ATWOOD HOT WATER heater question?? UPDATE

[joelyn]

i have one with a manual start. i ignite the pilot light and turn to on and the thing fires up no problem and we get hot water. my problem is,,,,, this pilot might stay lit for 2 or 3 days and properly work igniting the tank when hot water is called for. BUT every so often the pilot will go out leaving us with no hot water until we go out and light the pilot again and than it resumes its operation like it should for maybe 2, 3 or 4 days and than the pilot goes out and has to be reignited.
any reason why the pilot goes out every so often and any remedies to correct the problem so it stays lit all the time??
our propane tank is filled 90% so it is full and everything that runs on propane works great.

ANY SUGGESTIONS as to whats going on?
thanks.

[j-d]

I looked at the reviews on that Amazon page and it seems Suburban, too, may have changed the Gas Valve. I can't address that issue, knowing only that Atwood made a change.

But YES, the Thermocouple/Pilot Orifice issues discussed here are likely the same.

http://bryantrv.com/docs2/docs/subsw.pdf

Should be your service manual.

EDIT: Let me mention: If you (ever) need to replace this water heater, suggest you replace with another Suburban-branded unit. Atwood is the same number of gallons and the same options are available BUT the two brands have different mounting dimensions. It only makes sense to put the replacement right back where the original came out and not have to do a lot of adapting.

ALSO: The electronic ignition models are well worth the extra cost. You can turn it on and off from inside and it'll light itself when it needs to. Does not have a pilot flame to get blown out. Also doesn't waste LPG when you get tired of climbing in and out to light/shut off and just leave it on. The electric option is nice, but the electronic (called DSI for Direct Spark Ignition) won't use much LPG if you turn it on only when you need to heat some water. They heat up pretty fast and stay warm for hours after shutoff.

[joelyn]

went out to compare our HWH with the picture above and found out that the HWH is a SUBURBAN model SW6P,, would the above fixes be the same for a SUBURBAN HWH???? sorry about that, just got the trailer a few months ago and there were no manuals.
thanks again

this is the one i have...

suburban HWH

[enblethen]

Thermal couple not in the pilot flame. When air changes direction slightly the lame moves away from the thermal couple. Adjust the thermal couple so it is closer to the pilot flame.
Some gas valve assemblies have a small screw to turn up the pilot. Look on the face of the gas valve.

[RJsfishin]

How long do you have to hold the button?
If more than 20-30 seconds, try a new TC.

But otherwise, it was a very common occurrence, especially w/ any wind at all.

Try protecting it from wind blowout.

[j-d]

Does your Gas Valve look like



or does it have a slide across the top for Temperature Setting?

If it looks like the pic, that's the current valve. The one with the slide was problematic. I had to replace ours.

Thermocouple: There's a kit which is both TC and Pilot Orifice.



Both these images are from Amazon.

Note on the Thermocouple Connection: It LOOKS like a Gas fitting but it's actually a wire terminal. Tighten it SNUG ONLY. More and you'll crush the center core and short the TC out. It has to conduct a voltage to the Valve to keep it open. Can't do that shorted.

[cbshoestring]

THERMOCOUPLER


Good chance that while the pilot is lighting, it is not as "strong" as it should be. When the pilot is not burning as it should (too low) the burner ignites---blowing out the pilot. Common on RV and home water tanks (and furnances).

Sometimes cleaning the thermocoupler's orifices will get the job done. Replacing the thermocoupler is a relatively easy job.

Issue is so common----many people keep a spare thermocoupler in stock with their "must haves".

JUST GUESSING---not meant to be professional advice. Always consult a qualified service tech.

[MFL]

Back when I had a manual pilot, I used to put a tooth pick in the upper corner of the door, with door closed. It seemed the wind would suck the pilot out, when gusting. Having the down wind corner of the door cracked open, seemed to help.

Having to relight the WH pilot, was common, sure makes one appreciate the electronic ignition.

Jerry