Atwood Water Heater wont start

[DblDuce]

im trying to troubleshoot my water heater. its a 6 gallon electronic ignition Atwood. i put in 2 new chassis batteries today, and was able to get the fridge working on gas, but the WH still wont light. if i turn it on and put a lighter into the burning chamber, it fires up, but only for about 10 seconds. so i know the gas valve it working. i dont hear the ignitor trying to light though, and before I look at replacing the main board, i was wondering if there was something else i could check? i took the board out and cleaned the plug terminals, ground terminal, etc, but it didnt make a difference. what else can i try to do on my own?

[Sammie]

Has the water heater worked before? Or is this a new to you coach?

Sammie

[InPursuit]

1) verify that you actually have the 12volts at the controls
(at the feed end of the fusible link)

if you do NOT... then go back father but I suspect you will have power and all the other stuff you mentioned is just trouble shooting clutter

2) assuming you do have power... bypass the link to test it.

[Theberrys]

Hi go here and download Attwood Water Heater Manual. There is complete information in it to help you figure this out. If you see anything else you need feel free to download it.

Tradewinds Docs - Windows Live

Dick

[DblDuce]

this is new to me. its a 1990 Granville Debonair. As far as I was aware, it used to work. i think the previous owners just never used it in years because they didnt use it much.

[Sammie]

Dbl, read through the following thread. It may help you with your problem.Ignition failure Atwater combo electric/gas 10 gallon water heater

Sammie

[DblDuce]

I actually read that thread earlier today. tonight i took the control board out and cleaned all of the terminals, including the ground. i used an ohmmeter and checked out the spades for the thermostat, and the others, and all checked out. i then tried it on the ground on the board, and to each of the other connectors, and they were all open. upon further examination of the control board, it looks like the bottom corner was melted a little from something long ago, either excess heat, or something on the board malfunctioning.

i can light it manually, as the gas valve works, but it only burns for 5 seconds before it goes back out.

does it sound like the board needs replaced? ive been looking at the Dinosaur boards i keep reading about on here. the only problem is their boards look like it has 5 wires on the plug, and i believe mine only has 4. also, mine has a jumper wire coming off of it going to a connector next to the ignitor. the replacement boards dont seem to have this. is this something id have to have? fyi, ive been looking at the dinosaur model UIBLPR since mine has the post ignition terminal. would this be a direct plug on to my existing harness, or is there something else i should check for first to see if my board generates a spark?

[RV Wizard]

You will want to verify the the high tension wire from coil on board to igniter is good, also that th igniter is good and has 3/16" gap to ground electrode. This as you have read not only ignites the fuel but also proves to the board that fire is present and the board will allow the gas valve to stay energized. If this prove (igniter in flame) does not get to board, the board will shut off gas valve. If you have an RV repair shop you could take the board to them for testing. Good luck and keep us posted.