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Veteran
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Location: Cornfield in Iowa | Okay....I have removed the vent tube and blown out everything in there with the compressor. No spider webs or anything like that in there. When I turn it on, it starts fine but then starts kind of coughing like it's not getting enough LP. When I look down the tube, the flame will be a nice blue, then a bright yellow flame will go down the tube kind of like a flame thrower. This will go on for 10-15 minutes then it just goes out. What's this going to cost me? LOL. |
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Extreme Veteran
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Location: Los Angeles, Ca. | Check the pressure coming from the propane tanks...could be a defective regulator. |
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Extreme Veteran
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Location: Los Angeles, Ca. | also clean all the electrical connections |
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Expert
Posts: 1989
 
Location: South Central OK | If the fire is yellow orange you aren't getting the right mix of gas to "air" and the "air" portion of the mix is too rich or the gas too little (not enough flowing due to being low or blocked.) Take this with a grain of salt as I'm not a LQ expert but I am well versed at teaching people how to dial in Bunsen burners in my Chemistry labs. |
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Extreme Veteran
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Location: Los Angeles, Ca. | You might also have debris in the orifice. Take out burner and clean with small copper or brass wire (very small).. Kinda like a jet on a carburetor |
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Regular
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| Two things that were causing mine to not work was the ignitor was bad and burnt out, and the controller board was shot. The controller board was the first to go then this summer the igniter went out. |
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Veteran
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Location: Cornfield in Iowa | How do you do this? My fridge is running fine when on LP, would that mean that the regulator is okay? |
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Veteran
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Location: Cornfield in Iowa | Originally written by beeoerdog on 2016-07-19 8:31 PM
Check the pressure coming from the propane tanks...could be a defective regulator. How do you do this? My fridge runs fine while on LP, would that mean that the regulator is okay? |
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Veteran
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Location: Cornfield in Iowa | Originally written by 4quartercirclesperfh on 2016-07-20 8:25 AM
Two things that were causing mine to not work was the ignitor was bad and burnt out, and the controller board was shot. The controller board was the first to go then this summer the igniter went out. How do you know about either one of these? Just replace them and hope that works? Did yours run for awhile and then sputter out, or just not work at all? |
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Extreme Veteran
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Location: Los Angeles, Ca. | www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyTx8VIE_kQ Fridge doesn't take much propane....heater does. You can buy manometer on Amazon, Ebay etc. RadonAway 50018 Easy Read Manometer, Red |
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Extreme Veteran
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Location: Los Angeles, Ca. | The fact that the flame starts off fine and degrades to a yellow leads me to believe that it is a propane supply problem. |
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Extreme Veteran
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Location: Los Angeles, Ca. | Whoops....wrong link to manometer.....need one that goes higher: General Tools HG15 Hydrogauge Manometer....Attach to stove, turn on burner, turn on water heater.......pressure should not change, around 11 " w.c. |
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Extreme Veteran
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Location: Los Angeles, Ca. | Edit: pressure might change a little but must not go below minimum required as shown on water heater label |
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Veteran
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Location: Cornfield in Iowa | Originally written by beeoerdog on 2016-07-20 10:37 AM
Whoops....wrong link to manometer.....need one that goes higher: General Tools HG15 Hydrogauge Manometer....Attach to stove, turn on burner, turn on water heater.......pressure should not change, around 11 " w.c. Don't have a stove, we took it out. |
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Extreme Veteran
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Location: Los Angeles, Ca. | Look for a pressure tap at w.h. or regulator....just a plug that can be removed and a fitting installed......or buy a new regulator...less than $50 |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 448
Location: Los Angeles, Ca. | Could also be the gas valve at water heater.....$100....so check regulator first. You can also put a fitting on the pipe where you removed the stove.....probably easier than messing with the regulator or gas valve. If you have a furnace, does it work properly? If not then I would say the regulator is bad. If it is working properly, then more likely the w.h. valve is failing. |
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Member
