Atwood Water Heater Pressure Relief Valve Leak

by L B Brother
(Astoria, Oregon)

Question: I have an 05 Fleetwood GearBox and can't get the Atwood water heater pressure relief valve to stop dripping. Replaced valve x2, checked water pressure and temperature... all within limits. Called Atwood; techie says it's OK to drip "...its normal". Pointed out its even in the literature. I don't think so, too much water on the floor. So... are they supposed to drip... how do you fix.

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Robbie: I agree with you. A Pressure relief Valve (or PRV) should never drip, and if it does, it will only get worse as time passes. I've personally called Atwood and even chatted with their reps at RV shows and have not been able to come up with a solution. When I do repairs in the field I warn the customer there is no guarantee the drip will stop. Sometimes just replacing the PRV can fix the problem and other times it requires replacing the thermostat and ECO, and other times nothing works.

One RV tech I spoke with said he believes a calcium build up on the tank can cause the thermostat not to read correctly so the water gets too hot and a the pressure builds up to the PRV. I really wish I could come up for a fix for this issue. I suggest people start writing to Atwood and demanding a solution.

Note: It does state in the paperwork with a new Atwood water heater that it is acceptable for the PRV to drip at the end of a heating cycle.

Thanks for your question,Robbie