# Atwood Water Heater Toggle Switches



## Saltshaker

I posted this previously on another forum, then noticed a forum concerning topics that may answer my question.

As one gets older and the memory starts to slip away, some simple things can be confusing, such is the case with this question.

On my Atwood water heater inside control panel I have two separate toggle type switches, one for electric; one for gas; both marked "I"/"O"; we are thinking that "I" is Ignite and "O" is off, with that said; Question: is the unit on when the "I" is pressed in and the "O" is out or visa-versa?

Thanks in advance for any replies.


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## Leedek

*l* _IEC 5007_, the power on (line) symbol, appearing on a button or one end of a toggle switch indicates that the control places the equipment into a fully powered state. It comes from the binary system (1 or | means on).

*O * _IEC 5008_, the power off (circle) symbol on a button or toggle, indicates that using the control will disconnect power to the device. It comes from the binary system (0 means off).

IEC - International Electrotechnical Commission


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## Saltshaker

robertized said:


> Buddy I don't think it is so much about us senior members losing our memories as it is about the world changing so fast around us. In the past we were used to toggle switches that were marked with an ON / OFF switch. Today so many things are manufactured overseas, and the symbols on them conform to international standards. You will see the I/O symbol on the power switch for most of the equipment manufactured today. The "I" or flat line symbol does indicate the ON or closed position of the switch, and the "O" or open symbol does indicate the OFF or open position of the switch. To answer your question if you set the switches to the "I" position on the Gas, the Electric, or both at the same time these features will be ON, and if you set it to the "O" position they will be OFF. I hope this helps you out and Good Luck.


 Thanks for taking the time to supply me with this information, however, your answer doesn't quite answer my original question, this is really hard for me to put down what I need to know. As is on these type toggle switches, when one end is pressed in the other end pops out, when the "O" position is pressed "IN" does this turn the switch "OFF" or "ON"? As you state in your answer "if you set the switches" how do I "set" them?


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## Saltshaker

robertized said:


> I see what you need now so to answer your question, when you push down on the "I" side of the switch it will be ON and when you push down on the "O" side of the switch it will be OFF.


Nice try, no cigar! On my unit it is just the opposite, pushing down on the "O" turns the heater on and pushing down on the "I" turns it off. Thank you so much for your replies, greatly appreciated, have a good day...


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## Oregon_Camper

Saltshaker said:


> I see what you need now so to answer your question, when you push down on the "I" side of the switch it will be ON and when you push down on the "O" side of the switch it will be OFF.


Nice try, no cigar! On my unit it is just the opposite, pushing down on the "O" turns the heater on and pushing down on the "I" turns it off. Thank you so much for your replies, greatly appreciated, have a good day...
[/quote]

Mine all light up when they are "On". Does yours not do this?


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## Leedek

Note to self:

*Pushing down on the "O" turns the heater on.

Pushing down on the "I" turns it off.

*Print this statement and tape it next to you control panel.







I love Post-it notes. I use them for reminders everywhere. I even have one on the under side of the toilet seat to remind me to *Put the Lid Down.

*Now where did I put those Post-its.... I'm always loosing them.


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## CamperAndy

robertized said:


> I see what you need now so to answer your question, when you push down on the "I" side of the switch it will be ON and when you push down on the "O" side of the switch it will be OFF.


Nice try, no cigar! On my unit it is just the opposite, pushing down on the "O" turns the heater on and pushing down on the "I" turns it off. Thank you so much for your replies, greatly appreciated, have a good day...
[/quote]

I would like to see a good picture of these switches could you post one. This is an interesting occurrence because as Leedek quoted from the IEC this should not be the case. I love a good mystery and by the way I don't smoke LOL. Good Luck. 
[/quote]

It is very simple, Gilligan wired it incorrectly.


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## Insomniak

CamperAndy said:


> I see what you need now so to answer your question, when you push down on the "I" side of the switch it will be ON and when you push down on the "O" side of the switch it will be OFF.


Nice try, no cigar! On my unit it is just the opposite, pushing down on the "O" turns the heater on and pushing down on the "I" turns it off. Thank you so much for your replies, greatly appreciated, have a good day...
[/quote]

I would like to see a good picture of these switches could you post one. This is an interesting occurrence because as Leedek quoted from the IEC this should not be the case. I love a good mystery and by the way I don't smoke LOL. Good Luck. 
[/quote]

It is very simple, Gilligan wired it incorrectly.
[/quote]
Exactly. The symbol for "on" is always a "I" and off is "O".


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## Saltshaker

Oregon_Camper said:


> I see what you need now so to answer your question, when you push down on the "I" side of the switch it will be ON and when you push down on the "O" side of the switch it will be OFF.


Nice try, no cigar! On my unit it is just the opposite, pushing down on the "O" turns the heater on and pushing down on the "I" turns it off. Thank you so much for your replies, greatly appreciated, have a good day...
[/quote]

Mine all light up when they are "On". Does yours not do this?
[/quote]

Not on this 2004, I have no lights on the heater control panel.


