Water heater not working - Escape Trailer Owners Community
Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×

Go Back   Escape Trailer Owners Community > Escape Tech > Problem Solving | Owners helping each other
Click Here to Login
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 10-14-2021, 09:17 PM   #1
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2020
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
Trailer: 2021 Escape E5.0; 2021 F150 PowerBoost
Posts: 1,190
Water heater not working

We arrived for camping in the Colorado national monument earlier this evening. We have the water heater (propane) on. There is propane as the cooktop and furnace are working but the water is not.

Any troubleshooting advice would be highly appreciated.

PS: Very nice park and excellent camping in the Saddlehorn campground. Quite cold (will be below freezing but hopefully for just a few hours.
kavm is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-14-2021, 09:31 PM   #2
Senior Member
 
Eggscape's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Kelowna, British Columbia
Trailer: 2018 Escape 19
Posts: 2,716
So is it will not lite or is it that you have no hot water at the tap?

If it is just the water is cold maybe the two bypass valves are not letting the hot water come out.
__________________
So many modifications...so little time.

https://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f8...ape-12918.html
Eggscape is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-14-2021, 09:43 PM   #3
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2020
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
Trailer: 2021 Escape E5.0; 2021 F150 PowerBoost
Posts: 1,190
Thank you! We seem to have resolved the issue. We turned it off and turned it back on. It seemed to have ignited the heater. The water is now lukewarm and getting warmer.

When I get back, I will try to educate myself on this.

PS: we are at some elevation (don’t know the exact elevation number). I don’t know if this was a factor.
kavm is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-14-2021, 10:19 PM   #4
Senior Member
 
alanmalk's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Arvada, Colorado
Trailer: 2015 E'21 - 'Velocity'. Tow: Toyota Tacoma V6, 4X4, manual.
Posts: 1,684
Quote:
Originally Posted by kavm View Post
...
PS: we are at some elevation (don’t know the exact elevation number). I don’t know if this was a factor.
Roughly 5600 feet.
alanmalk is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-14-2021, 11:47 PM   #5
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Kent, Ohio
Trailer: 2017 21c Sold, 2023 Bigfoot 25RQ
Posts: 1,381
Ive had mine not light the first time a few times, what you did resolved it. I did, however, replace the control board under warranty the second year I owned the trailer.
oldwave is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-15-2021, 09:27 AM   #6
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2020
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
Trailer: 2021 Escape E5.0; 2021 F150 PowerBoost
Posts: 1,190
Thank you for sharing the elevation, Alanmalk!

Oldwave, this is the first time it happened for us. How / where does one see/hear that it is lighting?.
kavm is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-15-2021, 06:38 PM   #7
Senior Member
 
davidmurphy02's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: Austin, Texas
Trailer: 2019 5.0TA "Junior", 2019 Ram 1500 5.7 Hemi
Posts: 1,600
Quote:
Originally Posted by kavm View Post
Thank you for sharing the elevation, Alanmalk!

Oldwave, this is the first time it happened for us. How / where does one see/hear that it is lighting?.
When you turn on the water heater switch on the inside panel the small "FLT" (fault) LED will come on for several seconds as it attempts to light. If it lights, the LED will go out. If the LED stays on it indicates that the burner did not light.
davidmurphy02 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-15-2021, 06:51 PM   #8
Senior Member
 
rubicon327's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Burlington Twp., New Jersey
Trailer: 2010 Escape 19
Posts: 7,126
Quote:
Originally Posted by davidmurphy02 View Post
When you turn on the water heater switch on the inside panel the small "FLT" (fault) LED will come on for several seconds as it attempts to light. If it lights, the LED will go out. If the LED stays on it indicates that the burner did not light.
To expand on this a bit the system will try 3 times to light. If it faults on the third try the FLT light stays on (or in the case of the older trailers with the separate switch it is the reset light). You need to toggle the power switch to OFF for five seconds then back ON to reset the water heater and make it fire again. This can happen if there was some air in the line and doesn’t necessarily mean there is a problem with the water heater.
Attached Thumbnails
F09FAA1F-D628-46BC-BE37-F55EFCE9ABA4.jpg  
__________________
Mods to Rubicon: https://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f...tml#post249508
“One way to get the most out of life is to look upon it as an adventure.”― W.F.
rubicon327 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-15-2021, 07:51 PM   #9
Senior Member
 
