Hot Water Heater Won't Light Electrically

[VaTravelers]

I can light it manually but it won't light electrically when the propane hot water heater switch is on. I can hear it clicking and can smell propane but it doesn't light off. This is a 2017 International.

[Al and Missy]

If you have a standard water heater, do you hear multiple clicks like sparks or one relatively loud click/clunk? If you are hearing multiple clicks, it is sparking somewhere, but probably not near where the gas is coming out. Open your outside panel and try to see the spark. This will work better in the dark. Any RV dealer should be able to fix the heater problem under your appliance warranty. It is warranted by the manufacturer, not by Airstream.

If you have the Alde system, I don't have a clue.

Al

[waninae39]

contact AS support first for a wuarrantee repair. and then dometic atwood

the control module has a know factory defect

many repair centers have them in stock as that is how many trailers get returned with the same issue

its an easy fix
free under wuarrantee

over $300 if not
it takes 30 sec to swap the board out from the outside
a level 1 DIY job

[overlander63]

Originally Posted by waninae39

the control module has a know factory defect

That is ONLY for the boards in the Sport/gas only water heaters.

[VaTravelers]

Thanks all for the responses. It does make distinct clunking and not repeated clicking so I don't think it's a short somewhere. I did talk to AS and Dometic/Atwood they would only authorize the repair at a dealer since it involves a propane appliance. I am not seeing a spark, the gas valve does open and I am able to light the thing manually and it runs until the tank reaches cut-off temp. It works just fine on the electric side, just not the propane side. Because it isn't easy to get it to a dealer, I might just live with it (manually lighting the thing) or using the electric side until my warranty work next spring. I did try a new control board and it didn't fix the problem.

[OTRA15]

I am surprised that you can light it manually, with a new water heater like this. I would have thought that the control circuit board would not permit gas to flow, unless it was also igniting the gas at the same time.

Did AS or Dometic/Atwood say that it was OK to light the thing manually?

Hmmmm . . .

As a total non-expert on this, my advice would be not to use the LP gas function until you can get confirmation that manual lighting is OK. With an older heater with pilot light, you had to depress a Pilot button/valve until the thermocouple got hot enough to keep the gas valve open. Are you doing something like this when you light it manually, even though you [presumably] have a Piezo igniter?



Good luck,

Peter

[Al and Missy]

Not exactly the same thing, but my furnace electrode developed a high resistance leak (200,000 ohms) but it was enough to keep the voltage from building high enough to spark. If you can pull the wire off of the electrode, tape it about 1/4" from some metal and see if you get a spark. If yes, probably the electrode, if not, probably the board.

Al

[VaTravelers]

Originally Posted by OTRA15

I am surprised that you can light it manually, with a new water heater like this. I would have thought that the control circuit board would not permit gas to flow, unless it was also igniting the gas at the same time.

Did AS or Dometic/Atwood say that it was OK to light the thing manually?

Hmmmm . . .

As a total non-expert on this, my advice would be not to use the LP gas function until you can get confirmation that manual lighting is OK. With an older heater with pilot light, you had to depress a Pilot button/valve until the thermocouple got hot enough to keep the gas valve open. Are you doing something like this when you light it manually, even though you [presumably] have a Piezo igniter?



Good luck,

Peter

If the thing doesn't light off in 4 or 5 secs it shuts down the gas flow. It isn't just flowing gas into an unlighted heater. I'm replacing the igniter tomorrow. If that doesn't fix it I'll find time to take it in. In another post someone said they had a similar issue that by cycling between the electric heater and the propane side it eventually ignited. This tells me the CB has an issue. It is possible the replacement board I ordered is also defective.

[OTRA15]

Thanks for that clarification. Hopefully the new igniter will do the trick.

Peter

[VaTravelers]

It didn't

[OTRA15]

FYI success on The Colonel's thread:

[click on arrow in quote to go to that thread]

Originally Posted by The Colonel

Update. Got home after a month on the road, got parts in and installed yesterday. Replaced the circuit board and the thermostat kit. Started right up. Watching prv to see if it leaks again, could have been a touchy thermostat. If it leaks again, I’ll replace.

Good luck!

Peter

[devilsbox]

I'm having this same problem, I can light it manually but it won't light on it's own. When I turn it on I do not hear any clicks but a single clunk. Ideas?

2017 27FB

Larry

Originally Posted by VaTravelers

I can light it manually but it won't light electrically when the propane hot water heater switch is on. I can hear it clicking and can smell propane but it doesn't light off. This is a 2017 International.

[VaTravelers]

I am betting it is the circuit board. It fixed mine. I did a lot of trouble shooting but in the end the circuit board was bad. It seems to be a common issue.

[VaTravelers]

I have a 2017 28’ Serenity. Dometic Atwood will replace the part.

[erudolph]

I have a 2018 International Serenity FB that blew the circuit board on the second trip out. Same issue; only LP gas will not work and I could manually light it. AS replaced the circuit board and admitted this is a huge problem for them recently.

Shortly after replacing all those parts, while camping/boondocking, I realized the Pressure Relief Valve was dripping frequently on the electrical components.

I read the Atwood manual and learned about the need of an air bubble in the water tank. I followed the instructions and it stopped the dripping valve. Take a minute to read this, I bet it is causing the electrical panel short. When I purchased my trailer, no one taught me about the air bubble.

By the way, I can’t come up with a decent way to plumb the pressure relief valve to stop it from dripping onto the gas tube or electrical...