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Location: Grayson Co. Texas | Mine was doing almost the same thing. It would light right up and go out in about 7-10 seconds. It tried it's 3 times cycle and quit. I switched it of and repeat of the same thing. On the third time, it would light and stay lit. I googled the problem figured I would start with the ignitor. Purchased it online for about $13 and replaced it. Works like a champ and used a youtube video to get instuctions. |
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Veteran
Posts: 146
Location: Cornfield in Iowa | Originally written by beeoerdog on 2016-07-20 11:46 AM
Could also be the gas valve at water heater.....$100....so check regulator first. You can also put a fitting on the pipe where you removed the stove.....probably easier than messing with the regulator or gas valve. If you have a furnace, does it work properly? If not then I would say the regulator is bad. If it is working properly, then more likely the w.h. valve is failing. I'll fire up the furnace when I get home from work. That will be pleasant as the real feel is around 100 today. LOL |
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Veteran
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Location: Cornfield in Iowa | We may have found the problem. The horizontal vent pipe that goes to the ignitor and has the slots in it for air.....it appears it was letting too much air in. I think when hubby cleaned everything out he put it back together with the slots wide open. loosened it up and twisted it together a little so they were smaller openings and it appears to work fine now. Thanks for all your help, now I know all the things that can go wrong with the hot water heater. |
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Extreme Veteran
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Location: Los Angeles, Ca. | Good job!!!! |
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Veteran
Posts: 146
Location: Cornfield in Iowa | Well.....went to a race over the weekend and it did not stay on. The flame looked a lot more normal, but still would shut off after 10 minutes or so. I really don't think it's my regulator, as the furnace worked just fine. Is there any way that I can narrow it down to the circuit board for sure? I'm almost ready to just buy one and have hubby replace it as I think it would probably cost that much just to take it to an RV place and get an opinion......
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Extreme Veteran
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Location: Los Angeles, Ca. | When the flame goes out, does the light on the on/off switch illuminate.....same as when you first turn the heater on? While cleaning, was the igniter/ flame sensor moved? What is the make of the unit? |
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Veteran
Posts: 146
Location: Cornfield in Iowa | beeoerdog - 2016-08-03 10:44 AM When the flame goes out, does the light on the on/off switch illuminate.....same as when you first turn the heater on? While cleaning, was the igniter/ flame sensor moved? What is the make of the unit?
Quite sure it's an Atwood and the ignitor wasn't moved. The light does stay on when it goes out.
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 448
Location: Los Angeles, Ca. | http://beamalarm.com/Documents/atwood_water_heater_troubleshooting.... See section on Water heater lockout_gas and spark present.The igniter is also a flame sensor and may be going bad. Clean all terminals and check for proper voltage when heater is operating. Dirty terminals reduce the voltage which may be causing the unit to shut down. Igniter is about $23.00 on Amazon. Circuit board$100+. My guess is it is not the board but rather a loose or dirty connection. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 448
Location: Los Angeles, Ca. | If cleaning the connections and checking the wiring doesn't work, change the igniter |
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Veteran
Posts: 146
Location: Cornfield in Iowa | beeoerdog - 2016-08-03 8:15 PM
If cleaning the connections and checking the wiring doesn't work, change the igniter
We cleaned everything again today. Tried to check the voltage to the gas valve with the green ground wire and the red wire. Got zero reading. Fired it back up and it stayed on longer than it has lately...was cycling on and off in the beginning and stayed on long enough to get the water hot this time. Then it shut off. Correct me of I'm wrong....the flame is never supposed to go totally out is it? It's been so long since its worked correctly I don't even know what it's supposed to do anymore |
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Extreme Veteran
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Location: Los Angeles, Ca. | When the water in the tank is hot, the flame will go out. It will reignite when the temp in the tank drops. It should stay on for 10-15 minutes if heating up from cold. The flame should not stutter or go out and restart right away. You should also have 12v+/- at the unit when the burner is on. If not, you have a bad elec. connection. If the voltage drops below 10+/-, the valve will shutoff. The flame will also go out if the sensor is bad. The controller will then try to restart and may start the burner again....but if it goes out after a few seconds or a minute,then there is something wrong. Check voltage, check connections, replace igniter |
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Extreme Veteran
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Location: Los Angeles, Ca. | Check voltage between red wire and metal frame |
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| beeoerdog - 2016-08-06 10:24 PM
Check voltage between red wire and metal frame
Will check voltage again. I left it on overnight and this morning when I checked it, it had obviously been on because the screen was warm. But there was just a little warm water in the faucet, then it turned cold. We will order an igniter. We can buy a new water heater for $300......
