Strange LP Gas Water Heater Issue

[Vibe101]

I am out remote camping and would like some help... please

I have a Suburban SW6DE water heater that is not working on LP.

The burner does not stay lit.

When the switch is turned on the igniter clicks but the burner does not burn so at least the DC electric is getting past the overheat cutoff... I did push the cutoff button back in anyway

All other gas appliances like the stove show normal flame so LP is working /flowing normally.

So I turn off the switch and wait 2 minutes and then turn it back on and suspecting that the ignition was faulty I used a lighter and when the gas solenoid opened the lighter lit the burner and the burner produced the usual blow torch flame so the solenoid is working... however... the burner stopped after 5 seconds then repeated three times as the usual no night scenerio.

So there should be a heat sensor that tells the system that the burner is firing and keeps the burner firing until the themost shuts off power to the system... repeat...

Does anyone know what could be causing this?

THANKS for the help!!!

[ebemis]

Sadly, I am not an RV mechanic so what I offer here is only based on my experience and things I can think of trying or looking for. We also on a recent trip had issues with gas powered HW heater, it ended up in our case being the WIND believe it or not!....

1) .... WELL, I chalked it up to that because once we got to a campground/site out of the wind it returned to normal operation. My guess was the horrendous wind gusts were working against whatever sensor monitors the gas burn and when it thought the flame was out it just kept closing the gas valve on us.

2) I have heard from others before that something as simple as spider web/cob webs inside the propane/gas burner tube can create the same problem you report.

3) I haven't read my HW heater manual, but when my Propane Fridge I THOUGHT was not working correctly, the manual talks about removing the gas supply pipe/nozzle and wire brushing to clean the jet port and NOT to stick anything inside the hole the gas comes out of. Apparently rust/corrosion/deposits can also create havoc with gas burner operation so MAYBE that is something to check as well??...

BEST of luck I hope you find it!
Ed

[Vibe101]

Thanks for the quick response!!!

Problem fixed!!!

Thanks to the excellent post by wmtire

https://www.forestriverforums.com/fo...ml#post1827312

The problem was the spark electrode spade connector was not mating securely. All I did was remove the spade connector and slide it on and off a couple of times to make sure that the connection was tight and clean and it works!!!

The answer to my question about what sensor tells the PC board that the flame is still lit is the spark electrode itself... there is a miliiamp signal when the electrode is hot that indicates to the PC board that the burner is firing.

If anyone has any issues with the water heater first press the reset button and then slide each spade connector on and off a couple of times to make the metal to metal contact shiny and feel that they are tight

THANKS AGAIN

[BriaBeck]

I am having the same exact issue with our Attwood WH. But, it turns out the control board went bad in ours.


I'm replacing the OEM control board with a Dinosaur board... which has turned into somewhat of a debacle... All documentation points to us needing a UIB-S control board, so that is what I ordered. But when I went to install the new board yesterday, the connector is not the proper connector for that board, and we instead need a UIB-64 board from Dinosaur. A $30+ mistake (shipping and restocking fees) that could have been avoided if I would have simply looked at the connector before I made the order.


Moral of the story: Do your own research and know EXACTLY what you have before ordering parts, don't trust the manufacturer's documentation, because it isn't always correct.