Just bought Jay Feather 2011 x20e and can't turn on water heater

[alitak]

The pilot won't light and we can't get hot water. Husband has never got it working (picked up in Salt Lake on Tues and have been camping on way home to Seattle since via Bear Lake, UT and Arco, ID KOA's ). Thanks for any help in what we might be missing. Otherwise we love this trailer!!

[clutch]

Congratulations on your new trailer. If you have a DSI water heater you should just turn the switch on. If you have to light it you will have to hold the button down until the thermocouple heats up to keep it burning. The button should have a push or hold to start label.

[Quantum]

Have you purged your gas lines? Try igniting your stove. Once the stove is burning with out air coming through, then retry your hot water tank.

[kwlyon]

I discovered today that it can take a loooooong time to light the pilot light if the gas has been turned off all winter. I supposed the gas line is full of air, and it take a long time for the air to get out thru that very small pilot light aperture. My solution: Take a propane or butane torch & warm up the temperature sensor that the pilot warms up, then turn on the gas. Even then, it will take a few seconds for the air to get out of the line and the gas to light. Once you've gotten the air out of the lines, all will be back to normal.

[torsiondrummer]

I've got a Jayco Jayfeather 23X-I'm really interested in where and or how to refill my hot water tank. I had it winterized at the dealer, took it out this weekend for the first time after winteriszing. No hot water. I read all the manuals and owners manul, nothing at all says how to fill it. Only says how to drain it, and the relief. And I think mine is new, 2011, I don't believe I have to lit a pilot? Hence, dry as a bone, I hope I didn't fry the electrical board? With the dealer and manufacturer being closed on the weekends, any suggestions? Then there's two types of pilots? Confusing. Thought just a button was the trick.

[rwilley]

Originally Posted by torsiondrummer

I've got a Jayco Jayfeather 23X-I'm really interested in where and or how to refill my hot water tank. I had it winterized at the dealer, took it out this weekend for the first time after winteriszing. No hot water. I read all the manuals and owners manul, nothing at all says how to fill it. Only says how to drain it, and the relief. And I think mine is new, 2011, I don't believe I have to lit a pilot? Hence, dry as a bone, I hope I didn't fry the electrical board? With the dealer and manufacturer being closed on the weekends, any suggestions? Then there's two types of pilots? Confusing. Thought just a button was the trick.

You should just have to turn on a hot water faucet to fill the hot water heater. There shouldn't be a pilot lite either all you have to do is turn on the switch.

[Westerncanuck]

Originally Posted by torsiondrummer

I've got a Jayco Jayfeather 23X-I'm really interested in where and or how to refill my hot water tank. I had it winterized at the dealer, took it out this weekend for the first time after winteriszing. No hot water. I read all the manuals and owners manul, nothing at all says how to fill it. Only says how to drain it, and the relief. And I think mine is new, 2011, I don't believe I have to lit a pilot? Hence, dry as a bone, I hope I didn't fry the electrical board? With the dealer and manufacturer being closed on the weekends, any suggestions? Then there's two types of pilots? Confusing. Thought just a button was the trick.

On my X213, I just de-winterized it and I too was perplexed where the bypass for the HWT was. I looked the the contols on the outside of my trailer and checked inside my TT. I found it under a piece of plywood under my dinette seat. I removed the 2 screws holding the board on. Once you take the board off, you will see 3 isolation valves, one at the top of the tank, one at the bottom and then you will see another one that connects between the 2 lines. that one is the bypass. You will notice that the top and bottom ones are closed and the bypass open. Only open the bypass after you have flushed the antifreeze from the lines. at all the taps. This can be done by putting 5 gals of water in your fresh holding tank, then open each tap for a minute. At his point you should sanitize your fresh holding tank and lines. Add about a 1/4 cup bleach for every 15 gals of water you put in your holding tank. Run each tap until you smell bleach and then turn off. do this for every tap. Let site for a few hours and then flush all the lines and tank until you do not smell bleach anymore. Once this is done, connect city water to your TT, go to your hot water tank, close the bypass isolation valve, open the lower isolation valve and then the upper, you will hear water entering your HWT. ( make sure the drain valve has been out back first ) I then slowly opened the kitchen faucet and let the air escape until I had a good stream coming out. You can now either heat the water while you are plugged in or switch to propane.

[torsiondrummer]

Westerncanuck, thank you very much for the insight and detailed post. This is an amazing breakthrough, I thought I was loosing my mind. I can't wait to go look in the trailor and discover the hidden valves. Boy, this would have made camping the last weekend that much more enjoyable! Thanks again!

[tlhdoc]

Westerncanuck you gave a very good description on what to do, but you need to sanitize the water heater too. All parts of the water system need to be sanitized or you will not have a sanitized water system.

[Westerncanuck]

Originally Posted by torsiondrummer

Westerncanuck, thank you very much for the insight and detailed post. This is an amazing breakthrough, I thought I was loosing my mind. I can't wait to go look in the trailor and discover the hidden valves. Boy, this would have made camping the last weekend that much more enjoyable! Thanks again!

You are welcome, you will need to close the bypass on your fresh water holding tank too after sanitizing. I found the holding tank on side of the dinette and the hot water on the. Other side of the dinette. I wished that they had marked the location with a label or something. It would have saved me a lot of grief too. Let me know how it works out for you. Happy camping!!

[Westerncanuck]

Originally Posted by tlhdoc

Westerncanuck you gave a very good description on what to do, but you need to sanitize the water heater too. All parts of the water system need to be sanitized or you will not have a sanitized water system.

Thank you, good point,