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04-20-2014, 02:51 PM
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#41
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Junior Member
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 1
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I've had a Girard for about a month but it suddenly quit working yesterday. It has power and the propane is full, but it won't heat anything. It's been sketchy in the kitchen all along, the shower works great...until yesterday. Anyone have any ideas? It'll be under warranty but I'd rather troubleshoot it, fix it & move on than to wait &/or pay the labor hours to have someone diagnose it.
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04-20-2014, 03:02 PM
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#42
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 376
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jacrebert
I've had a Girard for about a month but it suddenly quit working yesterday. It has power and the propane is full, but it won't heat anything. It's been sketchy in the kitchen all along, the shower works great...until yesterday. Anyone have any ideas? It'll be under warranty but I'd rather troubleshoot it, fix it & move on than to wait &/or pay the labor hours to have someone diagnose it.
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Try this- go outside to exterior panel. Look in exhaust. There is a sail switch. On mine I had a problem that the switch the "sail" was connected to needed to be cleaned of dust ect. Once I cleaned it and switched it manually a few times it started right up. I hope that's what it is for you.
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04-20-2014, 08:14 PM
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#43
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: On Another Adventure
Posts: 2,563
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That's why when I replaced my hot water heater a month ago I stayed with a Suburban like I had... Read abt too many issues with the tankless ones....
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04-21-2014, 08:20 PM
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#44
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Mount Laurel, NJ
Posts: 1,024
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ernest917
That's why when I replaced my hot water heater a month ago I stayed with a Suburban like I had... Read abt too many issues with the tankless ones....
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How do you fit a tank type where the tankless was, or did you put it elsewhere and how did you vent it?
__________________
Gale & Hank- 2012 Berkshire 390BH
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04-21-2014, 08:29 PM
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#45
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: On Another Adventure
Posts: 2,563
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I had a Suburban originally and needed to replace it.... I considered a tankless one because there is one that will fit into the existing opening.... BUT - as I researched and read the forums, I came to the conclusion that there were more issues than I was ready to deal with so I just went back with a 10 gal Suburan.... Works great and I'm happy....
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04-21-2014, 08:32 PM
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#46
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: West Michigan/Fort Myers
Posts: 3,927
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I wondered that also but I think Ernest had a tank type then replaced it with a tankless and didn't like it so went back to a tank type. Hope I have that right. Still didn't understand why his didn't work. They are a little temperamental but worth it in my opinion.
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04-21-2014, 08:33 PM
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#47
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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 ernest917
I had a Suburban originally and needed to replace it.... I considered a tankless one because there is one that will fit into the existing opening.... BUT - as I researched and read the forums, I came to the conclusion that there were more issues than I was ready to deal with so I just went back with a 10 gal Suburan.... Works great and I'm happy....
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Ya what he said.
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07-05-2014, 02:25 PM
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#48
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Long Island (Nassau County), NY
Posts: 4,352
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OK- back to this topic again. I thought I had it set up and working pretty well. On a trip now and my son turned the inside temperature knob. Now I can seem to get it set to the point where the water temperature remains constant. I have adjusted it several times and it still goes from hot to cool and back. Pretty sure that I have all the air out of the system because my wife has done several loads of wash.
Any suggestions as to how to get it back to the point where the water temp stays constant? This thing is starting to drive me crazy!
Thanks for any help.
Tom
__________________
Tom and Margaret
2014 Berkshire 390bh-60
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07-05-2014, 06:38 PM
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#49
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: West Michigan/Fort Myers
Posts: 3,927
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Tom I had this issue last week and found the exhaust had the fuzz from cotton wood trees. It wasn't letting the little flapper work right. Also I have been dry camping at my sons and using the water pump. I find the water pressure to be more consistent and that as you know makes the WH work much better. We were at a campground that had WP fluctuating and was impossible to keep it a constant temp. I am tempted to use the WP all the time.
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07-05-2014, 07:13 PM
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#50
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Charleston County SC
Posts: 767
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Tom
Are you using a pressure regulator on your water hose? We had no hot water when in Colorado so I spoke with tech service. Water flow/pressire must be regulated to get a reasonably constant temp. Also i found out changing campsites getting air in the line would trip the high temp sensor and it would need to be reset before we could get any hot water. Otherwise the system works pretty well. I have 2 other problems. When my step comes in it keeps ratcheting like it has a striped gear but all gear teeth are fine. Need to research more. Other problem is my black tank flush system is plugged up and i have it attached to the water system with constant pressure hoping it will dislodge the jam up. We are now yin Glacier NP arrived today. Just getting set up.
Marty
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07-05-2014, 09:18 PM
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#51
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Long Island (Nassau County), NY
Posts: 4,352
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Hi guys,
I am using a pressure regulator and have about 45 lbs pressure showing at the regulator. Seems to be fairly consistent pressure. The water temp fluctuates from hot to cool and the dial in the bathroom medicine chest is set just into the 3rd segment. I make sure that I purge any air that may get into the system when changing campgrounds. I have always been getting hot water, but it just isn't a consistent temperature.
Marty, as for your step problem, I seem to recall that another poster had the same issue and it turned out to be a bad circuit board in the step mechanism. If I get a chance I will do a search on the problem. As for the black tank flush issue, it may be that the back flow valve just inside where the hose connects to the tank flush fitting is either jammed or bad. Not sure what would be involved in changing that.
Will check the flapper valve on the water heater to make sure that it is clear.
Hope everyone had a great 4th.
Marty, hope your trip continues to go well with no further issues.
Regards to all.
