Improved Thermostat

The Atwood thermostat that controls our propane heat was a pain to turn on, difficult to read, and cycled through a large temperature range. Someone posted on the Pleasure-way group that it is easy to switch out the analog thermostat for a digital one, so we ordered one and installed it today. If you know who it was, let me know so I can give him or her credit. The new thermostat is a Honeywell Pro 1000 and cost $26.52 on Amazon.

Here are some photos and instructions for anyone interested in doing a similar modification. I'm not a professional electrician or RV technician, so follow these procedures at your own risk.

Simple hand tools are all we used. Like most items in the PW, you need an S1 bit for the screws. You will also want a phillips screwdriver, wire cutters, wire strippers, and a small slotted screwdriver.

It would be appropriate to turn off the DC power before proceeding with this project. The old Atwood thermostat is removed by pulling off the faceplate, then loosening it from the wall by removing the two S1 screws.

 

Once the screws are removed, you can get to the back of the thermostat. Remove the two wires, being careful not to let them slip into the hole in the wall, and the old thermostat can be set aside as a spare.

Cut the lugs off the end of each wire because they won't fit in the new thermostat.

Stip 3/8 of an inch off each wire. Now push a wire into the "R" terminal and attach it by tightening the screw with a small flat screwdriver.  Repeat the procedure with the other wire in the "W" terminal. 

Once the two wires are firmly attached, you can screw the plate to the wall. It requires two new holes, but the plate covers the old holes so you won't see them.

Since we didn't have a wire to connect to the "C" terminal, you will need to install the two AA batteries that came with the unit. You might want to put a note on your calendar to check these every  6 months so they don't end up leaking and doing any damage to the unit.

Finally, attach the unit to the faceplate by pushing the top in first, then gently swinging the unit down until everything clicks in place. Turn the power back on and give it a test. The on-off switch is much easier than the old one and the digital display is much easier to read than the bulb thermometer.  Enjoy your new thermostat!