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## Saltshaker

robertized said:


> I see what you need now so to answer your question, when you push down on the "I" side of the switch it will be ON and when you push down on the "O" side of the switch it will be OFF.


Nice try, no cigar! On my unit it is just the opposite, pushing down on the "O" turns the heater on and pushing down on the "I" turns it off. Thank you so much for your replies, greatly appreciated, have a good day...
[/quote]

I would like to see a good picture of these switches could you post one. This is an interesting occurrence because as Leedek quoted from the IEC this should not be the case. I love a good mystery and by the way I don't smoke LOL. Good Luck. 
[/quote]

Here is a picture of mine, as viewed now both switches are in the off position, whereas both "O" are out.


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## Saltshaker

robertized said:


> I see what you need now so to answer your question, when you push down on the "I" side of the switch it will be ON and when you push down on the "O" side of the switch it will be OFF.


Nice try, no cigar! On my unit it is just the opposite, pushing down on the "O" turns the heater on and pushing down on the "I" turns it off. Thank you so much for your replies, greatly appreciated, have a good day...
[/quote]

I would like to see a good picture of these switches could you post one. This is an interesting occurrence because as Leedek quoted from the IEC this should not be the case. I love a good mystery and by the way I don't smoke LOL. Good Luck. 
[/quote]

Here is a picture of mine, at present time both "O"'s are in






and the system is off.


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## RDS

Saltshaker said:


> I see what you need now so to answer your question, when you push down on the "I" side of the switch it will be ON and when you push down on the "O" side of the switch it will be OFF.


Nice try, no cigar! On my unit it is just the opposite, pushing down on the "O" turns the heater on and pushing down on the "I" turns it off. Thank you so much for your replies, greatly appreciated, have a good day...
[/quote]

I would like to see a good picture of these switches could you post one. This is an interesting occurrence because as Leedek quoted from the IEC this should not be the case. I love a good mystery and by the way I don't smoke LOL. Good Luck. 
[/quote]

Here is a picture of mine, at present time both "O"'s are in
View attachment 5418
and the system is off.

View attachment 5418

[/quote]

Earlier you said they were on in this postion, if they are off as pictured then everything is correct....


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## Oregon_Camper

Saltshaker said:


> Here is a picture of mine, as viewed now both switches are in the off position, whereas both "O" are out.
> View attachment 5410


Ok..so your switch doesn't light up when in the "on" position, but I'm sure that light in the middle of the switches is supposed to come on when either the gas or electric switch is in the "on" position. Right?


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## Leedek

I got a headache reading this... I think I may be in the "O" position for a while.







Or is that the "l" or "-" position. Any one have an aspirin?


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## Saltshaker

RDS said:


> I see what you need now so to answer your question, when you push down on the "I" side of the switch it will be ON and when you push down on the "O" side of the switch it will be OFF.


Nice try, no cigar! On my unit it is just the opposite, pushing down on the "O" turns the heater on and pushing down on the "I" turns it off. Thank you so much for your replies, greatly appreciated, have a good day...
[/quote]

I would like to see a good picture of these switches could you post one. This is an interesting occurrence because as Leedek quoted from the IEC this should not be the case. I love a good mystery and by the way I don't smoke LOL. Good Luck. 
[/quote]

Here is a picture of mine, at present time both "O"'s are in
View attachment 5418
and the system is off.

View attachment 5418

[/quote]

Earlier you said they were on in this postion, if they are off as pictured then everything is correct....
[/quote]

I stand corrected! I had trouble with the heater the last time we went camping, no hot water at all no matter what we tried electric or gas. So, when we returned I decided to find the problem, as I said before as we all get older we tend to lose our memory as is the case here. I had inadvertently left the by-pass valve in the by-pass mode when I winterized the trailer, as soon as I turned it and got water to the tank then I pressed the "O" on the remote, waited a couple of hours then checked it and we had hot water. All of this was done after I had posted the original post, and by that time I was thoroughly confused concerning the correct switch position. Thanks to all who responded!


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## Oregon_Camper

Saltshaker said:


> .....as soon as I turned it and got water to the tank then I pressed the "O" on the remote, waited a couple of hours then checked it and we had hot water.


Wait...you have a remote control for your hot water heater?


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## Saltshaker

Oregon_Camper said:


> Here is a picture of mine, as viewed now both switches are in the off position, whereas both "O" are out.
> View attachment 5410


Ok..so your switch doesn't light up when in the "on" position, but I'm sure that light in the middle of the switches is supposed to come on when either the gas or electric switch is in the "on" position. Right?
[/quote]
I've never seen the middle light come on, I believe I read somewhere that the only time that light will come on is when there is a malfunction in the gas system and it will not light up, could be wrong though.


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## Saltshaker

Oregon_Camper said:


> .....as soon as I turned it and got water to the tank then I pressed the "O" on the remote, waited a couple of hours then checked it and we had hot water.


Wait...you have a remote control for your hot water heater?
[/quote]

Negative, wrong wording used, should have read panel, I bad...


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