Tom
__________________
Tom and Margaret
2014 Berkshire 390bh-60
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07-05-2014, 10:20 PM
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#52
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 404
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tmmar
Hi guys,
I am using a pressure regulator and have about 45 lbs pressure showing at the regulator. Seems to be fairly consistent pressure. The water temp fluctuates from hot to cool and the dial in the bathroom medicine chest is set just into the 3rd segment. I make sure that I purge any air that may get into the system when changing campgrounds. I have always been getting hot water, but it just isn't a consistent temperature.
Marty, as for your step problem, I seem to recall that another poster had the same issue and it turned out to be a bad circuit board in the step mechanism. If I get a chance I will do a search on the problem. As for the black tank flush issue, it may be that the back flow valve just inside where the hose connects to the tank flush fitting is either jammed or bad. Not sure what would be involved in changing that.
Will check the flapper valve on the water heater to make sure that it is clear.
Hope everyone had a great 4th.
Marty, hope your trip continues to go well with no further issues.
Regards to all.
Tom
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We have the Gerard tankless heater in our new Legacy. We had the same issue and the burner was stuck on high output regardless of how we adjusted thermostat or flow.
It would get scalding hot the over temp at like 130 degrees shut off get cool water and start cycle again.
What we found was a wire from thermostat to computer board on back of heater had a screw through it and was grounded out.
Dealer repaired wire and now works like a champ.
I think when you test the voltage behind heater door outside low burner output is 9v and high should read 3 volts. Mine was stuck on 3 volts with large flame all the time.
Might want to take a look at this.
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07-06-2014, 01:24 PM
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#53
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Mount Laurel, NJ
Posts: 1,024
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Tom
Whether you have the Gen 1 or 2 Girard Tankless, it will be very cantankerous. You need to understand how it works if you want to come close to mastering it. The basics of its operation are:
1. Turn on water, the Girard senses flow and fires the burner at the BTU setting (High/Lo for Gen 1 and variable for gen 2).
2. If the water is set very low by you, the water in the heater will reach 122 degrees very fast and shut down for a moment. You will then get very hot water at the slow flow followed by cold and then hot again - not good!
3. So it is too hot, so you set the faucet flow higher and you get continuous very hot water without cold spurts. Problem is that you can't get higher flow, which is dictated by your water source pressure.
4. To reduce the high temperature, you then need to vary the BTU setting (say to low for Gen 1 or lower temp with Gen2). This may or may not work.
5. To reduce too high temps, you might think about mixing some cold water. Girard frowns upon this, because you will lessen the flow through the heater and it will then even get hotter and shut down. Another problem is that the shower valve in the Berkshires doesn't mix hot and cold water very good.
6. Basically, the Girard water heater has absolutely no output temperature control. With a hot water faucet open, all the Girard knows is fire the burner at your setting and shut down if the temperature reaches 122 degrees. This leaves you to try to control temperature with water flow setting which isn't always easy and is compounded by having different pressures at different parks.
The Girard Tankless would be an excellent heater if it had a variable flow gas valve with a controller that compared your desired temperature (set on your wall) with the actual output temperature. The controller would constantly adjust the burner's gas flow to achieve the desired temperature. Water flow would be of hardly an issue. Unfortunately, the Girard does not work that way, but I believe the Precision Temp RV-500 does.
Are there any Berkshire owners with an after-market Precision Temp installed, Like to hear from you.
Hank
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07-06-2014, 02:25 PM
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#54
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Long Island (Nassau County), NY
Posts: 4,352
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Hank,
So basically I should set the controls to heat the water to a temperature so that it can be used 'straight' without mixing in cold water to make it comfortable. Is that correct?
Tom
__________________
Tom and Margaret
2014 Berkshire 390bh-60
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07-06-2014, 03:03 PM
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#55
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: West Michigan/Fort Myers
Posts: 3,927
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Not hank but that's what I do Tom.
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07-06-2014, 03:08 PM
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#56
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Long Island (Nassau County), NY
Posts: 4,352
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Thanks Phil.
Can't wait to see you and Dianna in Goshen.
Tom
__________________
Tom and Margaret
2014 Berkshire 390bh-60
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07-06-2014, 03:11 PM
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#57
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: West Michigan/Fort Myers
Posts: 3,927
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We are also. Should be a great time.
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07-06-2014, 06:51 PM
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#58
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 240
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tmmar
Hank,
So basically I should set the controls to heat the water to a temperature so that it can be used 'straight' without mixing in cold water to make it comfortable. Is that correct?
Tom
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Tom, this aligns with the instructions I've read. Comfortable with hot faucet wide open. If you need it a little warmer turn down the hot faucet slightly, but you've got to wait for the water to travel from the heater to feel the change, where we're used to the temp changing faster. I'm really looking forward to teaching my wife to do this in just over a week and getting her "review" of the process.
__________________
2014 Berkshire 390RB-60
2014 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited
Roadmaster Falcon A/T tow bar
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07-06-2014, 07:12 PM
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#59
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 404
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One other thing I forgot to mention in my previous post regarding the Girard.
Per the Girard rep, you set the thermostat based on the temp of the ambient water. So if your using your tank and it is 90 degrees out so should the water and thermo shouldn't be set past the middle, approx 15-18 degrees warmer. When set to max it will warm 40-45 over ambient until it over temps and the lowest setting is only 10 degrees over ambient temp.
This is what they told me when we were trouble shooting mine, it was stuck on high output regardless of water we did at thermostat or flow via knobs.
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07-07-2014, 04:39 AM
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#60
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Member
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 77
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Some great tips here!
We left Grand Canyon today, now in Tombstone AZ. When I set up I had air in my lines for the first time. What's the best way to get it out? Also I noticed at GC that even when I was on city water it drained my fresh water tank. Any suggestions?
Thanks
Stephen
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