Atwood furnace

[H. Dossett]

Topic continued from Owner's Corner forum:

Huston, We have ignition.

To update the crowed on my trails and tribulations with the Atwood furnace:

The electric click I kept hearing was the solinode opening the gas valve. After check the voltage and assuring myself that the control board was good, fine tuning the electrode gap, cleaning the burner nozzle, purging the gas line, finding and repairing a loose butt connector (one I did a couple of months ago while working on the AC unit) the furace worked five times then quit again, and later it would ignite and burn for about three seconds, (did this three times). To me, things pointed to the lack of a good healthy spark and was reinforced this morning when I removed the burner one more time to check the spark. I heard a good strong continues sparking and thought that it sounded stronger than before. I had failed to reconnect the hi tenison wire to the electrode and the wire was arcing to the chassis. Connected to the electrode it was a lot weaker and not as continuous.

Was able to find a new electrode locally and replaced it. Worked first time, every time and only had to buy one replacement part! Only problem now is that it is in the upper eighties in N. Arizona this week and I don't need the furnace.

Thanks for everyones help.

Harold

[H. Dossett]

Topic continued from Owner's Corner forum:

Huston, We have ignition.

To update the crowed on my trails and tribulations with the Atwood furnace:

The electric click I kept hearing was the solinode opening the gas valve. After check the voltage and assuring myself that the control board was good, fine tuning the electrode gap, cleaning the burner nozzle, purging the gas line, finding and repairing a loose butt connector (one I did a couple of months ago while working on the AC unit) the furace worked five times then quit again, and later it would ignite and burn for about three seconds, (did this three times). To me, things pointed to the lack of a good healthy spark and was reinforced this morning when I removed the burner one more time to check the spark. I heard a good strong continues sparking and thought that it sounded stronger than before. I had failed to reconnect the hi tenison wire to the electrode and the wire was arcing to the chassis. Connected to the electrode it was a lot weaker and not as continuous.

Was able to find a new electrode locally and replaced it. Worked first time, every time and only had to buy one replacement part! Only problem now is that it is in the upper eighties in N. Arizona this week and I don't need the furnace.

Thanks for everyones help.

Harold

[Ray,IN]

The glass is half-full Harold! Next time you need the furnace it will work.

[RamCougar]

I would like to thank Mr Dossett for his findings! My Atwood has had a very intermittent "no start" problem for the last year and a half. Mine would do all the normal functions including the snapping of the igniter but not light sometimes. I purchased a Manometer and found my pressure low (7" water column) so I adjusted it to spec. It was good for a week then it started acting up again and more frequently. After reading Mr Dossett's findings I removed the burner/gas valve/igniter assembly for the umpteenth time but this time I turned it around and reconnected the wires. Upon test firing I found the Igniter to be snapping and arching but not across the gap instead going to ground at it's base. Installed a new igniter and problem is solved! So if you have a no start and smell gas and hear the snapping of the igniter don't ASSUME it is something else, check the igniter operation by sight! Thanks again Mr Dossett! Randy

["007"]

pswilderness welcome to irv2.
This is what its all about helping one another, thanks for your first post enjoy the forums and do post often.