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| beeoerdog - 2016-08-06 10:24 PM
Check voltage between red wire and metal frame
Will check voltage again. I left it on overnight and this morning when I checked it, it had obviously been on because the screen was warm. But there was just a little warm water in the faucet, then it turned cold. We will order an igniter. I guess we can buy a new water heater for $300......lol
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Veteran
Posts: 146
Location: Cornfield in Iowa | We checked the voltage again, it was 13.6 and when the water pump kicked on, it was 12.5V, so that appears to be good. So ordered an igniter, it came today and we put it in. Still doing the same thing. Stayed on between 5-10 minutes, there was about 3 cups of hot water out of the faucet, then it cooled down. Would a new circuit board be the next logical step?
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| Before changing circuit board......try water heater again. When it goes out, put a jumper wire on the thermostat and see if it goes back on. |
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| Does the flame out light come on when the heater shuts off? |
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Veteran
Posts: 146
Location: Cornfield in Iowa | beeoerdog - 2016-08-10 11:29 PM Does the flame out light come on when the heater shuts off?
I don't have a flame out light. The green light on the switch panel stays on when it goes out. I left it on all night and this morning it had been on because there was a little hot water out of the faucet and the screen on the outside of the heater was lukewarm. So it is cycling on, but just not staying on long enough to heat the whole tank. Will try the jumper when I get home from work this afternoon. I think I know what you mean.... |
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Veteran
Posts: 146
Location: Cornfield in Iowa | The wiring diagram for the electronic ignition doesn't show a thermostat, just a thermal cut off. Is that what you mean? My husband ordered a new one of those as well, but it hasn't come yet. He thought maybe there could be something wrong with that as well and it was cheap enough.....
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 448
Location: Los Angeles, Ca. | Try changing that.....sounds like it is turning off before the whole tank gets warm ...small disc shaped device?.... |
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Veteran
Posts: 146
Location: Cornfield in Iowa | beeoerdog - 2016-08-11 10:03 AM Try changing that.....sounds like it is turning off before the whole tank gets warm ...small disc shaped device?....
It's actually a little tube with connectors on each end. On the troubleshooting link you sent me, it's part #33 on the page for electronic water heaters replacement parts reference. They came in a 2 pack for around $16. |
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| I am doing this from my phone so it is a little difficult. The part yougot I believe is a high limit safety cutoff. I all else fails and the water heater gets too hot, then that device opens and prevents the heater from operating or eventually exploding . It is a one time use and is discarded after it opens . What is the model # and approx. What year?...still seems like it is the thermostat turning off too early......maybe # 28 in the diagram? |
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Veteran
Posts: 146
Location: Cornfield in Iowa | I will have to look when I get home. I have it all written down. The trailer is a 2000 and the date stamp on the heater of 06/2000
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Veteran
Posts: 146
Location: Cornfield in Iowa | Model GGA-8E |
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Veteran
Posts: 146
Location: Cornfield in Iowa | beeoerdog - 2016-08-10 11:07 PM Before changing circuit board......try water heater again. When it goes out, put a jumper wire on the thermostat and see if it goes back on.
Where do you put the jumper? Where to where?
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| Look at pg. 36.....does it look like that unit? Bottom of page shows thermostats. One turns on at 115 deg...off at 140?. Other opens at 180 to prevent overheating...I think. If that is the unit, put a jumper on the wires to one and check operation. If no change, try other one. If you know how to use a multimeter, you can check that way also. If one of the thermostats is open and there is not much hot water, then it is defective. |
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| Also, if you Google "Atwood rv water heater thermostat" YouTube has lots of videos on subject...might have your model or something close.......operation is pretty much the same. |
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Veteran
Posts: 146
Location: Cornfield in Iowa | Guest - 2016-08-11 10:20 PM Look at pg. 36.....does it look like that unit? Bottom of page shows thermostats. One turns on at 115 deg...off at 140?. Other opens at 180 to prevent overheating...I think. If that is the unit, put a jumper on the wires to one and check operation. If no change, try other one. If you know how to use a multimeter, you can check that way also. If one of the thermostats is open and there is not much hot water, then it is defective.
Sorry for my ignorance....where is the other end of the jumper wire? I get that it goes to the thermostat, but where is it from?
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 448
Location: Los Angeles, Ca. | Does yours look like the one in the video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfOe9a9LbTM |
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Veteran
Posts: 146
Location: Cornfield in Iowa | Yes. Ordered the thermostats today, they were only $13. Will have to cowgirl up this weekend and use the public showers...Ugh. Hopefully next race we'll have it working. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 448
Location: Los Angeles, Ca. | Good! easy to change...youtube videos on that also.  |
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Hot water heater won't stay on
