Atwood water heater problem

[Katdaddy]

We have an Atwood water heater. Ours runs on propane. On our last trip it had an issue that I have never seen before. It would start as usual and sounded normal, and then it would hesitate occasionally. Kind of like when you are blowing and have to take a breath. The flame looks normal, it heats just fine. Any ideas on what could be causing this?
Thanks for any and all help.

[wa8yxm]

I am thinking you might have and air/fuel ratio issue.. (Air shutter on the burner may need adjustment) but... frankly check out the other stuff too... That's really about the only adjustment on the thing other than ignition spark gap spacting and since it's lighting.. that's good.

[Katdaddy]

Thanks for the tips. Looks like I need to take it apart again.

[dougrainer · Accepted solution]

1. remove the gas orifice and blow out.
2. Remove the metal exhaust cover and roll a golf ball down from the top. This will tell you if the flame exhaust tube has any restrictions(insect nests) which can cause your problem. You CANNOT see this and you use the golf ball to determine if obstruction.
3. Make sure that you remove the burner flue and run a nylon brush thru it to remove any possible spider nest residue. The smallest residue can cause your problem.
4. Last, proper air mixture is critical for your type problem. Adjust as needed to get a loud blue roaring flame. Doug

[fyrflie]

I had a similar issue with the same water heater. Mine started sounding like a jet taking off with the occasional pop or hiccup. Prior to that, you could hear it turn on, but was very quiet during the heating process, then you heard it shut off. I ended up buying and installing a tune up kit and it solved the problem.

http://techsupport.pdxrvwholesale.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Atwood-Master-Water-Heater-Manual.pdf

PDXRV has most, if not everything you need, including free tech support documents.

Hope this helps.

[Katdaddy]

Yeah, sorry for not starting with that info. Model is G6A-8E. Looks like manufactured in 04.
I don’t believe it is electrical issue. It fires right up each time. I don’t use the furnace, so can’t speak to its performance. Stove burners burn smoothly.
We did have an issue first trip in the spring, spider decided to make a web in the tube. Cleaned that out and had another trip where the heater worked fine. This just started on this trip and it acted the same for an 8 day trip. It DID heat the water just fine. The flame sounded just like it always does except for the hiccups.

[JBarca]

Please supply the model number and year it was made. It helps us help you with better responses.

Not knowing which vintage you have, if the flame chokes out now and then, it could range from insects nesting in the burner tube to an all-gas control valve acting up (a gas supply issue). If you are on electric ignition, there could be other issues with loose wiring, dirty connections, etc (an electrical issue).

Does the furnace work correctly, and do the range top burners burn smoothly for as long as the water heater runs and then acts up? Need to determine if you have a gas supply/control issue with the heater? If the main tank regulator is acting up, the water heater can follow it. We need to eliminate what does work right and what does not.

Hope this helps

John

[enblethen]

Is the water heater a DSI model? If so, check to make sure the thermostat and ECO are tight against the tank.