black soot from forming outside pilot light vent?

[Joeydrunk]

Hi again everyone. I dint know if it's dangerous or not but the last 8 months black soot stains the trailer a couple feet above my pilot light vent and I'm wondering how to get rid if it. I read that either it's clogged with cobwebs or something or the flame is burning dirty and I need to adjust it. I'm just not sure how to go about either. I wanted to post a pic from my phone but I dint see an option for that. I have a 1990 Majorca elpaso 20 footer. Any help would be appreciated or links to detailed instructions on how to fix. I don't have any experience fixing anything like this and can't afford to have someone do it. Thanks

[Me_Again]

Looks to me that it is time to invest in a new water heater. Or never leave it running while you sleep. Chris

[Joeydrunk]

Old-Biscuit wrote:
FIRST OFF.......

You need to clean that sooted rusted disaster up :B

Remove burner tube from gas valve and combustion chamber along with pilot flame tube and thermocouple
Remove exhaust heat shield

Clean burner assembly with wire brush and small bottle brush thru tube
Scrub exhaust shield clean
run a wire thru combustion/exhaust tube, tie rag on wire and pull it back thru several times to get soot/rust out

Reassemble
Loosen screw and move clamp back opening air shutter FULLY
Fire it up

Slowly move clamp closing off air shutter until MAIN flame is strong, steady blue flame with just a tinge of orange at tip. then tighten screw
Should be no more sooting going on

OR you may have to buy new pilot flame/thermocouple/burner tube assembly to make it work

Thanks, and I sorry it took so long once again. I did most of what you said, and I took off the black sheild and cleaned a **** load of soot out and adjusted that slider on the tube. I It's allot more noise but way less yellow flame and its been about a month and there no build u like there would have been. p

[Old-Biscuit]

FIRST OFF.......

You need to clean that sooted rusted disaster up :B

Remove burner tube from gas valve and combustion chamber along with pilot flame tube and thermocouple
Remove exhaust heat shield

Clean burner assembly with wire brush and small bottle brush thru tube
Scrub exhaust shield clean
run a wire thru combustion/exhaust tube, tie rag on wire and pull it back thru several times to get soot/rust out

Reassemble
Loosen screw and move clamp back opening air shutter FULLY
Fire it up

Slowly move clamp closing off air shutter until MAIN flame is strong, steady blue flame with just a tinge of orange at tip. then tighten screw
Should be no more sooting going on

OR you may have to buy new pilot flame/thermocouple/burner tube assembly to make it work

[Sport45]

If you don't know what you're doing take it to someone who does. The Allen screw you see looks like a plug to me.

You adjust the air/fuel mix with the clamp on the horizontal pipe below the thermostat. By covering more or less of the hole you are allowing less or more air to the burner.

Make sure everything is cleaned out well before you try to adjust anything.

[maxmorrow]

Friends of mine had same thing and adjusted the air mixture and corrected the problem. Use the Black Streak cleaner and it should come off. He had tried a lot of things to get it off but that worked.

[Joeydrunk]

Also not in the picture but directly down from the flathead screw you see under "hot" on the underside is a Alan screw. Not sure if that is for adjusting anything

[Joeydrunk]

[Joeydrunk]

Hi everyone thank you so much for the responses sorry it's taken me awhile to get back to you guys I'm going to post some links to some pics if my setup. Here's one and il post the rest in the next post.

[brdprey]

GASMAN6674 wrote:
Generic answer pilot is burning too rich (soot) Check gas pressure, check air flow, replace orifice, bunch of different answers depending on what you find.I would also inspect main flame when burning its probably rich too.
Should be a bright blue flame with a slight yellow tip, no lifting from the burner and very little noise.

not sure if it is the same as a general motor. but i am crossing my fingers this response is the key. black is usually fuel related. keep us up to date.

[eHoefler]

More likely than not, you have some sort of insect that has built a nest in the burner tube

[GASMAN6674]

Generic answer pilot is burning too rich (soot) Check gas pressure, check air flow, replace orifice, bunch of different answers depending on what you find.I would also inspect main flame when burning its probably rich too.
Should be a bright blue flame with a slight yellow tip, no lifting from the burner and very little noise.

[Old-Biscuit]

Pic OK but BRAND/MODEL would be of more help........

Atwood or Suburban

[BB_TX]

For a water heater that old a picture would definitely help for meaningful comments. Go to this picture posting tutorial for help.