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Hot Water Heater

Yahoo Message Number: 14240
My hot water heater will not stay on when in the gas mode. It works fine on electricity. When I convert over to gas, I heat the gas fire up but it goes out and will come back on after a few seconds.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

2005 Inspire DaVinci
#51319

Re: Hot Water Heater

Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 14259
What kinf of hot water heater do you have?

Jim Hughes

2000 Allure #30511

Quote from: hodgephillips
My hot water heater will not stay on when in the gas mode. It

works

Quote
fine on electricity. When I convert over to gas, I heat the gas

fire

Re: Hot Water Heater

Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 14262
From: "hodgephillips" hodgephillips@...>
Quote
My hot water heater will not stay on when in the gas mode. It works > fine on electricity. When I convert over to gas, I heat the gas fire > up but it goes out and will come back on after a few seconds.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
From my archives of old messages (not written by me):
" I was speaking today with Winnebago, and the topic of my water heater thermocouple going out yet again came up. Apparently, Atwood has recently released newer thermocouples with a higher temperature tolerance that should

help solve the problem (we've gone thru three in a year). I got the impression

that these are new enough that most RV dealers will have the old ones in stock still. However, I don't know how to identify new from old.

" If you're wondering how a bad thermocouple manifests itself, it's pretty simple: your water heater won't light on gas. It's a very simple repair, takes about 30 seconds. The thermocouples come in a pack of two and they're about $20 per pack in most places. The thermocouple problems are common enough that I know many people who travel with a spare."

Dick (& Geri) Campagna
'98 36' Intrigue #10571
Mfd: 11/97

Re: Hot Water Heater

Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 14264
Here's another suggest on the water heater. I also replaced the thermocouple. Seemed to work great until I took the coach out on a little drive. I found that the contact with the controller on the Atwood water heater wouldn't stay in place. This contact has 4 wires going to it. Check the contact points. I found some corrosion on them. This little plastic piece wouldn't maintain contact point with the controller. The gas would fire up, heat the water then the red light inside would come on. Hope this makes sense. I ended up putting a piece of black electrical tape on the backside of the piece sticking out from the controller. This made for a tighter fit and no more problems.

Steve

95 Magna 5220

Re: Hot Water Heater

Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 14265
Thanks for the input. Could the thermocouple be the problem with it working perfectly in just the electrical mode?

Quote from: Dick Campagna
> From: "hodgephillips"

> My hot water heater will not stay on when in the gas mode. It

works

Quote
fine on electricity. When I convert over to gas, I heat the gas

fire

Quote
up but it goes out and will come back on after a few seconds.
> Any suggestions would be appreciated.

From my archives of old messages (not written by me): >

" I was speaking today with Winnebago, and the topic of my water

heater

Quote
thermocouple going out yet again came up. Apparently, Atwood has

recently

Quote
released newer thermocouples with a higher temperature tolerance

that

Quote
should

help solve the problem (we've gone thru three in a year). I got

the

Quote
impression

that these are new enough that most RV dealers will have the old

ones in

Quote
stock still. However, I don't know how to identify new from old.

" If you're wondering how a bad thermocouple manifests itself, > it's pretty simple: your water heater won't light on gas. It's a

very

Quote
simple repair, takes about 30 seconds. The thermocouples come in

a pack

Quote
of two and they're about $20 per pack in most places. The

thermocouple

Quote
problems are common enough that I know many people who travel with

a

Re: Hot Water Heater

Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 14266
The thermocouple is only used during gas operation.
It will detect that the ignition flame is on/off. When the flame goes out, the thermocouple will detect a drop in temperature, and shut off the gas source (to prevent what may now be a gas leak).

Quote from: hodgephillips

Re: Hot Water Heater

Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 14277
I assume from the discussion here that you have an Attwood water heater. I had the same exact problem you had with my Attwood. The water heater would work fine on AC or the engine heated mode, but when the gas was used it would light for about 10 seconds and then go out. I thought it was a thermocouple as well. I took it all apart cleaned everything and all the grounds as well as checked the gap. When I put it all back together it did the same thing. Then late one afternoon I tried it again. Instead on using the ignition switch in the coach, I just removed and reinstalled the plug to the controller board. That is when I notice that as the igniter sparked, I also noticed a spark internally (under the epoxy filler) in the control board. I turned off the power and began trouble shooting with a meter. What I discovered is that the timing circuit in the control board was bad. Since the original Attwood boards cannot be repaired, I ordered a Dinosaur replacement board and all is well.

