Atwood Water Heaters

By: Dan Mercurio

Over the past 30 years Atwood has been designing and manufacturing water heaters for motor homes, trailers and many types of recreational vehicles. Atwood got it start by using the special techniques for the marine industry and quickly saw the application for use in the RV industry and has since become the leader in this market. Atwood is the largest manufacturer of specialized water heaters for recreation vehicles and marine use worldwide, with a great many years of experience building lightweight, reliable products for difficult mobile conditions.

Atwood Water Heaters come in a variety of models including electric, liquid propane-fueled and combination gas/electric units. Although Atwood water heaters are not tankless, the design of their tanks and the unit that contains the heat exchanger allows the water heater to operate in much the same way as many compact tankless units. Because of this, Atwood water heaters give you a wide selection when deciding on a fuel type based on each customers RV needs.

The design and functionality of the Atwood water heaters insure that water is heated quickly and efficiently and the patented design makes sure that they deliver every possible ounce of usable hot water from the tank. Atwood’s proven reliability as a leader in manufacturing water heaters gives every customer the assurance and satisfaction they want. Each one of the electric water heaters manufactured by Atwood comes fully equipped with a high quality incalloy heating element. This revolutionary designed allows each Atwood Water Heater to operate even when the tank accidently runs dry.

Atwood Water Heaters are built with efficiency in mind. One way Atwood proves this is with the development of efficient heat exchangers that quickly heat water when under power. Atwood has focused on developing each component for the maximum efficiency based on the capacity of each unit. Because of this each heat exchanger is specifically designed for the water heater's capacity resulting in the least amount ot time to heat up. Atwood Water heater heat exchangers use double tube construction that helps to prevent the possibility of containments entering the fresh water system.

The outer construction developed for every Atwood water heater is designed from corrosion resistant materials and is designed to stand even the harshest of environments that customers may choose to take their recreational vehicles into. Atwood has placed special attention to even the smallest of details including the edges and corners to assure the greatest safety. Even things such as the cubic shape and lightweight aluminum-alloy tank were considered when determining the greater flexibility when using water heaters with the vast number of RV floor plans.

Atwood Water Heaters are a favorite among RVers because with most models they can heat up in less than 30 minutes creating a generous amount of water to make everyone’s trip on the road an enjoyable one. When designing their units, Atwood takes all mobile hot water needs into consideration and as a result has produced a full line of products to suit every RV model and customer tastes.

If you are looking to replace an old or worn out water heater or are simply wanting something more efficient, you first need to start by consider what your hot water needs are. Think about the size of the tank that will you currently have and whether the new Atwood model you have chosen will fit in your recreational vehicle without hindering movement. Even though every Atwood water heater tank is designed to be space saving, like any other water heater, if filled to capacity new units can easily add between 70 and 200 pounds to your trailer or motor home.

Although size is an important factor, the next most important item to consider is the fuel type based on the current capabilities of your RV or trailer. As previously stated, Atwood Water Heaters are made to run on 120-volt electricity, liquid propane or a combination of the two. One feature when considering a gas unit is its standing pilot light which helps to maintain a constant temperature for added fuel efficiency. If you are considering a model that uses liquid propane or the combination gas/electric you must remember that they require a minimum input of 8,800 or 10,000 BTU depending size. As an example, with a gas-fired unit that has a 10-gallon water heater with 10,000 BTU inputs will produce a maximum of 8.4 gallons of hot water per hour. The units that are a combo of gas and electric feature the simultaneous use of the gas burner as well as the electric heating element. When they are used together it is possible for an 8,800 BTU unit with a 1,500-Watt element to generate as much as 13.5 gallons per hour. With the new Atwood 10-gallon exothermal gas/electric combo water heater, customers have seen as much as 50% more hot water than the standard electric unit.

Every Atwood water heater is designed to be lightweight, easy to install or replace and serviceable by any reputable RV dealer. The addition of fiberglass insulation around the interior of the storage tank helps to keep hot water ho continuously. The fact that they have reviewed so many manufacturer designs when designing their units insures the maximum possible space-saving when you incorporate any unit into the layout of your recreational vehicle. With decades of experience and thousands of units sold, Atwood is positioned to remain number one in the design and manufacture of compact water heating units and specialty water heaters serving both the RV and marine markets.