Smoking Water Heater

Paullin · 04-02-2018, 11:02 AM

Started up the manual water heater on our 175RD this past weekend while camping and it started belching out black smoke and soot from it's exhaust vent. I shut it down right away and wiped the soot off of the alum. siding. Later I re-started it and tried adjusting the air shutter but to no avail, still black smoke and soot, so shut it down for the rest of the trip. Everything I could see looked clean, no debris, spider webs, etc.

Anybody have this happen to them? Anyone know why this happens?

I have an appointment with the dealer tomorrow as it is still under warranty but curious why this happened.

Thanks in advance,
Paul

Grumpy · 04-02-2018, 11:04 AM

How about a wasp nest?

troutslayer · 04-02-2018, 11:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grumpy

How about a wasp nest?

That's what happened to mine. Smoked like crazy. I use canned air to blow out the vent tube every once in awhile.

Paullin · 04-02-2018, 11:39 AM

Quote:

I use canned air to blow out the vent tube every once in awhile.

How/where do I access the vent tube?

Grumpy · 04-02-2018, 11:42 AM

That is the big tube that the burner is in and it exits behind the metal baffle at the top.

Jagiven · 04-02-2018, 11:57 AM

Sounds like a spider web/nest. Mine did that last spring. I never saw the web. Blow it out good with the air compressor, and put it back together, and it worked great.

stateboy · 04-02-2018, 01:28 PM

Black smoke/soot is a sure sign of a lack of air flow (or too rich of a gas flow). I'd agree with all the nest suggesters above. Not likely your gas flow changed but highly likely you air flow did.

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Swampy · 04-02-2018, 02:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paullin

How/where do I access the vent tube?

Paullin, The burner tube is the silver tube that goes across the front of the WH. The easiest way to access the inside of the tube is to note placement of the slotted air vent (mark the location with a pencil) and then remove it. I had a spider web way up in there that I couldn't blow out so I used a small brush from my humming bird feeder and snaked it through the tube (I am sure a long pipe cleaner would work, too). I withdrew a good sized mass of spider web, so then I used the compressed air to blow it out. The brush got it all. Just replace the air vent and light the WH. you can adjust the air vent if the flame isn't blue ... too much yellow will cause it to soot.
I hope this helps

Good camping

Swampy

Paullin · 04-02-2018, 05:11 PM

A hearty thanks to all! I blew out both the vent tube and burner tube with the air compressor. Although I didn't see anything blow out, now no smoke and soot

Must have been a spider.

BTW: Be careful with canned air, many contain flammable materials.

Thanks again,
Paulin

stateboy · 04-02-2018, 07:02 PM

BTW: Be careful with canned air, many contain flammable materials.

Thanks again,
Paulin[/QUOTE]

Many aerosol propellants are propane or propane based. LP gas expands to 270 times its volume when allowed to go from a liquid to gas state. With that said, it doesn't take much liquid in a can to create the pressure needed in a can to eject the product the can was meant to hold.

I hope you didn't learn the "hard" way about the flammable nature of your canned air. :-)

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troutslayer · 04-03-2018, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 36fire412

I hope you didn't learn the "hard" way about the flammable nature of your canned air. :-)

If you guys are worried about me using canned air to clear out spider webs from my water heater WHILE the heater is on...not to worry! My IQ is above 50.
I learned the properties of aerosol propellants while in the army during a gastrointestinal contest.

stateboy · 04-03-2018, 11:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by troutslayer

If you guys are worried about me using canned air to clear out spider webs from my water heater WHILE the heater is on...not to worry! My IQ is above 50.
I learned the properties of aerosol propellants while in the army during a gastrointestinal contest.

Cool. Otherwise, I'd be looking for some posted pics of some singed eyebrows. :-) I also think I bloviated a bit from my past life as well (fire investigator with the Michigan State Police). No insult meant. If you're I. Q. is above 50 then your I.Q. is higher than mine anyway.

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bankr63 · 04-03-2018, 11:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 36fire412

Cool. Otherwise, I'd be looking for some posted pics of some singed eyebrows. :-) I also think I bloviated a bit from my past life as well (fire investigator with the Michigan State Police). No insult meant. If you're I. Q. is above 50 then your I.Q. is higher than mine anyway.

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Don't be so sure of that if he was involved in "learned the properties of aerosol propellants while in the army during a gastrointestinal contest". If he was the contestant, one might question if he beats you...

Sorry @troutslayer, I couldn't resist the thought or blathering it out loud.

**norty1** · 04-03-2018, 11:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by troutslayer

If you guys are worried about me using canned air to clear out spider webs from my water heater WHILE the heater is on...not to worry! My IQ is above 50.
I learned the properties of aerosol propellants while in the army during a gastrointestinal contest.

Sounds like TMI!

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