Newby water heater question.

That new a unit shouldn't have a pilot light at all. I'd look up the specs online.

Rcers wrote:
I just purchased a used 2006 Springdale 189 travel trailer with a Suburban sw6p water heater in it.

These days it would be unusual to find a pilot light water heater in a travel trailer, even a small one, but if this really is an SW6P then it indeed is a pilot light model and must be lit as you describe. FWIW, no water heater should be operated unless it's first been filled with water, 'though the greatest risk of burning out the electric heating element you wouldn't have to worry about anyway as an SW6P doesn't have one.

Read this "Basic Suburban Heaters"
I realize your not supposed to start one without water,was just trying to do a quick test of the appliances and couldn't get main burner to light? The manual is for many different models with very little said about the basic SW6P model. I can't find any reset or anything of the sort. So still wandering if maybe there's a fail safe sensor of some sort that won't let it fire without water in it?? Anyone ever heard of that before?

Rcers wrote:
So still wandering if maybe there's a fail safe sensor of some sort that won't let it fire without water in it?? Anyone ever heard of that before?

Having owned an SW6P myself - no.

Here's the Owner's Manual that covers operation of your SW6P.

This is a Suburban SW6P water heater (6 gallon PILOT)






One should NEVER DRY FIRE a water heater.


There is a 'fail safe' the ECO which is the probe that comes out of back of gas control and sticks thru the WH tank wall into the water.
It trips should it sense 190*F and is a one time device. It trips....new 'thermostat gas control' (gas valve is needed)
That can happen if dial thermostat on gas control should fail to control heating, if water heater is 'dry fired' and even if the pilot flame has been adjusted and is too high.

Expensive one time device......part number 161111
LINK


Here is a manual that has troubleshooting for your pilot model..pg 21
LINK

This model comes in both DSI, (Direct Spark Ignition) and Manual pilot light models....

Click on the following link, it is a PDF document.. You may either

1: Left click and read in your browser (If supported) and then save from there (if supported)

or 2 Right click, Choose "Save link As" and save it direct to your hard drive

or 3: First 1, then 2

I suggest you save a copy to your hard drive.> NOTE This is the full installation and operation manual for that line of Surburan water heaters

Surburan SW6P installation and operation

wa8yxm wrote:
This model comes in both DSI, (Direct Spark Ignition) and Manual pilot light models....

Since the OP already identified his WH as an SW6P then it's manual pilot light, in which case any commentary about DSI doesn't apply. ;)

wa8yxm wrote:
This model comes in both DSI, (Direct Spark Ignition) and Manual pilot light models....

Actually NO........
SW6P (OPs model) is Pilot Flame---manual light
SW6PE.........is Pilot with electric heat element
SW6PR.......Pilot with Reigntor
SW6PER......Pilot with Reignitor and electric element

DSI Models do not have Pilot Flames...they use High Voltage/Spark Electrode to ignite the Main Flame Directly
Doesn't have the thermostat gas control like pilot models. They have gas valve with separate set of t-stat
Different model---different scheme---different controls