Jim Hughes

2000 Allure #30511

Quote from: hodgephillips
Thanks for the input. Could the thermocouple be the problem with

it

Quote
working perfectly in just the electrical mode?

[quote author=Dick Campagna"

> From: "hodgephillips"

> > My hot water heater will not stay on when in the gas mode. It
works

> > fine on electricity. When I convert over to gas, I heat the

gas

Quote
fire

> > up but it goes out and will come back on after a few seconds.
> > Any suggestions would be appreciated.
>

> From my archives of old messages (not written by me):
>

> " I was speaking today with Winnebago, and the topic of my water > heater

> thermocouple going out yet again came up. Apparently, Atwood

has

Quote
recently

> released newer thermocouples with a higher temperature

tolerance

Quote
that
> should

> help solve the problem (we've gone thru three in a year). I

got

Quote
the
> impression

> that these are new enough that most RV dealers will have the

old

Quote
ones in

> stock still. However, I don't know how to identify new from

old.

Quote

> " If you're wondering how a bad thermocouple manifests itself, > > it's pretty simple: your water heater won't light on gas. It's

a

Quote
very

> simple repair, takes about 30 seconds. The thermocouples come

in

Quote
a pack

> of two and they're about $20 per pack in most places. The > thermocouple

> problems are common enough that I know many people who travel

with

Re: Hot Water Heater

Reply #7 –
Yahoo Message Number: 14286
Sounds like a similar situation. I called CC tech service and Buddy Gregg. Both suggested chsecking connections but nothing else. If I can't get it going, I will take it to Buddy Gregg (I live about 5 miles away). Everthing is still under warranty.

Quote from: Jim Hughes
I assume from the discussion here that you have an Attwood water > heater. I had the same exact problem you had with my Attwood. The > water heater would work fine on AC or the engine heated mode, but > when the gas was used it would light for about 10 seconds and then > go out. I thought it was a thermocouple as well. I took it all > apart cleaned everything and all the grounds as well as checked the > gap. When I put it all back together it did the same thing. Then > late one afternoon I tried it again. Instead on using the ignition > switch in the coach, I just removed and reinstalled the plug to the > controller board. That is when I notice that as the igniter > sparked, I also noticed a spark internally (under the epoxy filler) > in the control board. I turned off the power and began trouble > shooting with a meter. What I discovered is that the timing

circuit

Quote
in the control board was bad. Since the original Attwood boards > cannot be repaired, I ordered a Dinosaur replacement board and all > is well.

Jim Hughes

2000 Allure #30511

[quote author=hodgephillips"

>

> Thanks for the input. Could the thermocouple be the problem with > it

> working perfectly in just the electrical mode? > >
>
>
>
>

[quote author=Dick Campagna"
>]
> > From: "hodgephillips"

> > > My hot water heater will not stay on when in the gas mode. It > > works

> > > fine on electricity. When I convert over to gas, I heat the > gas
> fire

> > > up but it goes out and will come back on after a few seconds.
> > > Any suggestions would be appreciated.
> >

> > From my archives of old messages (not written by me): > > >

> > " I was speaking today with Winnebago, and the topic of my

water

Quote
heater

> > thermocouple going out yet again came up. Apparently, Atwood > has

> recently

> > released newer thermocouples with a higher temperature > tolerance
> that
> > should

> > help solve the problem (we've gone thru three in a year). I > got
> the

> > impression

> > that these are new enough that most RV dealers will have the > old

> ones in

> > stock still. However, I don't know how to identify new from > old.
> >

> > " If you're wondering how a bad thermocouple manifests itself, > > > it's pretty simple: your water heater won't light on gas.

It's

Re: Hot Water Heater

Reply #8 –
Yahoo Message Number: 14301
Your problem could be something as simple as rust in the burner.
I've found it wise to blow it out periodically.

Walt Rothermel
03Allure30811