Gas water heater doesn't ignite until tank is warm

mini4mw · 06-09-2022, 07:58 PM

Searched a little and can't find anything related;
Atwood GC6AA-10E, gas/electric 6gal water heater. Unit has the dinosaur board in it.

Heater has been working fine for several days on this excursion. Three days ago I tried firing up the gas heater and it took 3x to clear the fault. Yesterday it wouldn't fire after 10 tries of on/off. I went outside and opened it up and I can see a good spark, but I can't smell ANY gas.. We are on full hookups so I just turned off AC and turned on electric heat. After 15-20m I decided to try gas again and it fired right up. It also re-ignited several times keeping the temp up while everyone took showers. Today same thing. Turn gas on, nothing. Try 5x and it just faults, fails to fire. I don't smell any propane. I just turned on electric. This time I wait 2-3min of electric running I tried the gas and it faults. Wait 7-8m and it fires right up first time.

Almost seems like some safety valve not letting gas through unless tank is warmed up? (and it is hot outside, 90+ degrees and humidity in the high 20s. I can see good spark, once it is on, it will stay on re-igniting many times through many showers. When it started acting up we were at the same camping spot for 2 days before it started acting weird.

So once its warmed up with electric a few minutes it works fine. I turn electric off and gas continues to work fine. Re-igniting to keep temp up as needed.

Ideas?

Stavman · 06-10-2022, 09:50 AM

I've had to jiggle the thermal fuse with mine...always seems to have issues after driving, especially down gravel, bumpy roads

mini4mw · 06-10-2022, 12:01 PM

So I took some of it apart seeing what I could figure out. It appears the solenoids or perhaps a bad ground on solenoids. When it tries to ignite I see 22v from pin with two red wires coming out (each to the gas shutoff which actually has 2 solenoids). The ground I was just touching metal encasement. The ground connection is corroded and on the opposite AND is a star but with the pin in the middle of the screw. I don't have any bits on the road for that one. Sanded down best I could around edges of ground and put it back together. Same problem still happening.

Hopefully it lasts through the trip with the electric boost, however that is making it work. Then I'll try taking that star pin screw out, fixing ground and if it still doesn't work replace the solenoids.

**JFlightRisk** · 06-10-2022, 06:43 PM

Be sure when you but Torx bits, they are the "security" type. You can see a small pin sticking up in the center, and that will prevent a standard Torx bit from going in. The security bits have a hole in the center of the bit.

Route 66 Traveler · 06-10-2022, 08:40 PM

Seeing a lot of corrosion in your pics, suggesting you may have more than one bad ground. Might give it some TLC when you get home.

mini4mw · 06-11-2022, 09:26 AM

Same thing again last night. Took about 10m on electric and then gas fired right up. Tried gas a few times before but never ignited until roughly 10m. Then I turned off electric and gas was fine the rest of the time. I just can not understand why it works after electric is on for a period of time. I can get a new gas valve assembly from rvupgrades.com for $110, cheapest I can find. Anyone order from there before? Good experience?

Only other thing I might test is the voltage when it's not working and when it fires up. Only saw 22.4v or so when it wasn't working and if both solenoids (two on the valve and two red wires, one to each solenoid. 22.4 was from the two wire pin on water heater wall) on the valve want 12 it might not be enough. Not an electrician, but (from reading online) heat can cause voltage to go up. Perhaps electric heats up just enough to get a little more volts through and once that happens the gas valves start working.

craigav · 06-11-2022, 09:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mini4mw

Same thing again last night. Took about 10m on electric and then gas fired right up. Tried gas a few times before but never ignited until roughly 10m. Then I turned off electric and gas was fine the rest of the time. I just can not understand why it works after electric is on for a period of time. I can get a new gas valve assembly from rvupgrades.com for $110, cheapest I can find. Anyone order from there before? Good experience?

Only other thing I might test is the voltage when it's not working and when it fires up. Only saw 22.4v or so when it wasn't working and if both solenoids (two on the valve and two red wires, one to each solenoid. 22.4 was from the two wire pin on water heater wall) on the valve want 12 it might not be enough. Not an electrician, but (from reading online) heat can cause voltage to go up. Perhaps electric heats up just enough to get a little more volts through and once that happens the gas valves start working.

I have a few suggestion in another posting, it is interesting that yours is the second report I have heard of this and both are recent. I would check out the following and perhaps touch base with the Florida Ranger and see if he determined the cause of the issue as I don't see any resolution there. ~CA

BTW, are you sure that the voltage measured is 22.4v? I am not a RV water heater expert for sure, but that voltage seems odd and not what I would have expected.

https://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/f...lem-95844.html

mini4mw · 06-11-2022, 10:23 AM

In the pic is where I'm measuring voltage. Positive on the two wire pin, negative on the gas valve assembly. The 22.4 only shows up when it's trying to ignite (gas valves should open, but smell no gas). Once it faults it shows 0v. There's 2 wires coming out from positive and each goes to gas valve which has two 12v solenoids, one red positive to each solenoid.

