Just got back from a camping trip and this is what the water heater looked like after 4 days. I could actually see black smoke coming from it on a few occasions. Any ideas why it would be doing this?

Hornets nest blocking the intake causing it to run rich.

YC 1 wrote:Hornets nest blocking the intake causing it to run rich.Where do I look for that? I've always had a bug guard over the vent.

dmullen wrote:YC 1 wrote:Hornets nest blocking the intake causing it to run rich.Where do I look for that? I've always had a bug guard over the vent.It could be caused by a spider. Take a small, long handle brush or use some compressed air to clean out any debris that could be inside the fuel supply tube (probably has a different name) from gas valve to the combustion area of the water heater.

There is something restricting the air flow to the burner. Look for something like you see in the bottom right of the photo and make sure it is cleaned out.

I've had this happen. I now take an air hose to mine in the spring to clean out any critter nests.

Water Heater Soot | Good Sam Community

23 Replies

Leaf-Peeper
Explorer
Jul 07, 2015
dmullen wrote:
YC 1 wrote:
Hornets nest blocking the intake causing it to run rich.

Where do I look for that? I've always had a bug guard over the vent.

It could be caused by a spider. Take a small, long handle brush or use some compressed air to clean out any debris that could be inside the fuel supply tube (probably has a different name) from gas valve to the combustion area of the water heater.
dmullen
Explorer
Jul 07, 2015
YC 1 wrote:
Hornets nest blocking the intake causing it to run rich.

Where do I look for that? I've always had a bug guard over the vent.
YC_1
Nomad
Jul 07, 2015
Hornets nest blocking the intake causing it to run rich.

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Water Heater Soot

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