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09-27-2022, 03:54 PM
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#1
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Rivet Master
2014 19' International
2014 Interstate Ext. Coach
Cedar Rapids
, Iowa
Join Date: Oct 2018
Posts: 587
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Interstate water heater
Still having problems with our water heater. Haven’t tested it all summer so decided to give it a go this fall. Turned it on and tested it out after 20 minutes and had a short spurt of hot water. It lasted around 30 seconds to a minute of flow. I did check the heater and it had shut off after 30 minutes.
Any ideas if it’s a regulator problem? Has anyone else had this problem?
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09-27-2022, 05:33 PM
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#2
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Rivet Master
2014 19' International
2014 Interstate Ext. Coach
Cedar Rapids
, Iowa
Join Date: Oct 2018
Posts: 587
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I should add we have the Atwood propane water heater.
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09-27-2022, 07:21 PM
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#3
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Rivet Master
2015 Interstate Grand Tour
Salem
, New Hampshire
Join Date: Jun 2022
Posts: 819
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Hi Hawk.
Does it heat up when you heat it with Propane? The reason I ask is that I after I did our Lithium upgrade, it would heat up with propane and not on the AC side. I know that you also did a Lithium upgrade like us. My problem was a connection in the upper locker area. After trouble shooting, I missed a connection up there and after re-connecting it - it worked.
Before that, I did replace the thermostats as I thought that was the problem and you might want to do the same as they're fairly cheap and easy to replace and this way you get the smaller troubleshooting stuff out of the way.
Attached is also a good video on how to troubleshoot the hot water heater.
Good luck troubleshooting.
These are the parts that I replaced first:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
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09-27-2022, 07:35 PM
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#4
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Rivet Master
Airstream - Other
2016 Interstate Grand Tour Ext
Bosque Farms
, New Mexico
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 7,017
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If you stovetop and your furnace work, then it's not a regulator problem.
If you're kind of lost with it, bring it to an RV service shop (or call a mobile); just check the reviews of the shop / mobile to assure yourself of quality work. Those are generic water heaters, nothing especially "Airstreamy" about them.
Lynn
__________________
ACI Big Red Number 21043
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09-27-2022, 08:30 PM
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#5
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Rivet Master
1988 32' Excella
Robbinsville
, New Jersey
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 3,116
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Is the tank hot?
Sounds similar to all the "mixing valve problem" threads. I don't know what year they started using mixing valves, 2014 might not have had them yet.
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09-28-2022, 01:43 AM
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#6
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Rivet Master
2014 19' International
2014 Interstate Ext. Coach
Cedar Rapids
, Iowa
Join Date: Oct 2018
Posts: 587
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StogieMan, you must have quite an archive of videos saved but I’m liking it!
That video was very informative and helpful. After watching it, I suspect the parts you listed might be my problem. If not, it might need a good flush along with the parts listed. I think we put the air regulator tube on a bit too open last year when cleaning out the orifice tube, so good to know how much air is correct.
Nice to have the explanation on what the wire connections do along with the instructions on how to replace the parts.
Hope it’s not the Multiplus as I’ve had enough troubleshooting with it. Not to scare anyone else off of it but it’s taken some fine tuning. Still think my loose internal cable had a lot to do with the mystery problems, so that’s a fluke that I’ll probably be one of the only people to encounter it. When I initially installed the MP, I replaced our BIM with the Li-BIM. I don’t think has been totally flawless, but the connections were almost the same as the old BIM so I had that going in my favor, at least.
After troubleshooting, I was in a hurry and should have said gas valve and not regulator also. We do have propane to the stove and furnace, along with the water heater. It just seems to be shutting off, which now I see is probably the probes or thermostats.
Thanks again for the video. I think it will make troubleshooting so much easier. Much appreciated!!
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10-02-2022, 12:05 PM
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#7
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Rivet Master
2014 19' International
2014 Interstate Ext. Coach
Cedar Rapids
, Iowa
Join Date: Oct 2018
Posts: 587
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Downfalls to not using things enough…don’t remember what the typical experiences were. I can’t remember if we had steady hot water or not. At this point, it is not totally hot 100 percent.
I cleaned the tank with the wand I finally purchased and see we should have had one from the start. If you don’t have one, I highly recommend purchasing one and cleaning out your hot water tank. We’ll be doing that more often.
I’m also going to get a spare set of parts just to keep in the parts pile in case I ever need to replace them again. I’d bet not using the tank as much is probably not great on it though. Probably should fire it up more often.
We replaced the thermal fuse and the igniter so far. I am getting more hot water than before, but it seems to come in spurts when the pump runs about every five to ten seconds. I heard the pilot shut off about 25 minutes in, and I can’t remember if that is how it should work or not either. I’d bet the water was hot enough to shut it off.
I’d say the pilot was slower to click on before we replaced the igniter so if you start to hear the igniter taking about five to ten seconds to light, it might be time to replace it.
Next will be the thermostats if this isn’t normal. If anyone wants to comment back on if your water heater performs like this if you know, I’d appreciate it. Otherwise we’ll be ripping into the thermostats next just to make sure we get it performing at 100 percent.
As I speak, the pilot just clicked on. Good deal. Making headway at least.
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02-05-2024, 04:00 PM
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#9
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2 Rivet Member
2015 Interstate Grand Tour
Anywhere USA
, USA
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 90
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Hawk - I had problems with mine and a replacement module solved my problem.
Have you opened the water heater door and watched what happens? You should get spark to light the main burner (mine has no pilot) and the main burner should stay on continuously until the water is hot, mine usually takes about 30 minutes depending on ambient air temperatures. If yours is doing this the heating process is working properly. It may be that the plumbing from the water heater is somehow mixing in cold water?
My water system gets pressurized pretty highly from the expanding water and the T&P valve (temperature and pressure) on the water heater will weep water once the pressure exceeds its design. I usually have a small dripping down the van side under the water heater when I use it.
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