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11-23-2015, 07:07 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Keizer Oregon
Posts: 228
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Hot Water Heater Fire
Last week I went to winterize my FR3 30DS...
When I opened the water heater compartment to remove the diode out of the tank, I noticed black stuff in the compartment bottom. I looked it over and immediately seen a burned wire and melted plastic....
The water heater was working the last time we camped (3 weeks ago) and we haven't used the coach since.
I have a shut down list we go through every time we drive the thing. My wife and I both go over each item and we check off that it has been completed before we move. ie awning rolled up, fridge turned off, hot water off, pump off, steps up, slide-outs in.... you get the picture...
This is what my hot water heater looks like right now. Any ideas of what caused this or why it happened?....
__________________
2015 FR3 30 DS
1995 Wrangler
Miles 9100
Days Camped 74
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11-23-2015, 07:33 PM
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#2
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Site Team
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Northeast Louisiana
Posts: 33,933
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Your Emergency Cut Off (ECO) hi-limit/thermostats are behind that rubber cover. You will have two or these, one for the 120 volt AC electric heating element, and the other for the 12 volt DSI/propane.
It looks like the 12 volt side may have burned behind the rubber cover. Can you remove it to check. It will look similar to this. We want to look at the Eco/thermostats to see if the wiring or other has caught fire.
__________________
 2011 Flagstaff 831 RLBSS
A 72 hour hold in a psych unit is beginning to intrigue me as a potential vacation opportunity.
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11-23-2015, 07:46 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Clarksville Va.
Posts: 10,422
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wmtire
Your Emergency Cut Off (ECO) hi-limit/thermostats are behind that rubber cover. You will have two or these, one for the 120 volt AC electric heating element, and the other for the 12 volt DSI/propane.
It looks like the 12 volt side may have burned behind the rubber cover. Can you remove it to check. It will look similar to this. We want to look at the Eco/thermostats to see if the wiring or other has caught fire.
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I would agree but you still might have had some roll out if it was on propane, if not then I would say your limit isn't working...
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Coachmen M/H
Concord
2018 / 300 DSC
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11-23-2015, 07:52 PM
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#4
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2015 FR3
Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 50
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Are you sure the electric switch was in the off positlon ? Without water pressure it would over heat and shortout.
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11-23-2015, 07:53 PM
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#5
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Site Team
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Northeast Louisiana
Posts: 33,933
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Wait a sec, I can now see what you are referring to with a burned wire. Disregard my previous post. You have a brown wire in the back that goes to your propane valve that has caught fire, and burned the bottom outside portion of the Hi-limit/thermostat cover.
Hold on a sec and let me pull a schematic
__________________
2011 Flagstaff 831 RLBSS
A 72 hour hold in a psych unit is beginning to intrigue me as a potential vacation opportunity.
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11-23-2015, 07:59 PM
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#6
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Site Team
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Northeast Louisiana
Posts: 33,933
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Wait a sec, I can now see what you are referring to with a burned wire. Disregard my previous post. You have a brown wire in the back that goes to your propane valve that has caught fire, and burned the bottom outside portion of the Hi-limit/thermostat cover.
Hold on a sec and let me pull a schematic
__________________
2011 Flagstaff 831 RLBSS
A 72 hour hold in a psych unit is beginning to intrigue me as a potential vacation opportunity.
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11-23-2015, 07:59 PM
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#7
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Certified Curmudgeon
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Here
Posts: 3,999
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It does not look like the switch was the problem. Look at the wire below the switch and the plug below that. Both are scorched and the switch cover is curled up from the bottom. It appears that you had a gas flow problem through the tube and the flame came out of the air mixture port. My guess is that you have an eight legged hitch hiker.
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Mike Dropped
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11-23-2015, 08:06 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: West Michigan/Fort Myers
Posts: 3,927
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Is there a part missing in the burner tube. It looks like the screen and the adjuster is missing. Look at the damage beginning just above it.
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11-23-2015, 08:10 PM
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#9
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Pickin', Campin', Mason
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: South Western PA
Posts: 19,144
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Duckogram
It does not look like the switch was the problem. Look at the wire below the switch and the plug below that. Both are scorched and the switch cover is curled up from the bottom. It appears that you had a gas flow problem through the tube and the flame came out of the air mixture port. My guess is that you have an eight legged hitch hiker.
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I agree. Flame backed up into mixture tube and scorched what you see in the photo.
Either a spider or a HUGE gust of wind.
__________________
2022 Cedar Creek 345IK 5th Wheel•Solar & Inverter•2024 Ford F-Series SCREW•7.3L•4x4•Factory Puck•B&W Companion•TST Tire Monitor w/Repeater•Sinemate 3500w Gen.
