Atwood Water Heater Issues

[CHunley]

Okay, if I am in the wrong forum or somthing just send me in the right direction please. I am having trouble with my Atwood Water Heater (g6a 8e), it will try to light and acts like it blows itself out. I can light it with a lighter for a grill and it will work fine for about 3 or 4 minutes, then it goes out again, this is like a cycle. I have replaced the board, had the old one tested it was going into a lockout mode. I am out of town working out of the rv and cannot take it to get it looked at so I am on my own with it. Any help with this would be greatly appreciated...

[Sammie]

CHunley, If your up in higher elevations you may not be getting enough air to the burner for proper combustion. If this is the case the burner flame will burn kinda yellow or go out after lighting. Try leaving the door to the water heater open or partially open.

Sammie

[CHunley]

The rv is in southwestern ky, so I sort of sure it is not an elevation issue, besides, while I am sitting there lighting the stupid thing everytime it goes out, the door is open. Any other ideas??? lol. I am getting to my wits end with it. I will be back down there monday and will be able to mess with it after work. I am taking all the notes that I can.

[Sammie]

Try reading this post and see if it might sound familar.

Ignition failure Atwater combo electric/gas 10 gallon water heater

Sammie

[Sammie]

Also try this:

One other possibility - there is a flame detector that determines if the burner actually lit. Without confirmation from that detector, the brain will shut down the LP flow. If it lights, but then shuts down, check the position of that sensor and make sure it's in the flame. If it is, you probably need to R&R the sensor.
__________________
Tom

Sammie

[RV Wizard]

Remove the venturi tube from the water heater's gas valve and combustion chamber. Clean inside and clean the igniter with some steel wool. Wipe off the tip of the gas valve. Reassemble and retest. As mentioned the flame should be mostly blue and have a slight roar for sound. Adjust air mixture slide near valve if need be to get this flame. Let us know how you come out. You could have a bad igniter but maybe not.

[CHunley]

I am on my way this morning to get a new ignitor and and a new thermostat. I just dont want to get down there and realize I needed something else. I have a funny feeling that the ignitor is not aligned like it is supposed to be. It seems to be a bit further in the burn tube, assuming it should be right above where the flame comes out. Anyway, I plan to clean the orifice like you mentioned and install the new stuff and go from there. Another week of sitting there in 90+ degree heat lighting this thing waiting for it to get warm might drive me crazy, lol. Thanks for the starting points.

[CHunley]

Well, I got the thermostats but the ignitor was like 50 bucks at Holmans Rv center here. And the said that if it was igniting the first time there is probably nothing wrong with it then. And we go a new one out of the box and I noticed that the ignitor was quite a bit farther in the tube than I thought mine should be, so I will check the adjustments with that too. And I have the Atwood number as a back up...

[John Wayne]

check to see if you have a thermo-couple (a tube that goes from the flame to the controller) make sure it is tight at the controller it keeps the gas valve open. It could also be bad if you do have one.

[Mike Thomas]

Also check all your ground wires and connections. That flame sensor is reading a small amount of current through the ground wire. A poor connection will give a false reading, and then the control board thinks it has lost flame, and shut it down.

[CHunley]

Well, I just got home about an hour ago and here is how I made out with the rv: The shower was a small rubber piece that I am assuming helps to control water flow just as the water comes from the knobs. I tried it all ways possible with the rubber and without the rubber/ with the little plastic piece that has a single hole in it that looks like the water comes from the knob and straight into the hose that goes to the shower head. Well the actual piece that screws into the area where the knobs combine water has two holes in it, I am assuming one is some sort of pressure relief or something, because when I removed the rubber water sprayed out of this smaller hole. No matter how I tried to make it work, the water always sprayed out this smaller hole, until!!!! I found the right size self tapping screw, put some silicone to it and tightened it up into the smaller hole,,,, Finally, shower is the way it is supposed to be..

Now for the hot water heater, changed the thermostat, no luck. Cleaned the wires and connections, no luck. Cleaned the tube that comes from the gas valve to the burner tube, no luck. I figured out that if i slightly cock the wire connector to the board I can get it to run till it shuts off, but it will not light on its own. Atwood 800 number says it is out of adjustment somewhere, the man was really nice and tried to help, but I pretty much already knew that!!!!!! I am lost at this point.... lol

[RV Wizard]

I take it, that it will not even try to lite now, as before, it would try but then flame would go out. Which wire connector is it that you are having to cock? Have you tried pulling on the wire connector while holding the wire to see if it is broken inside and the insulation is what is holding it to the connector?
If it is the igniter, You will need a new one. The gap between the igniter electrode and ground post should be set at 3/16". These tips have top be in the blue part of the flame for the board to sense there is flame and leave the gas valve energized after about 5-7 seconds.