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11-20-2019, 02:33 PM
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#1
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Member
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 47
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Atwood Gas Water Heater How to clean the orifice.
Hi all.
I couldn't get a good flame on my water heater so I cleaned everything.
Swabbed out the flue and cleaned the burner tube with scotch brite.
BTW, an old kitchen sponge with a scrubber on one side works great for the flue. Use a wire coat hanger and crimp it on the end of the wire. I made sure the valve assembly was lined up with the burner tube.
The flame is much better but still has too much yellow.
I cleaned the orifice by soaking it in IPA and blowing out with a shop vac. Does the orifice get gunk that IPA won't remove?
Thanks
MIke
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11-20-2019, 03:23 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 26,640
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Soak orifice in alcohol then air dry (just blow thru it using your mouth)
IPA-Isopropyl Alcohol should have done the job
Do NOT poke anything thru it OR use High Air Pressure it can be damaged
Some orifices have a 'ruby' with a laser drilled hole
Some orifices have a 'mica film' with a percision hole in it
Some orifices are brass with a percision hole drilled thru it
Point is ...the hole is 'metered' to allow a specific amount of gas flow based on LP System Pressure (11"WC --- 0.4 psi)
Have you tried adjusting the air shutter?
Opening it just a bit more should clear up that yellow flame.....if everything is clean and system pressure is correct
__________________
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Dodge 3500 w/Tractor Motor
US NAVY---USS Decatur DDG-31
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11-20-2019, 03:33 PM
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#3
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Member
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 47
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Old-Biscuit
Soak orifice in alcohol then air dry (just blow thru it using your mouth)
IPA-Isopropyl Alcohol should have done the job
Do NOT poke anything thru it OR use High Air Pressure it can be damaged
Some orifices have a 'ruby' with a laser drilled hole
Some orifices have a 'mica film' with a percision hole in it
Some orifices are brass with a percision hole drilled thru it
Point is ...the hole is 'metered' to allow a specific amount of gas flow based on LP System Pressure (11"WC --- 0.4 psi)
Have you tried adjusting the air shutter?
Opening it just a bit more should clear up that yellow flame.....if everything is clean and system pressure is correct
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Hi and thanks.
I tried adjusting the flame. I set it to where the roar quiets down. But you can't get rid of the yellow in the flame. I need to scrounge up a manometer and check the pressure. If you light all 3 burners on the stove and then switch on the WH, there is no jump or change in the burners flame.
Thanks again,
Mike
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11-20-2019, 03:44 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 26,640
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Quote:
Originally Posted by blackwell99
Hi and thanks.
I tried adjusting the flame. I set it to where the roar quiets down. But you can't get rid of the yellow in the flame. I need to scrounge up a manometer and check the pressure. If you light all 3 burners on the stove and then switch on the WH, there is no jump or change in the burners flame.
Thanks again,
Mike
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Stove/oven has it own LP Reg under the stove top.
It is set for 10"WC (0.36 psi)
One can NOT visually tell the difference between 11"WC and 10"WC
(0.4 vs 0.36 psi)
System pressure can be 10"WC and stove will continue to work fine....water heater not so much
Water heater gas valve/orifice must point directly down the center line of burner tube in order to propery mix with the air being pulled in thru shutter
Spreader plate at end of burner needs to be 'parallel' with end of burner tube so air/fuel mixture is completely ignited.
No yellow, strong blue flame...note air shutter opening
__________________
I took my Medication today. HAVE YOU?
Dodge 3500 w/Tractor Motor
US NAVY---USS Decatur DDG-31
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11-20-2019, 03:51 PM
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#5
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Member
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 47
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Old-Biscuit
Stove/oven has it own LP Reg under the stove top.
It is set for 10"WC (0.36 psi)
One can NOT visually tell the difference between 11"WC and 10"WC
(0.4 vs 0.36 psi)
System pressure can be 10"WC and stove will continue to work fine....water heater not so much
Water heater gas valve/orifice must point directly down the center line of burner tube in order to propery mix with the air being pulled in thru shutter
Spreader plate at end of burner needs to be 'parallel' with end of burner tube so air/fuel mixture is completely ignited.
No yellow, strong blue flame...note air shutter opening
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I forgot about the regulator in the stove top.
I got the burner nozzle aligned as best I could. Its a cheezy design. It was off quite a bit. I had to bend the gas line until the valve body and nozzle was lined up with the burner tube when all was assembled.
