Gas water heater problem - Page 2

StarvingHyena · 02-26-2018, 12:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jake930

Yes I did. Even blew things out with some canned air, thinking there might be and obstruction. But we have been on the road since last November 20th. So it has been in continuous use since than. Plan on getting home the last of April.

Obviously Jake, You have been having more than your quota of fun ..... gotta throttle back a bit .....

Wish I could be of help. I have been keeping an eye on my furnace and water heater ... so thankful they are functioning. I always read this type of post ... just in case.

A while back someone was having similar refer issues. Think it turned out to be some dirt from dirty propane. Maybe you have a partial blockage.

Does the flame turn yellow with the door closed? ... indicating O2 starvation. I doubt the door is a significant clue ... unless it was pinching something.

Has anyone seen in-line propane gas line filters?

Tom

Brian B-P · 02-26-2018, 02:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by StarvingHyena

Has anyone seen in-line propane gas line filters?

Unfortunately nothing that looks useful (although I've looked), but Mr. Heater sells something arranged to work with the fittings for their portable unvented heaters.

Brian B-P · 02-26-2018, 02:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by War Eagle

If the hot exhaust gases aren't being vented out of the burn chamber fast enough, limiting the inflow of cooler air to feed the flame, wouldn't that cause heat to build up in the burn chamber and possibly trigger a high-temp shutdown (if such a safeguard is built into this heater)?

Yes, I guess it would, but the burner running without a useful draft seems like it would be a really noticeable fault.

The high-temperature shutdown is done by a thermal switch mounted on the tank. Since it is on the outside of the tank, along with the burner and all of the controls, it could be tripped by ambient heat, even though it is intended to be triggered by excessively hot water inside the tank.

Chotch · 02-26-2018, 05:26 AM

Are you camping at higher altitude? Above 4500 feet some modifications are required.

Chotch · 02-26-2018, 06:12 AM

When it’s lite does flame look good?

rubicon327 · 02-26-2018, 07:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

Maybe worth checking... A faulty high (temperature) limit switch would turn the burner off, but would it turn back on?

It shouldn't. Normal operation of the t-stat/high limit switches are a manual reset for both the gas and electric operation. I suppose if it was faulty funny things could happen, but I highly doubt this is the issue.

azjack · 02-26-2018, 08:01 AM

I had a problem on our two gas fire places. They would go out and then relight or we would have to work the switch. One of the fireplaces I cleaned the thermocouple or thermopile whichever it is and that fixed it. The other one wouldn't work with cleaning so U-tube help suggested the switch, I bypassed it and it worked. A new switch and it is as good as new. This was a learning experience for me and by the way I found a good mobile service guy in Tucson when I was having refrigerator problems.
Jack

Jake930 · 02-26-2018, 08:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by azjack

I had a problem on our two gas fire places. They would go out and then relight or we would have to work the switch. One of the fireplaces I cleaned the thermocouple or thermopile whichever it is and that fixed it. The other one wouldn't work with cleaning so U-tube help suggested the switch, I bypassed it and it worked. A new switch and it is as good as new. This was a learning experience for me and by the way I found a good mobile service guy in Tucson when I was having refrigerator problems.
Jack

I may need a good mobile guy if I can’t figure it out today. Does he have a name or number?

wetzk · 02-26-2018, 09:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jake930

I may need a good mobile guy if I can’t figure it out today. Does he have a name or number?

We had a similar problem on another rv the Suburban SW6DE does not use a thermocouple. It uses a flame sensor that is part of the ignitor. Ours had gotten a little carbon on the ends and did similar to yours. It would be worth pulling the ignitor and gently cleaning the ends with fine sandpaper to see if that helps.

rubicon327 · 02-26-2018, 10:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wetzk

We had a similar problem on another rv the Suburban SW6DE does not use a thermocouple. It uses a flame sensor that is part of the ignitor. Ours had gotten a little carbon on the ends and did similar to yours. It would be worth pulling the ignitor and gently cleaning the ends with fine sandpaper to see if that helps.

