2nd owner to my 5th that has dual HW heating and not a single piece of repair history before I bought it in June 2016. Anyhow, I got hot water both by LP and elect with no problem till now, Jan 2017.
I prefer to use Electric mostly, and suddenly no hot water. Switched to LP and firing hot water, no problem. But I had to of course, find out why the elect was not working any longer. I am a DIY'r as best as I can. So with Dr. Google and youtube I tried to self teach myself on the use of a multi meter. I found the resistance only @ .10 for the heating element, which online mechanics tell me "that it is good". Anything higher then like .20 they say is bad.
So next is the thermostats, and visually both look. Meaning no obvious burnt outs or disconnects in either of the 4 fasteners. And I am aware, that the lt blue 2 on the LF are elect and the pink 2 on the
RT are gas. What should the resistance be on the thermos?
So I went ahead (before the meter check) and bought a replacement heater element and anode rod as well. I replaced the anode rod and glad I did (for assuming the original was still installed, now 8 years later and very well sacrificed for the job intended!). But I could not get the heating element out as I do not have a 1 1/2" socket. But again, the meter test indicates that is not the problem anyhow. But I want to check "how eaten up" it is anyway (have the replace part as well)?
What am I missing?
And get this, and salt in the wound, I put everything back together and NOW I CAN'T EVEN GET HOT WATER WITH THE LP SOURCE!!! Forget about the electric for a 2nd. The LP gas channels thru the pipe all the way to the what is it called "thermocoupler" (the part with the 2 prong arms that hang over the pipe) and ignites it right? Well, she flames up for 5 secs and shuts down. Then, repeats 2 more times (as I have also read, a total of 3 times try). So why won't the LP gas stay lit and heat up the water tank? And yes, full tank of LP and full strength of LP flow.
Please help, for now I have no HOT Water either LP or Electric!
Thanks in Advance and I hope I can answer questions to repair the problem or problems.
"Life is short my friends, and if you don't stop to take a look at it every once in awhile, your gonna miss it!" --- Ferris Bueller ---
Happy Camping
2004 2500 CTD HO LB 4X4 auto
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James
For electric, check for 120v going to water heater. Also might be a fuse on/or around the circuit board.
Call me. Might be able to help over the phone. I am a good Electrical troubleshooter.
Jerry Parr
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If so, understand the Suburbans of this SWxxDE type are pretty much two water heaters, one LPG, one 120 VAC, sharing the same tank and same water. Atwood's different, both heat sources controlled by the Logic Board. But Suburban uses the Logic Board for LPG only.
So... The odds of BOTH the LPG and 120 VAC failing at once are pretty slim.
For 120 VAC, the water heater has a switch, and you may have another switch inside the coach. The Breaker, and Both Switches have to be ON. Then there's the Element, has to have continuity. Test resistance with power off and at least one wire disconnected. I think around 10 Ohms. Then there are two thermostats as you know. They should show Zero Ohms, dead Short across the thermostats.
I just worked on ours. Really convinced the element was bad but it turned out to be a burnt out connection in the junction box feeding the water heater. Our SW6DE has its actual connections in a box on the upper outboard right corner, looking at the heater from INSIDE the coach. The wiring ran from there, about three feet to a "push down" junction box screwed to the cabinet floor. When I opened that box, I found the Neutral side had burned out and lost contact. At that point, I removed that box, gutted it, and connected the wiring with wire nuts and taped over them as well. Used the box to protect the wire nut connections and re-installed it. Water heater works on 120 VAC.
That's what I did on the electric side. LPG side is more involved. www.bryantrv.com has the service manual online.
If God's Your Co-Pilot Move Over, jd
2003 Jayco Escapade 31A on 2002 Ford E450 V10 4R100 218" WB
AC/DC Junction boxes are on backside of WH.....one each side
Electric..
120V AC from Main Power panel via a Circuit Breaker
From CB to On/OFF Switch
From On/Off Switch to t-stats (Left set)
(High Temp then via connector wire to Normal temp----HI has 'manual reset push button)
From t-stats to element (black wire) then to Neutral (white wire)
Follow the 120V AC VOLTAGE ---find where you loose it
Propane.......