YakRV's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2021
Location: Cold Spring, Kentucky
Trailer: 2022 21C + 2021 F-150 PowerBoost 4x4
Posts: 547
Quote:
Originally Posted by rubicon327 View Post
To expand on this a bit the system will try 3 times to light. If it faults on the third try the FLT light stays on (or in the case of the older trailers with the separate switch it is the reset light). You need to toggle the power switch to OFF for five seconds then back ON to reset the water heater and make it fire again. This can happen if there was some air in the line and doesn’t necessarily mean there is a problem with the water heater.
Very good intel to have. Noticed the attachment was from Oliver Travel Trailers. Does Escape provide this too?
YakRV is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-15-2021, 09:14 PM   #10
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Kent, Ohio
Trailer: 2017 21c Sold, 2023 Bigfoot 25RQ
Posts: 1,381
Quote:
Originally Posted by kavm View Post
Thank you for sharing the elevation, Alanmalk!

Oldwave, this is the first time it happened for us. How / where does one see/hear that it is lighting?.
The light on the control panel should go out and you should hear the water heater starting.
oldwave is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-16-2021, 09:14 AM   #11
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2020
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
Trailer: 2021 Escape E5.0; 2021 F150 PowerBoost
Posts: 1,190
Thank you very much for all the insights! Typing this on the phone, so will keep it short. Definitely consider the Colorado National Monument andSaddlehorn campground in your plans.
kavm is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-16-2021, 12:00 PM   #12
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Kent, Ohio
Trailer: 2017 21c Sold, 2023 Bigfoot 25RQ
Posts: 1,381
Quote:
Originally Posted by kavm View Post
Thank you very much for all the insights! Typing this on the phone, so will keep it short. Definitely consider the Colorado National Monument andSaddlehorn campground in your plans.
We loved Colorado National Monument
oldwave is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-23-2022, 07:35 PM   #13
Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: Nanaimo, British Columbia
Trailer: 2017 Escape 19
Posts: 64
I'm having a curious failure with the water heater in my 2017 19. I don't know if they use the same heater in all models and all years, so I'll specify that it's the Suburban SW6DE.
On the last day of our recent camp, the water from the heater was cold. I checked and found that it would not ignite.
When we got home and settled I started looking into it.
The electrode (P/N 232258) would arc and the flame would start briefly and go out. It went through its three cycles and stopped. It did this for a few tests, and then eventually degraded to a situation where it wouldn't light at all. Sitting outside beside the open door of the heater I could hear the fuel solenoid open, and I could hear a faint ticking rather than the normal sound of the igniter arcing.
I used a lighter to confirm that the fuel solenoid was delivering propane properly and the burner lit quickly and burned cleanly, but went out after a couple of seconds.
I checked the electrode and found it to be quite clean and undamaged. I checked resistance through the two rods of the electrode and they were both excellent. Very low resistance.
I crawled in under the bed and accessed the brains of the operation, the module (P/N520814). There was no visible sign of damage and the igniter wire was cleanly and tightly connected.
I checked resistance through the igniter wire, which measured the same as if I put the two probes together. Perfect.
While attempting a start again, I got down next to the module and listened. I could hear it making a sound similar to what a photography flash makes the it's charging up, then it gets interrupted when it tried to create an arc at the electrode.
SO... I thought maybe if there was a ground problem for the electrode it may not want to throw an arc, so I took the burner tube out with the electrode and found that the path to ground was all quite rusty/oxidized. I took a fine wire brush to the mating surfaces and put it back together. To make sure there is no doubt of a good ground, I ran a wire from the screw that holds the electrode in, over to a screw on the fuel solenoid that already has a ground wire attached.
Lo and behold, it started lighting again, but wouldn't stay lit.
So so far from all of this, I thought I'd share that a poor ground can prevent a good arc at the electrode!
As discussed previously in this thread, the electrode acts as the eyes of the control module to let it know that there is a flame or not. If there is no message telling the module there is flame, it shuts off the propane.
Because I can have a new electrode inexpensively in a couple of days, I've ordered one. If that isn't the solution then it will be the module and I'll have a spare electrode on the shelf for the future.
Crossing my fingers it's the cheap fix, but I've got a bad feeling about this Chewie.
Brookfielder is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-24-2022, 06:47 AM   #14
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2020
Location: Brockville (Near Ottawa), Ontario
Trailer: 2010 Prolite Mini
Posts: 301
Quote:
Originally Posted by kavm View Post
Thank you for sharing the elevation, Alanmalk!
Just a note that the iPhone compass app shows your latitude, longitude and elevation.