They are also readily available new if anyone were to need one.

www.amazon.com/Suburban-232258-2-Prong-Electrode-Assembly/dp/B003G9IYQY

Viajante · 03-02-2018, 07:14 AM

Jake930, is the problem fixed?

bsmoke · 03-05-2018, 01:57 PM

Could be that faulty motherboard problem. We had similar issue and that was our fix

Jake930 · 03-05-2018, 08:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Viajante

Jake930, is the problem fixed?

No has not been fixed as of yet. RV Doctor came out took things apart and cleaned everything. Put it back together, same thing. He took the numbers so he could call Suburban to see if there were any recalls etc.still waiting to hear back from him. He was stumped, kept saying it just does’t make any sense.
I think I’m going to try what Wetck suggested and just replace the igniters. For 14 bucks from Amazon, what the heck.

Jake930 · 03-05-2018, 09:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by StarvingHyena

Obviously Jake, You have been having more than your quota of fun ..... gotta throttle back a bit .....

Tom

yes we have! Be heading home by way of Big Bend in Texas in four weeks. Plan on being home to upstate New York the third week of April. And ya know what? I really don’t want to go. Wish we could head to Colorado, Montana, for the summer and than back here next winter, but but got prior engagements to take care of. Maybe next year.

Rossue · 03-05-2018, 09:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rossue

Have the exact problem with my gas spa heater. Instead of it just firing up and running to temp, it goes off and then comes back on after a few minutes. LSS- tech moved electrode a little towards burner- and it helped, however didn't fix. He did not have the part on his truck and said if it kept going off prior to reaching temp I should replace the electrode..which am going to do. If that doesn't work am thinking high limit switch.

Just replaced igniter today and no difference. Heater lights and runs yet not continuously to final temp. So while it will finally get there it takes three times as long.

Ron in BC · 03-05-2018, 10:09 PM

You probably have done it but I'll ask anyway. Did you remove the aluminum cover that is over the round chamber that the flame shoots into?

I looked at mine, trying to figure out what the heck could be the problem with yours. I was surprised at how much of a pile of carbon? rust? there was on the bottom. I cleaned it out but I was thinking that any buildup or deposit in there would reduce the heat transfer. Wouldn't solve the mystery of the flame reducing and going out when you close the cover.

A real head scratcher. Hope someone comes up with a solution.

Ron

Jake930 · 03-06-2018, 09:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ron in BC

You probably have done it but I'll ask anyway. Did you remove the aluminum cover that is over the round chamber that the flame shoots into?

I looked at mine, trying to figure out what the heck could be the problem with yours. I was surprised at how much of a pile of carbon? rust? there was on the bottom. I cleaned it out but I was thinking that any buildup or deposit in there would reduce the heat transfer. Wouldn't solve the mystery of the flame reducing and going out when you close the cover.

A real head scratcher. Hope someone comes up with a solution.

Ron

yes we did that and your right, lots of flaky stuff. Cleaned that out, out came a small piece of melted red plastic that we were scratching our heads about. Something that fell in there at the factory?? I ordered a new igniter assembly from amazon, due in tomorrow. It was 14 bucks. I figured hey I already got 90 bucks into it having the RV doc here. But he let me watch as he took things apart and cleaned them, and he explained things to me as he went ,so now i feel confident that I can do it myself now so it was not a total loss. Still waiting to hear back from him. The stove has good strong flame, furnace works, and I run the refrigerator on gas for a whole day just to test it. So i don’t feel that its a regulator problem, or any obstruction in the propane hose. Your right a real head scratcher.

Jubal · 03-06-2018, 10:00 AM

The RV technican should have measured the gas pressure as part of the diagnostic routine. Do you have other appliances using gas when you are having the combustion problem ? You cannot use assumption in lieu of testing to solve problems. Our best automotive instructor called guessing and assuming Ouija board diagnostics.