Water Heater

[Carolinaboy828]

Good Afternoon folks from [emoji295]SC! We arrived last night for a 4 day camping trip and I'm having a problem with our Atwood water heater. This is our second trip out with it and the first time was perfectly fine. When I turn the switch on I can hear it click 3 times but fails to ignite. I put a lighter to it and it ignited for about 3 seconds and then quit. I am guessing the board is bad but I'm sure others know tons more than I know. It is a 2018 Jayco Jay flight 264bh. Only problem we have experienced with the camper and love it! Anyway to get hot water besides stove? Thanks for the help and happy [emoji904]

[stateboy]

I have not had this experience but I did recently read on the forum where the gas will dissipate out of the line when the supply is shut off at the tank. This is typical when people shut their gas supply off at the tank between camping trips. It was suggested to get the gas flowing again by lighting all the burners on your stove and then try getting your water heater to ignite. It may be that simple. If that doesn't work, wait for the masses to chime in.

[Carolinaboy828]

Originally Posted by 36fire412

I have not had this experience but I did recently read on the forum where the gas will dissipate out of the line when the supply is shut off at the tank. This is typical when people shut their gas supply off at the tank between camping trips. It was suggested to get the gas flowing again by lighting all the burners on your stove and then try getting your water heater to ignite. It may be that simple. If that doesn't work, wait for the masses to chime in.

Thanks for the reply! I will indeed try that and see if that may kick it on.

[JeremyFr]

Originally Posted by 36fire412

I have not had this experience but I did recently read on the forum where the gas will dissipate out of the line when the supply is shut off at the tank. This is typical when people shut their gas supply off at the tank between camping trips. It was suggested to get the gas flowing again by lighting all the burners on your stove and then try getting your water heater to ignite. It may be that simple. If that doesn't work, wait for the masses to chime in.

This is pretty standard procedure for us and works every time, the one time I didn't do it, the fridge and the water heater failed to ignite until I did.

[Jagiven]

You only need to light one burner, and once you get a good flame, you can turn it off.

[chrismoore701]

Another trick i heard about last year and it worked. Turn it on. Go out side and put your hand over the exhaust pipe. Wait for it to fire. Then you will be good. Blew my mind. But it worked. Give it a try

[stateboy]

Originally Posted by chrismoore701

Another trick i heard about last year and it worked. Turn it on. Go out side and put your hand over the exhaust pipe. Wait for it to fire. Then you will be good. Blew my mind. But it worked. Give it a try

This is going to be wordy but here's my guess why this works (in my prior life, I was a fire investigator with the Michigan State Police)...

This trick prevents the LP that's filling an empty fuel line, causing it to initially enter the WH as a lean mix from escaping too quickly. When operating normally, spent or burned LP will exhaust out the port you are covering up to start the WH. You are artificially building a richer LP mix than would normally be present had the LP feeding the WH had a chance to flow at 100% fuel at thr beginning and not something less than 100%. It is less than 100% LP while in the process of displacing the air in the line between the tank and WH. Since the initial burn process involves a sputtering (lean mix) of LP until the line is "full," any natural draft that removes burnt fuel is also taking that lean fuel out with it, giving you the hard start. Your hand over the exhaust port is allowing a lean mix of LP to become trapped in the combustion chamber, hence richer, while the rest of the LP (or 100% flow) catches up to the WH. Some WH may be engineered to sense that lack of air flow you create with a hand over the exhaust port and defeat (or turn off) the WH until it is "corrected" as a built in safety measure.

The other option mentioned (starting a stove burner until it burns properly) will likely be easier for some, less work for others, drier for you on rainy set up days and probably safer. Personal choice though.

Perhaps, stand to one side of the WH as you cover the exhaust port. On a larger scale, I've had house fires I've investigated where I found the 40 gallon LP WH laying next to the house or up through the next floor of the home after an accumulation of LP gas sent them violently upwards after a spark or flame found the accumulated fuel. Fun times!

[ALJO]

Sometimes you might have to reset the switch a couple of times after each fail. Besides the switch there should be a small dsi light (if equipped)

[damammel]

See this discussion of the boards failing in the gas only models. I have had 2 bad ones.

https://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/f...art-56454.html

[norty1]

Sounds like the board. I would also try pulling and attaching all connections to the board just in case it's a connection. Also on one of the wires is a small fat looking thing that resembles a glass enclosed fuse. It's a thermal safety cutoff. Make sure you have continuity thru it.

BTW, what lake are you on in that picture?

[John from Central Florida]

Originally Posted by 36fire412

This is going to be wordy but here's my guess why this works (in my prior life, I was a fire investigator with the Michigan State Police)...

This trick prevents the LP that's filling an empty fuel line, causing it to initially enter the WH as a lean mix from escaping too quickly. When operating normally, spent or burned LP will exhaust out the port you are covering up to start the WH. You are artificially building a richer LP mix than would normally be present had the LP feeding the WH had a chance to flow at 100% fuel at thr beginning and not something less than 100%. It is less than 100% LP while in the process of displacing the air in the line between the tank and WH. Since the initial burn process involves a sputtering (lean mix) of LP until the line is "full," any natural draft that removes burnt fuel is also taking that lean fuel out with it, giving you the hard start. Your hand over the exhaust port is allowing a lean mix of LP to become trapped in the combustion chamber, hence richer, while the rest of the LP (or 100% flow) catches up to the WH. Some WH may be engineered to sense that lack of air flow you create with a hand over the exhaust port and defeat (or turn off) the WH until it is "corrected" as a built in safety measure.

The other option mentioned (starting a stove burner until it burns properly) will likely be easier for some, less work for others, drier for you on rainy set up days and probably safer. Personal choice though.

Perhaps, stand to one side of the WH as you cover the exhaust port. On a larger scale, I've had house fires I've investigated where I found the 40 gallon LP WH laying next to the house or up through the next floor of the home after an accumulation of LP gas sent them violently upwards after a spark or flame found the accumulated fuel. Fun times!

Excellent analysis, 36fire. Thanks!

[norty1]

Or spray the back of your hand red so you can find it when it's blown off!

[John from Central Florida]

[Carolinaboy828]

Originally Posted by norty1

Sounds like the board. I would also try pulling and attaching all connections to the board just in case it's a connection. Also on one of the wires is a small fat looking thing that resembles a glass enclosed fuse. It's a thermal safety cutoff. Make sure you have continuity thru it.

BTW, what lake are you on in that picture?

Norty I'm at Lake Keowee which is located about 8 miles from Clemson. Beautiful place

[norty1]

Originally Posted by Carolinaboy828

Norty I'm at Lake Keowee which is located about 8 miles from Clemson. Beautiful place

It's on my list if it's the SP!

[Carolinaboy828]

Originally Posted by norty1

It's on my list if it's the SP!

This is actually county park. South Cove County Park, South Carolina

[lefoster]

I had this happen after I switched out my propane tank. as the instructions say, you are to open the tank slowly, so the safety valve doesn't snap shut. well, this new tank I got let the gas out much faster than my older one and it was making the safety valve snap shut, so I would get a flame for a 2 or 3 seconds, then it went out. this happened on my stove too. the guy at the propane place told me to barely open the tank and wait a minute, and let the lines fill, then open it the rest of the way. that worked, gas stayed on to everything.
just another possibility.

[mnaquaman]

I am sure this is to late to help. I have had this problem in he past & I replaced the Flame Sensor for approx. $22. I would try this before investing in an expensive board!