Gas Hot Water Heater Not Staying Lit, Please Help!

[Joe68]

Gas Hot Water Heater Flame Not Staying Lit, Please Help!

I have a Coachman Apex Ultralight. It has a Dometic gas hot water heater. Water pump is fully functioning. Propane is 100 percent full. Propane is flowing to all gas appliances.

I noticed there was no hot water. The fault (FLT) light was on. I turned the gas water heater switch off, waited a while and then turned it back on.

It lit and stayed lit for about 10 seconds, went out for about 10 seconds, then lit again for about 10 seconds, then out again. Then the FLT light came back on and it would no longer light.

It did sound like the ignighter was continuing to click while the flame was on.

 

[wmtire]

Can you please open up the cover on the outside of your RV, and take a pic of your water heater then post it here. That will help us try to troubleshoot.

Do you know if your water heater is a tankless type?

 

[GolfingDave]

It did sound like the ignighter was continuing to click while the flame was on.

While you are taking the picture or getting the model number look at the flame for the short time it runs. How does it look?

 

[Joe68]

Thanks everyone for replying. I read all the trouble shooting and none of the steps worked, leaving me with having to bring it in for service. Not really an option while in the middle of a week-long boon docking trip. Thank you Elon Musk for Star Link!

I searched YouTube and came across the video linked below. It turns out that when I switched propane tanks, some air likely got in the line. Followed the advice in the video and ran the burner in the kitchen stove a few minutes. Turned the gas heater back on and it now works, no issue!

Just FYI, Dometic model #WH-6GEA, 6-gallon tank.

https://youtu.be/-LUBvRvOKe4?si=gQR8cFdkFjJ7QGvq

 

[Iowa City Fix It]

Domestic gas only water heater

My son has the same water heater in his PrimeTime Avenger. It has had this same problem from day one. He has had it for almost 18 months. We tinkered with it this weekend and it is greatly improved. It now stops about once per day. We removed the two electrodes and cleaned them up, adjusted the gap between them to 1/8 inch. Also made sure they were located well within the flame. I believe the electrodes not only ignite the flame but one acts as a flame rod sensor, a safety device to know that the flame has lit. We need to do a better job cleaning it but we had limited choice of tools.

We also replaced the wire terminal that connects one of the electrodes to the control board.

God luck with it!