12V DC from Dist Panel via FUSED circuit
TO On/Off Switch to t-stats (Right set) SAME as 120V Hi/normal
From t-stats to Circuit Board (rear corner of tank)
From Circuit Board to GAS valve (Brown wire---then to ground) and to SPARK Electrode (Heavy Orange wire)
![[image]](http://www.reallydoingthis.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Screen-Shot-2014-12-29-at-10.37.59-AM.png)
Spark electrode fires igniting propane
Propane flame then 'ENGULFS' spark electrode generating a signal that goes back to circuit board 'PROVING' main flame lit (no signal...shutsdown)
Electrode is firing/main flame lites
so Check electrode position (engulfed in flame)
Check electrode CLEAN (no sooting/carbon...otherwise no signal)
Check spark electrode ground (assembly mounting screw...clean/tight connection)
Check electrode ceramic ....no carbon/cracks otherwise signal will track to ground
Check that electrode high voltage wire connection is clean/tight
Also check that both High Temp T-stats are not tripped.Push button in to reset
Is it time for your medication or mine?
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It had been lighting on LPG, but not every time. While I was working on the water heater, I inspected the Electrode Assembly. Since it looked good, I didn't replace it. But I DID clean the ground connection and re-install with an anti-corrosion compound on the screw. The diagram doesn't show a GROUND on that assembly, just the "spark plug wire" from the Board, but it needs ground to work.
Mandalay & Old-Bis (others of course!), following both suggestions. 1st being retrace my steps of what I disturbed and 2nd, did I disturb the electrode placement?
On the Thermo LP spades, I noticed that they were flopped up and I thought out of place? So I depressed them back down parallel (just like the Elect spades). Was that a no-no? Would it make a difference?
Next, when replacing the gas pipe it was very stubborn to line that one bolt back into the "frame lined hole" so I placed a screwdriver on top of the pipe and kinda pryed it down and shimmied into place. Perhaps I disturbed the path and correct position of the 2 electrodes? Are they supposed to be heavily engulfed into the flame or just hoovering over the flame? I will have to look, but certainly hope I did not crack the ceramic on the electrode body? That should be visible yes? But assume it would fall out if so? But putting that aside, interested in the electrode placement right now?
Jerry
Ceramic.....fire up WH at night in the dark and if cracked you will see it 'tracing' to ground
Burner tube....needs to be 'aligned' so that gas flow is directly down the center of tube. If cocked gas will bounce off walls of tube and not properly mix with air being pulled in thru air shutter.
Fuel/air ratio is very critical especially since propane is at such low pressure (11" WC----that is roughly 0.4 psi)
Thermo LP spades........just make sure good/clean-tight connections
Test that you are getting 12V DC thru them.
We sold our previous trailer to wife's nephew. His wife called one night while they were camping at county fair (kids showing steers) to find out how to get hot water... told her the switch to ignite was in the corner by the sink.. she could hear it trying to ignite so thought all was good. I found out later that still no hot water.. I was taking a shower at home a couple days later and wondering if they dewinterized it? They had not, still in bypass mode, no water going into hot water heater.
Has someone been messing with your bypass valve ?
But what about the HWH and as I need help with here today. So if it has a board, then it is not visible or accessible from the outside door panel. So if one, where is it and can a DIY'r get to it to check it out?
'03 F-250 4x4 CC
'71 Starcraft Wanderstar -- The Cowboy/Hilton
I'll find the service manual and see if it shows more than the Parts List.
-- Chris Bryant
Water heater is directly below the sink.
Joe & Evelyn
Joe417 wrote:
Ours (the Control Module) is mounted about a foot to the left and above the water heater. Directly behind the cabinet drawers.
Water heater is directly below the sink.
Ours (the Control Module) is mounted about a foot to the left and above the water heater. Directly behind the cabinet drawers.
Water heater is directly below the sink.
Same here. Trace four wires or so from the 12-VDC Junction Box (upper left corner of the water heater looking from inside the coach) to a plastic box about the size of a package of 3x5 recipe cards. Our box is white, with a small raised round section on top, an edge-mounted terminal for those wires from the 12-VDC box, and the red-orange ignitor wire also comes out of that box. Upper left is the logical spot, since it's near the junction box and where the ignitor cable goes into the heater. Ours is held with one screw to the inside wall of the coach.