Another campsite added to my list!
.
camp4528 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-24-2022, 08:24 AM   #15
Senior Member
 
Iowa Dave's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Benton County, Iowa
Trailer: 2013 Escape 21 Classic Number 6, pulled by 2018 Toyota Highlander
Posts: 8,235
Hello Brett
Thanks for the extensive write up on what you have done so far. I don’t think you noted whether or not you checked the pressure coming out of the propane regulator and ascertained that the propane tank was full and fully open? And whether or not you might have gotten into some polluted propane. Which of course you could check with your propane stove. Otherwise I believe you’ve checked all the boxes some of which I did not know existed as I’ve not had any problems with our same model heater in the 2013 21. Good luck in solving your mystery.
Iowa Dave
__________________
Ain’t no trouble jacking a double Burma Shave
Dave
Iowa Dave is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 07-24-2022, 09:24 AM   #16
Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: Nanaimo, British Columbia
Trailer: 2017 Escape 19
Posts: 64
Quote:
Originally Posted by Iowa Dave View Post
Hello Brett
Thanks for the extensive write up on what you have done so far. I don’t think you noted whether or not you checked the pressure coming out of the propane regulator and ascertained that the propane tank was full and fully open? And whether or not you might have gotten into some polluted propane. Which of course you could check with your propane stove. Otherwise I believe you’ve checked all the boxes some of which I did not know existed as I’ve not had any problems with our same model heater in the 2013 21. Good luck in solving your mystery.
Iowa Dave
Dave, absolutely right I'm not geared up to measure pressure on the downstream side of the regulator. The mother of all screw-ups is assumption, and because I saw such a robust blue flame when it did ignite, I assumed that pressure and quality is good.
The valves on the cylinders are wide open though, and I recently replaced the hoses with new ones that have gauges on them and they are at least 80% full.
I was about to say that all other appliances have been working as per design but I stopped myself.... I've been fighting with the furnace (which many of us do). That's a whole other thread. that's an intermittent issue and when it works properly it works flawlessly.
Brookfielder is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-24-2022, 09:47 AM   #17
Senior Member
 
Iowa Dave's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Benton County, Iowa
Trailer: 2013 Escape 21 Classic Number 6, pulled by 2018 Toyota Highlander
Posts: 8,235
A friend of mine with a 2016 21 had problems this spring. He believed his problem was the brain and though I don’t know much about it, I thought he was right. I did advise him that several people have been happy with a replacement circuit board made by Dinosaur. He bought one from them, it came in a couple days, was easy to install and solved his problem which was similar to yours. I hadn’t thought of that when I responded the first time to your post. Again,
Good luck.

https://www.dinosaurelectronics.com/Ignitor_boards.htm

Iowa Dave
__________________
Ain’t no trouble jacking a double Burma Shave
Dave
Iowa Dave is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 07-28-2022, 10:15 PM   #18
Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: Nanaimo, British Columbia
Trailer: 2017 Escape 19
Posts: 64
The electrode came in. I installed it tonight, and we have a functioning heater!
I wasn't very optimistic... I figured that with the nice arc the old electrode gave when the ground was good, it wasn't likely that was the problem.
I guess it wasn't good enough to give the control module the message that it was flame on.
I guess I can spend the money I was willing to dish out for the module on something else!
Brookfielder is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-28-2022, 10:48 PM   #19
Senior Member
 
Iowa Dave's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Benton County, Iowa
Trailer: 2013 Escape 21 Classic Number 6, pulled by 2018 Toyota Highlander
Posts: 8,235
Glad you got your water heater going.. repairs that work when you just have to add a new part are the best. Hope you have a great rest of the camping season and plenty of hot water.
Iowa Dave
__________________
Ain’t no trouble jacking a double Burma Shave
Dave
Iowa Dave is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 07-28-2022, 10:55 PM   #20
Senior Member
 
rubicon327's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Burlington Twp., New Jersey
Trailer: 2010 Escape 19
Posts: 7,126
Quote:
Originally Posted by Brookfielder View Post
I figured that with the nice arc the old electrode gave when the ground was good, it wasn't likely that was the problem. I guess it wasn't good enough to give the control module the message that it was flame on.
Nice work getting it going again! The electrode is a 2 prong design to also sense flame. My guess is similar to yours. The old electrode was fine but you had a bad thermocouple so it failed to tell the board you had flame.
__________________
Mods to Rubicon: https://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f...tml#post249508
“One way to get the most out of life is to look upon it as an adventure.”― W.F.
rubicon327 is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off




» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Escape Trailer Industries or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 01:32 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Copyright 2023 Social Knowledge, LLC All Rights Reserved.