Black smoke residue from Water Heater

[Atsushi]

Hi,

We found black smoke residue on the wall of our 2016FC23D, which came out of WH vent.

No, we didn't run WH dry. Water was in there.

We ran it with electricity the last time before we noticed the smoke residue.

In retrospect, I remember thinking the water wasn't quite hot when I took a shower last time. So I'm thinking something was happening then.

What's the cause and best course of action?

Thanks!

Atsushi

[DreamStreamr]

If it's a little bit sooty, then very well may just be adjusting the burner sleeve beside the water heater gas valve. A small screw releases the sleeve and allows you to increase and decrease the air mixing with the propane. The right mixture makes a nice and relatively quiet blue flame. Too much air will make the burner noticeably louder and waste gas. Too little air makes soot.

[Atsushi]

Originally Posted by DreamStreamr

If it's a little bit sooty, then very well may just be adjusting the burner sleeve beside the water heater gas valve. A small screw releases the sleeve and allows you to increase and decrease the air mixing with the propane. The right mixture makes a nice and relatively quiet blue flame. Too much air will make the burner noticeably louder and waste gas. Too little air makes soot.

OKay, so maybe it did happen when we used propane.

Come to think of it, soot doesn't sound like electrical problem....

So when it is on with propane, you can see the flame? I didn't know that!

Thanks!

Atsushi

[SSquared]

Originally Posted by Atsushi

Hi,

We found black smoke residue on the wall of our 2016FC23D, which came out of WH vent.

No, we didn't run WH dry. Water was in there.

We ran it with electricity the last time before we noticed the smoke residue.

In retrospect, I remember thinking the water wasn't quite hot when I took a shower last time. So I'm thinking something was happening then.

What's the cause and best course of action?

Thanks!

Atsushi

Is the soot/smoke residue on the exterior of the trailer, above/around the water heater door?

We got soot from our water heater only once. It happened because an insect built a nest inside the burner tube. When we ran the water heater on propane, we got a small explosion/fire. This melted some of the heater's wires and a thermal fuse. It also bent the door and left a bunch of soot on the trailer exterior. (The soot was easy to clean off)

[Bobkuz]

This happened to me last year , black soot from the water heater exhaust while running on propane, tried adjusting burner with no luck, my local airstream shop found that inside burner was clogged with stink bugs, a blow gun did the trick.

[A W Warn]

Originally Posted by Atsushi

Hi,

We found black smoke residue on the wall of our 2016FC23D, which came out of WH vent.

No, we didn't run WH dry. Water was in there.

We ran it with electricity the last time before we noticed the smoke residue.

In retrospect, I remember thinking the water wasn't quite hot when I took a shower last time. So I'm thinking something was happening then.

What's the cause and best course of action?

Thanks!

Atsushi

The reason for soot is lack of combustion air.
If nobody has adjusted the air intake on the water heater it is likely that a nest or web has been built inside the combustion chamber.
I keep a long flexible brush that will reach through the heater similar to this:
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Sink-Drai...&wl13=&veh=sem

When I see soot I use the brush then I blow loose debris out with air from the leaf blower.

[WaLee]

Bugs in the burner tube. Small wire brush and Phillips driver to loosen the screw that holds the tube together. Very simple fix