Ok, just tested again and I had the meter on AC yesterday. DC is 10.6v. I think I'll just wait and try cleaning grounds when I get the right star bit and see what happens.

This morning it wouldn't ignite. Testing voltage just now it turned on.

Adding another item to the list, an elk just bit my water hose, broke it and having his morning drink. Always something..

craigav · 06-11-2022, 10:32 AM

I would have a serious but friendly discussion with that Elk...

mini4mw · 06-11-2022, 10:36 AM

I went over and tried to ask her to leave a few ways and she gave me the eye that said mind your own business or get hurt...

Been drinking 20m now.

Yooper906 · 06-11-2022, 11:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mini4mw

I went over and tried to ask her to leave a few ways and she gave me the eye that said mind your own business or get hurt...

Been drinking 20m now.

By the way this cow is not afraid, this isn't her first rodeo in the campground. LOL
Fun to watch, but they can turn into a nuisance just as quick as deer and bear up here.

No one get me wrong, I love animals. Some I watch, some I eat. Either way, they are a great part of our life.

craigav · 06-11-2022, 11:19 AM

I love all the animals as well, especially with a few drops of Tabasco.

Yooper906 · 06-11-2022, 12:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by craigav

I love all the animals as well, especially with a few drops of Tabasco.

Elk goes great with mashed potatoes and gravy also. Now I'm getting hungry.

mini4mw · 06-13-2022, 09:34 PM

So I went from 7000ft and 90/65 (high/low temp) to 4000ft and 103/83. For the past 3 days at this altitude/temp I haven't had any issues with gas lighting the first time. Since it would run after it was warm at 7000ft I don't think altitude had anything to do with it. When it gets lit at night it's probably still 90 outside and the water and heater are pretty warm to start since it's been 95+ most of the day (each day).

Could heat really be the factor? Maybe loosening a valve from heat expansion?

Leedillion · 06-15-2022, 04:50 PM

Just did the same

mini4mw · 06-15-2022, 10:39 PM

Two days at 5,500ft and 98/70 temps and still working almost perfect. Yesterday it was still warm when I kicked on the water heater (gas only) and fired right up (~80 degrees outside at the time). It was a hot day so tank should have been relatively warm already. Tonight a little cooler tonight (75), the day itself was cooler (~90) and faulted once and fired up the second time.

videoarizona · 06-18-2022, 08:36 PM

Regardless, clean those grounds. Even if that doesn't solve the problem... The cleaning is needed...?
Now I need to go look at mine!!

Sbrinson · 06-18-2022, 09:01 PM

Check all of the various crimp connectors in the safety circuit and snug them down with crimp pliars. The amount of oxidation shown in the photos could have easily infiltrated into the crimp connector sleeves causing intermittant connection that would be thermally reactive.

spark of insanity · 06-19-2022, 06:35 AM

I decided to go electric probe for the hot water tank since ours is pure propane and I did not want to deal with having to refill it constantly. After 2 weeks at a seasonal site in Maine it trigger a circuit breaker. No clue what happened but I pulled the plug and had a on site RV guy check it out. It was faulty. Got a new one and it did it again. So now the company is sending me a whole new kit free of charge. The RV guy said going this route is more of a band aide to getting a propane/electric unit. What the RV guy said and it sounds like it here is that your temp controller might be faulty. Which is why the electric probe is popping the breaker for us. I told him I just wanted hot water for the summer and then decide later if I wanted to replace the tank like Jayco has which is the atwood electric/propane unit. Coachman goes the standard route. If I have the same issues once the new unit comes in I am going to have the RV guy put in a whole new unit that is electric/propane conversion. But after hearing it here I would have the controller unit inspected. Who knows. All I know is I had nice showers now its a race to the finish. Good luck. Now to start the propane tank so I can take a shower. Quickly.

mini4mw · 06-19-2022, 01:16 PM

I'm back at 8000ft and mid 60s. Past two days I haven't had any issue firing up the first time. I have no good answers or ideas other than first use at high altitude needed some 'grease' so to speak of using it consistently for a few days and that loosened everything up from sitting for 6 months or so. Only part that doesn't fit there is that it was working fine for a few days at lower altitude/higher outside temps.

In any case, I'll take it out and clean it up when I get home for maintenance if nothing else.

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