrv enough! Tip of the Hat to you good sir!
Picture 1: Top wires are 12V DC and the bottom 3 are 120V AC, don't mix them up.
2: Leave the 2 black, the yellow, and the green wires connected to the relay. Unscrew or snip the wires from the water heater to remove the relay with wires. The green and yellow are 12v wires the black one is 12v
3 - 5: These are the 120v connections. Connect 1 to 1, 2 to 2, and so on.
6 - 9: wires and schematics

Skinner, I’m doing the exact same thing you did. Can you be more specific with what you did with the Orange wire (electric pwr for the RV). I have gas option working fine and have everythin hooked up the same way except the orange.

 

[CharlesinGA]

Skinner, I’m doing the exact same thing you did. Can you be more specific with what you did with the Orange wire (electric pwr for the RV). I have gas option working fine and have everythin hooked up the same way except the orange.

All of this is assuming you bought the "worng" heater also, the SAW6DE. If you have the SAW6DEL the wiring is straight forward.
Blue to Blue
Orange on the Atwood same as red on the Suburban
White on the Atwood same as orange on the Suburban.
Green on the Atwood goes to a ground point on the Suburban

Skinner is using the old relay from the Atwood, he connected the orange (12v DC + from the rocker switch) to the yellow on the relay.

The ground on the romex connects to the housing of the water heater, and the green from the relay connects to the housing of the water heater also.

White from the romex connects directly to the white of the heat element on the new water heater. The black of the Romex connects to the Black on the relay and the other black on the relay connects to the new water heater' element's black

I made one editorial correction below. (strike thru and bold with the correction)

It is done! With the help of Fixrv Dotnet I was able to install, have electric heated water, gas heated water, and not have to go outside to flip a switch. I will put the fix in the comments, I have included pictures. I sincerely hope this helps others! I can not thank Alex from Fixrv enough! Tip of the Hat to you good sir!
Picture 1: Top wires are 12V DC and the bottom 3 are 120V AC, don't mix them up.
2: Leave the 2 black, the yellow, and the green wires connected to the relay. Unscrew or snip the wires from the water heater to remove the relay with wires. The green and yellow are 12v wires, the black one is 12v 120v AC
3 - 5: These are the 120v connections. Connect 1 to 1, 2 to 2, and so on.
6 - 9: wires and schematics

Charles

 

[Vann]

Thanks Charles,
yes I bought the DE and needed the DEL.
I’ll try to get it done today.

Jordan.

 

[skinnerguscassel]

Skinner, I’m doing the exact same thing you did. Can you be more specific with what you did with the Orange wire (electric pwr for the RV). I have gas option working fine and have everythin hooked up the same way except the orange.

The orange wire from the camper hooks to the yellow on the relay.

 

[Deano2002]

I just pulled my old atwood out to replace with this same heater, my old atwood has a 120 switch on the wall in the closet for the electric element and a lighted rocker switch for the gas, I thought I was going to hook that up the same way? If not I have to go out side to turn on the electric? Not a big deal to me if I have to also, I have what they call a module box on my heater with wires in and out, not a relay, my old atwood had no relay either

 

[Deano2002]

ok, got my new heater installed today and lookin for a little help in wiring it up. Mine original was from 1989 as far as I can tell, there was no relay on it nor the new one and, the 120 volt element is wired to its own switch, that's done. my old heater was wired to a 12volt rocker switch with 3 wires, yellow, blue and red, they were wired to the old water heater as such; blue to (blue water heater), red to (brown water heater)and yellow to (green water heater). now the new heater has 3 wires that need connected, there is green red and, blue. Now being the novice that I am I would connect the (blue water heater) to (blue switch) and (red water heater) to (red switch) which leaves only the (green water heater) to yellow (switch)? How confusing is this????

 

[Deano2002]

all good, that wire configuration was correct. Hot water again

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Yeah! And thanks for letting us know what worked.

 

[jengarrick]

It is done! With the help of Fixrv Dotnet I was able to install, have electric heated water, gas heated water, and not have to go outside to flip a switch. I will put the fix in the comments, I have included pictures. I sincerely hope this helps others! I can not thank Alex from Fixrv enough! Tip of the Hat to you good sir!
Picture 1: Top wires are 12V DC and the bottom 3 are 120V AC, don't mix them up.
2: Leave the 2 black, the yellow, and the green wires connected to the relay. Unscrew or snip the wires from the water heater to remove the relay with wires. The green and yellow are 12v wires the black one is 12v
3 - 5: These are the 120v connections. Connect 1 to 1, 2 to 2, and so on.
6 - 9: wires and schematics

I am doing the same project as you. What do I do with the two black wires coming out of the little black relay (from the atwood heater)?

 

[apcarch]

It is done! With the help of Fixrv Dotnet I was able to install, have electric heated water, gas heated water, and not have to go outside to flip a switch. I will put the fix in the comments, I have included pictures. I sincerely hope this helps others! I can not thank Alex from Fixrv enough! Tip of the Hat to you good sir!
Picture 1: Top wires are 12V DC and the bottom 3 are 120V AC, don't mix them up.
2: Leave the 2 black, the yellow, and the green wires connected to the relay. Unscrew or snip the wires from the water heater to remove the relay with wires. The green and yellow are 12v wires the black one is 12v
3 - 5: These are the 120v connections. Connect 1 to 1, 2 to 2, and so on.
6 - 9: wires and schematics

Skinner…Your 120v diagrams helped tremendously when connecting my new Suburban WH using the relay from my old Atwood, however the 4 wire colors from my existing gas/electric switch inside my coach are white, blue, orange and green…
I have wired Orange from coach to yellow in the relay, white from coach to red from the WH, blue from coach to blue from WH and green from coach to green from WH and green from WH…
The photo below is the gas/electric wiring from my coach…

 

[apcarch]

Skinner…Your 120v diagrams helped tremendously when connecting my new Suburban WH using the relay from my old Atwood, however the 4 wire colors from my existing gas/electric switch inside my coach are white, blue, orange and green…
I have wired Orange from coach to yellow in the relay, white from coach to red from the WH, blue from coach to blue from WH and green from coach to green from WH and green from WH…
The photo below is the gas/electric wiring from my coach…

Also, the white wire in the switch pic is to the electric side of the switch… the orange is to the gas side of the switch

 

[apcarch]

…and green from coach to green from WH and green from relay…
(Correction above in bold)

 

[apcarch]

Have I wired correctly based on the above…appreciate anyone’s input…
Thanks