RV Water Heater advice??

[Chew]

I'm not mechanically inclined so I'm hoping the problem with my heater is an easy fix. It's still under warranty but I don't want to haul it into town from the lease for something I can try and fix myself.

It's a 2008 Skyline Malibu with Gas/Electric water heater. The electric has never worked. I gave up on it a while back and just used the propane. Now the propane won't light. It's getting spark and actually ignites for just a second then shuts off. Propane supply is good because the stove and everything works. I'm thinking maybe water is not getting into the heater and it shuts down automatically? Just a guess.

What can I check on the electric side to get that working? Fuse? Breaker? Igniter? And how do I check it.

What about the propane side?

Any advice would be appreciated.

[Mayhem]

possible thermal coupling, they go bad too. sometimes that stinking electric ignition board will go bad and they wont light. i have seen both happen, working on RV's is a pain in the arse, i feel your pain.

[Dale Moser]

Are you sure it's propane and electric? Never heard of an electric one, but the newer ones could be.

Sounds to me like you just have air in the line on the pilot light issue. I usualy hold a lighter under the thermocouple until it heats up enought to open the main valve. That usually bleeds them in a hurry!

[Chew]

I usualy hold a lighter under the thermocouple until it heats up enought to open the main valve. That usually bleeds them in a hurry!

That's sounds like it could cause me to be on the local news!

Yes, it's propane and electric. Another buddy has one similar. His electric works fine. Just takes a little longer to heat up than propane.

[Philip-TX]

We seem to have an RV go to guy on here (from another thread),
http://discussions.texasbowhunter.co...d.php?t=238673

Maybe you can hit him up,or he'll find this one.

[bwssr]

Chew, did you check the breaker for the water heater? That is when you try the 120vac, my switch was inside the cover, I added a new switch inside the trailer..... Try what D-Mo said, cause it could be the t/c or card...

[Atfulldraw]

there is usually a switch on the inside and another on the heater itself....make sure both are on.
And the breaker has to be on.



A multi tester in the right hands would work wonders. Could be your element.....

Hopefully carey will come along here shortly and really help you out

does your heater work? do you have both bottles hooked up and turned on?

[BrianL]

If you have trash in your burn tube will cause that, dirt dobber or wasp nest. Air in the line will also do it like Dmo was saying. I do the same as him using the lighter outside to get air out of line. Sometimes it take 10+ tries to get it to fire off and stay lit.

[Atfulldraw]

here's a thread about a bad switch on one....

http://stevecox2go.blogspot.com/2011/03/water-heaters-chile-and-bodyworlds.html

[careybirdwell]

On a Water Heater that has DSI ( Direct Spark Ignition) there is no thermal coupler. The iginitor does the same function. It sounds like to me that the ignitor is not sending the signal back to the PC board so the board think it hasn't lift and shuts the gas off for safety reasons. If you go outside & open access door and have someone turn it on. You should hear the sparks across the ignitor. After it has lit, if it still is trying to light. The ignitor is not sending back that signal to the board. If it is sending the signal to the board, than more than likey your board is bad.

Try removing ignitor, taking something to clean the tips where the spark cross. A File, Screwdriver, knife, or sand papershould do the trick. andd see if that works.

If not I would still replace the ignitor before replacing board.

On the Electrical side, if it is a Suburban WH, there will be a small switch on the tank located through the outside access door. Make sure that is on, The WH Breaker is On, and check to see it you have a WH switch on the inside is own. (LOL) Also there are a re-settable ECO on the outside. If it is a Attwood WH, sometimes there is a on/off switch located on the back of water heater, but most of the newer ones have went away from that.
Good Luck

[Chew]

Mine is a DSI system. Hopefully I can get it working. Thanks for the info guys. Carey, you got a number I can call u at this weekend?

[careybirdwell]

Mine is a DSI system. Hopefully I can get it working. Thanks for the info guys. Carey, you got a number I can call u at this weekend?

You can reach me at 281-734-3111
Good Luck

[psicoo]

If you have trash in your burn tube will cause that, dirt dobber or wasp nest. Air in the line will also do it like Dmo was saying. I do the same as him using the lighter outside to get air out of line. Sometimes it take 10+ tries to get it to fire off and stay lit.

This! Been my experience anyway. So far, 100% of the times I've seen it happen.

[txdukklr]

i just changed the element on mine for the third time since i've owned it

cost about $15 bucks and they go out all the time from what i understand very easy to replace.

I'd check that before anything else

[TexasCanesFan]

there is usually a switch on the inside and another on the heater itself....make sure both are on.
And the breaker has to be on.



A multi tester in the right hands would work wonders. Could be your element.....

Hopefully carey will come along here shortly and really help you out

does your heater work? do you have both bottles hooked up and turned on?

I fried my heating element one day by draining mine while the electric switch on the actual WH Heater itself was still on. If the heating element is on without water in it then it is toast.

Bought a new one and the wrench. Had it changed out in no time.

It is actually sitting under that black oval cover with the silver screw in it that you can see in the above pic. Right behind the red probe he is holding.

That solved my problems and worked immediately.