But its close. And I checked the flame spreader as well. Its close too. Pressure check.
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11-20-2019, 04:18 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2019
Location: Braidwood Il.
Posts: 8,300
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If it sounding like tiny muffled jet engine it should be blue. Tiniest amount of dust will make flame yellow. How long did it run for to burn off dust. If you let in way too much air it will pop back and burn in mix tube when lighting move too much air through heat tube and be less efficient.But still should sound like a propane torch , just lower tone.Unlikely but maybe too much gas flow due to damaged orifice.
__________________
95 Monaco Crown Royale
M11 400hp, 4060 trans.
Aquahot, Generac Guardian7.5k
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11-20-2019, 04:44 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Melbourne Beach, FL
Posts: 1,945
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Quote:
Originally Posted by blackwell99
Hi all.
I couldn't get a good flame on my water heater so I cleaned everything.
Swabbed out the flue and cleaned the burner tube with scotch brite.
BTW, an old kitchen sponge with a scrubber on one side works great for the flue. Use a wire coat hanger and crimp it on the end of the wire. I made sure the valve assembly was lined up with the burner tube.
The flame is much better but still has too much yellow.
I cleaned the orifice by soaking it in IPA and blowing out with a shop vac. Does the orifice get gunk that IPA won't remove?
Thanks
MIke
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Blackwell99: Not sure if this will help, but I thought overall it was a good video and covered most issues:
http://www.irv2.com/forums/f84/hot-w...ce-466322.html
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2005 Newmar Essex 4502
1997 Suzuki Sidekick JX, Spokane, WA (Hoping to replace this soon)
1997 RexAir 32' Ford F53 Chassis, Banks system.
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11-20-2019, 05:34 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 26,640
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 153stars
If it sounding like tiny muffled jet engine it should be blue. Tiniest amount of dust will make flame yellow. How long did it run for to burn off dust. If you let in way too much air it will pop back and burn in mix tube when lighting move too much air through heat tube and be less efficient.But still should sound like a propane torch , just lower tone.Unlikely but maybe too much gas flow due to damaged orifice.
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Could be......
Shop vac is just a reversed high pressure air compressor.
Depending on orifice 'center' could have been damaged
On EDIT: If not mistaken Atwood uses a brass orifice with precision drilled hole
OP.........
Water heater ON
Turn furnace ON---real gas hog
Do they both run/operate?
LP Reg should be able to handle ALL propane appliances in service at same time.
__________________
I took my Medication today. HAVE YOU?
Dodge 3500 w/Tractor Motor
US NAVY---USS Decatur DDG-31
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11-21-2019, 11:09 AM
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#9
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Member
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 47
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I was gentle with it. I didn't stick the vac nozzle right on the orifice.
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11-21-2019, 11:22 AM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 26,640
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Quote:
Originally Posted by blackwell99
I was gentle with it. I didn't stick the vac nozzle right on the orifice.
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Doubt you damaged the orifice
Pretty sure Atwood Water Heater orifices are solid brass with precision drilled hole
Fairly robust...provided no poking things thru it
Simple manometer....
Tubing attached to wood with base so it can stand on its own.
A ruler or even markings at 1/2" intervals
One end of tubing long enough to reach appliance gas valve....1/8" fitting to screw into gas port on gas valve
Other end of tube open ended.....colored water inside tubing at 'center point'
__________________
I took my Medication today. HAVE YOU?
Dodge 3500 w/Tractor Motor
US NAVY---USS Decatur DDG-31
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11-22-2019, 04:19 PM
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#11
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Member
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 47
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 153stars
If it sounding like tiny muffled jet engine it should be blue. Tiniest amount of dust will make flame yellow. How long did it run for to burn off dust. If you let in way too much air it will pop back and burn in mix tube when lighting move too much air through heat tube and be less efficient.But still should sound like a propane torch , just lower tone.Unlikely but maybe too much gas flow due to damaged orifice.
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Good tip
After a day it looks pretty normal. A little yellow on the end of the flame.
Thanks
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11-23-2019, 06:16 AM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2019
Location: Braidwood Il.
Posts: 8,300
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Might still be little rich be watchful for soot building up. Not exactly the same but we tune boilers for some excess air.
__________________
95 Monaco Crown Royale
M11 400hp, 4060 trans.
Aquahot, Generac Guardian7.5k
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