hot water heater

[dudesupbro]

I have a 1996 Jayco pop up trailer that is a model 1206. I am trying to get everything working in it with a lot of success lately, but there is on thing i have left and need help with; and that is the hot water heater. I know there is hot water in the tank because when I turn on my faucet with the hot water side it gives water. I read the directions and they were of to no help. It has a knob with OFF PILOT and ON positions. Somewhere in the directons it says to depress a red button? I cannot find any button. Only the knob thing. Please help I am trying to get the hot water working in my trailer.

[tlhdoc]

I think you are asking how to light the water heater. Have the water heater full of water and water in the fresh water holding tank. Have the propane tank attached and open. It takes a while for the gas from the tank to get to the water heater. If you light the stove in the trailer it will help get the gas through the gas lines. Turn the knob to pilot and you have to hold the knob down. There should be a "sparker" that you push and it will click. It will be next to the fire box. The fire box has a "window" with a metal cover you can swing out of the way. It is hard to see the spark the "sparker" makes if you are in a well lit area. It is much easier to see the spark and the flame when the water heater lights. I recommend opening the window on the fire box, locating the sparker button and then getting down on eye level so you will be able to see the spark/flame. Once you know where the sparker is, hold the pilot light button down and every little bit push the sparker. This can take a while. Once the pilot light is burning you will need to hold the button down about 30 seconds. Let go of the pliot button and see if the pilot stays on. If it does move your face away from the "window" and stand up turn the knob to ON and wait for the woosh. I hope this helps.

[MY 1ST JAYCO]

Recently bought a 99 Heritage Laurel. we, too had problems lighting. Ours does not have the electronic ignition so we have to use a lighter but as stated by the previous poster, we could not get gas to the heater until AFTER we had lit the stove, then it worked fine.

[tthedell]

I just lit mine for the first time today. I had to use a lighter and hold the knob past PILOT for 20 sec. The pilot it in the burner tube. I can send you a picture if you need it.

Originally Posted by dudesupbro

I have a 1996 Jayco pop up trailer that is a model 1206. I am trying to get everything working in it with a lot of success lately, but there is on thing i have left and need help with; and that is the hot water heater. I know there is hot water in the tank because when I turn on my faucet with the hot water side it gives water. I read the directions and they were of to no help. It has a knob with OFF PILOT and ON positions. Somewhere in the directons it says to depress a red button? I cannot find any button. Only the knob thing. Please help I am trying to get the hot water working in my trailer.

[clavoberg]

Bump for help...

I am also having water heater problems. 1996 Jay 1207 with an atwood heater and white rodgers control. I have been trying to light this thing for a while now and although the pilot sort of lights there is also a flame (bigger than the pilot) coming from the connector through a small hole near the attachment bracket. The hole looks man made as opposed to a crack or something of that nature. I can keep this area lit with the controller on "pilot" for minutes at a time, but the moment I move it towards "on" it extinguishes. As far as I know the lines have been purged, the both inner and outer stovetop connections work fine.

picture of heater control.


closeup of hole in fitting just behind bracket coupling.


any help would be appreciated.

[clavoberg]

Bump for help...

I am also having water heater problems. 1996 Jay 1207 with an atwood heater and white rodgers control. I have been trying to light this thing for a while now and although the pilot sort of lights there is also a flame (bigger than the pilot) coming from the connector through a small hole near the attachment bracket. The hole looks man made as opposed to a crack or something of that nature. I can keep this area lit with the controller on "pilot" for minutes at a time, but the moment I move it towards "on" it extinguishes. As far as I know the lines have been purged, the both inner and outer stovetop connections work fine.

picture of heater control.


closeup of hole in fitting just behind bracket coupling.


any help would be appreciated.

[wrenchturner]

Sorry for the late reply. Hope you have it fixed. I chose to reply incase others may have the same issue.

With the description you gave, I believe you have a cob web/spider web or obstruction in the pilot light tube (not correct term). As you described the hole in the back has a flame. It should not. You can take the assembly apart and use a pipe cleaner or wire to push the obstruction out. You may try the pipe cleaner through the hole in the back if you can get it to bend and turn to exit where the pilot flame is lit.

hope this helps.

[Doug]

clavoberg

When mine did the same thing it was the thermocouple. The copper tube that goes back to a nut.
I went to a local RV repair shop and they had a whole box of used ones. He gave me one.
Changed it out and worked like a charm. 10 minute job.

The thermocouple tells the safety valve that your pilot is lit and lets gas flow.
If the thermocouple is bad, the valve thinks the pilot is not lit and will not allow gas to flow in the ON position.

Doug

[mcfarmall]

The pilot flame needs to be in contact with the thermocouple bulb. If you have flame shooting out of the little hole on the outside of the bracket then there is some blockage. Once your flame is shooting out of the correct orifice, try cleaning the thermocouple bulb with some sandpaper.