F&AM Lodge 358 Somerset, PA - JAFFA Shrine - Altoona, PA
Days Camped ☼ '19=118 ☼ '20=116 ☼ '21=123 ☼ '22=134 ☼ '23=118☼ '24=90
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11-23-2015, 08:34 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 520
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Would low propane pressure cause this? I'm not to familiar with propane systems, but thats my guess. It sure looks like the flame came out of the tube, inboard, and caught the cover, wiring, and the CB cover on fire. I know on our 30DS (which this isn't model specific heater really), there is no cover over that intake. Ours looks just like yours.
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11-23-2015, 08:48 PM
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#11
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Mod free 5er
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Concord, NC
Posts: 24,702
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Don't think it was a flame, no scorch marks on anything but the brown wire. It could have just had a bare spot or shorted against the cover and burned the insulation before it blew a fuse.
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11-23-2015, 08:55 PM
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#12
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Site Team
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 15,294
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Did you by chance turn off the propane before you turned off the WH ( when on propane). That could cause a low pressure and the mixing tube to allow a flame come through the air mixture intake.
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2015 Freedom Express 248RBS
TV 2015 Silverado HD2500 Duramax
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Honda 2000I + Companion
2 100W solar panels
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11-23-2015, 08:59 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: West Michigan/Fort Myers
Posts: 3,927
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Quote:
Originally Posted by OldCoot
Don't think it was a flame, no scorch marks on anything but the brown wire. It could have just had a bare spot or shorted against the cover and burned the insulation before it blew a fuse.
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Did you look at the melted cover just above the burner? Very melted. It doesn't look like a short to be at all.
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11-23-2015, 09:00 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: West Michigan/Fort Myers
Posts: 3,927
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11-23-2015, 09:39 PM
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#15
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Clarksville Va.
Posts: 10,422
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Still say it was flame roll out, Only thing that stopped it was the wire melting. Low propane will not cause that. Either some bug got into the tube or you had a direct wind against it. Just a freak thing happened. Pull it apart and clean your tube and stick a small wire in the orifice. Take some soapy water and spray for leaks also.
__________________
Coachmen M/H
Concord
2018 / 300 DSC
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11-24-2015, 10:50 AM
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#16
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Site Team
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Southwest Alabama
Posts: 9,850
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There's also a scorched place on the cover directly behind the venturi tube. I think it was flame rollout also.
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Salem 29RKSS Pushing a GMC Sierra 2500HD!
Gotta go campin! 
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11-24-2015, 11:24 AM
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#17
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: West Michigan/Fort Myers
Posts: 3,927
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Exactly you can see where the flame went up to the wire and onto the upper cover as well.
Very lucky it didn't burn down. I think I would want a very thorough inspection of the WH before I would be able to sleep in it.
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11-24-2015, 01:34 PM
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#18
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Keizer Oregon
Posts: 228
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This is the first time I've had the outside cover off the Motorhome... it was just to winterize it and drain the water heater. The thing still works.
We have camped at the Oregon Coast and it gets wet, and wet and windy....
I can say it was very windy once (80 mph winds) in September but nothing that wild since. We turn off all the switches inside on the panel before we drive the coach.
I have never turned off the propane bottle at the tank. I've only filled it once. I don't think it was caused by anything I've done. I don't believe there are any spiders in the thing but I'm not taking it apart to look either.... The dealer can deal with that.
I'm starting to figure out this Motorhome though... I think it might be a lemon?
The stereo didn't work
The TV quit working,
The Heater stopped working
The back storage compartment leaks
Now this...
__________________
2015 FR3 30 DS
1995 Wrangler
Miles 9100
Days Camped 74
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11-24-2015, 02:51 PM
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#19
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Full timer,,,at Lake Georgetown in central Texas for the winter.
Posts: 442
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I don't see an air regulator for gas/air mixture metering. That's critical and probably caused the problem.
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11-24-2015, 03:18 PM
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#20
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Pickin', Campin', Mason
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: South Western PA
Posts: 19,144
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Grampa Jim
I don't see an air regulator for gas/air mixture metering. That's critical and probably caused the problem.
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This particular WH doesn't have one.
Here's a photo of a new one.
__________________
2022 Cedar Creek 345IK 5th Wheel•Solar & Inverter•2024 Ford F-Series SCREW•7.3L•4x4•Factory Puck•B&W Companion•TST Tire Monitor w/Repeater•Sinemate 3500w Gen.
F&AM Lodge 358 Somerset, PA - JAFFA Shrine - Altoona, PA
Days Camped ☼ '19=118 ☼ '20=116 ☼ '21=123 ☼ '22=134 ☼ '23=118☼ '24=90
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