Atwood Gas Water heater will not stay lit

It is not a gas flow problem, so I am going to check out the ground. The camper is 7 yrs old and sits outside, so that would seem reasonable.

Thanks everyone for the help.

This forum is great.

Peter

Terryallan wrote:
So it will light and stay lit after a few tries? It's the gas. The first time you are trying to lit it. It has AIR in the lines. It will not light, and will give up after a few tries. then when you try it for the third, or fourth time. the gas is there, and it lights.

So What to do? Light a burner on the stove. It will take a few min for the gas to get to it as well. Once it lights. Then you can light the water heater, and the fridge. Should light the first time.
At least that is how mine does

IF your no light/3 attempts/lock out then it lights off is when you first use propane then it is just lack of sufficient propane flow to water heater.

Any time RV propane system is valved out/not used and then valved back in the system needs to have flow established and a demand placed on LP Regulator so the propane appliances will light off especially fridge, furnace & water heater.

Lighting off stove top burners will help establish flow and places a demand on LP Regulator so it is 'in service'.
Notice that stove top burners will not light instantly...slight delay until that propane flow happens.


IF your no light/3 attempt/lock out then light off is occurring after water heater has been in service (during same camping trip) then issue is most likely GROUND not clean/tight, spark electrode is NOT engulfed by main flame or flame spreader plate on end of burner tube is NOT parallel with tube

So it will light and stay lit after a few tries? It's the gas. The first time you are trying to lit it. It has AIR in the lines. It will not light, and will give up after a few tries. then when you try it for the third, or fourth time. the gas is there, and it lights.

So What to do? Light a burner on the stove. It will take a few min for the gas to get to it as well. Once it lights. Then you can light the water heater, and the fridge. Should light the first time.
At least that is how mine does

Hi,

It does sound like you have a poor connection someplace. Check the ground from the ignighter to the circuit board. You might want to install a short wire to test it out.

The system works by applying voltage to the ignighter. The flame will conduct some power to the ground rod on the ignighter or to the pilot assembly. The circuit board measures this amperage, and if over 0.003 amps, it will leave the flame on. If under 0.002 amps, it should be shutting off the gas supply, and the flame will go off. At best, there will only be about 0.007 amps going through the flame to the ground rod or gas valve. So it relies on a good connection from the gas valve ground to the ignighter board to sense the amperage going through it.

GOod luck,

Fred.

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