Water heater not firing up

[KathyandDave]

De-winterizing the Monty for a trip Friday to Syracuse, NY. Everything's great, but the water heater won't spark up. The propane works everywhere else (furnace, range, oven, fridge). I'm not hearing "tick-tick" at the heater. Now, I inadvertently (moi?) left the heater switch on the heater exterior engaged (but propane off at the bottles) with the heater drained all winter. Is something burned out? Can I fix this, or should I run around the corner to the lcal RV store? I haven't started troubleshooting the wires, yet, or even checking fuses. I guess I'll start with that in the morning...any advice is well-appreciated, as always on the MOC.

[sreigle]

Dave, are you saying you don't hear the ticking of the igniter trying to fire the propane? Have you removed the outside cover? It should try every 15 seconds or so for three tries (I think it's three) before it gives up.

Check for spider webs in the burner orifice. That brass colored tube, just to the left of that is the orifice, in the hex nut looking thing. Don't put anything through that hole other than compressed air. It's soft and if you enlarge it then you will have to replace it.

Last month we had the same problem except on ours the ignitor would spark, trying to light, but we had no propane in the tube. The orifice was clear. I took it apart and could see daylight through it with a perfectly round hole. But still no propane.

The gas valve would click as if it was opening. I loosened the connection to the pipe coming out of the gas valve and going to the orifice and tube. No propane smell. I retightened that and loosened the nut on the connection for the incoming pipe. Definite propane smell. That told me there was propane to the gas valve but not coming out of the valve. I ordered online a new gas valve and that fixed it.

If you need a new gas valve, I recommend www.americanrvcompany.com . Their price for a new gas valve was about 2/3 of camping world and everyone else.

I don't know if any of that will help, Dave. First I'd check for obstructions by blowing out the tube and the orifice with compressed air.

Good luck.

[exav8tr]

I had to replace my Gas valve also about two years ago. It has worked fine since then.....

[bncinwv]

The outside switch on the water heater is electric only, it has nothing to do with propane. On our 2007 3400 the gas switch was on the wall at the steps leading up to the bedroom. If you energized the rig, before the hot water tank was filled with water and the outside switch was turned on (unless there is an inside electric switch also), then you have fried the electric element in the heater. Try the inside switch and see if the propane works first, then you can look at the propane supply.
Bingo

[snfexpress]

Do you have a Suburban water heater? If so, you may have a bad solenoid. You can test each of them by disconnecting the wires to them and then, using an Ohm meter, measure the resistance between the two tabs on each solenoid (test one solenoid at a time). The resistance should be about 40 ohms, give or take about 5 Ohms. If you get a different reading, especially on the one closest to the water heater and thus the one continually getting overheated, you'll know that you need a new valve - that is the only way you can get new solenoids. But, you don't need to replace the entire valve, just the bad solenoid. And, if one is good on your old valve, KEEP it somewhere safe.

[Carl n Susan]

Actually Mike, you can get the solenoids individually. We bought several a few years ago in Quartzsite. Here is a link to a thread that explains how to check the solenoids, one place where you can get them (although I think I heard he went out of business), and (near the end) the model number you are looking for.

$17 for a solenoid vs $100 for the replacement valves makes a good argument to hunt down the solenoid.

http://www.montanaowners.com/forums/showthread.php?t=36754&SearchTerms=gas,valve,water ,heater

[KathyandDave]

DOH! I figured out the problem.....I neglected to flip the switch in the coach! To each that answered, I owe you the beverage of your choice when we next meet.

[bncinwv]

I did the exact same thing with the electric water heater. Got to the campground and took the small pin out of the outside switch and proceeded to go about doing a bunch of other things. On the old rig (2007 3400RL) that was all that needed to be done. The new rig has another switch on the inside that also has to be turned on, that one I forgot. No hot water in a rig with three women is not a good situation to be in. Fortunately, I was able to notice the lack of hot water and get it corrected before one of them noticed. Now I have to memorize.......electric hot water - two switches, gas hot water - one switch.
Bingo

[Rondo]

I didn't answer but I'll take that raincheck on the beverage of my choice!

[leenbeth]

My Suburban water heater has an open solenoid coil on the gas valve. Previous posts from 2011 suggested buying from Quality RV in Quartzite AZ. It appears that they are no longer in business. Does anyone know of another outlet to buy this coil? I'm having no luck tracking this down.

[Carl n Susan]

quote:Originally posted by leenbeth

My Suburban water heater has an open solenoid coil on the gas valve. Previous posts from 2011 suggested buying from Quality RV in Quartzite AZ. It appears that they are no longer in business. Does anyone know of another outlet to buy this coil? I'm having no luck tracking this down.

PM or email Jackle1959. He has located a source which has the coils for less than the guy in Q. I am pretty sure he has even tested the coils in his heater (it was something we had planned to do last month).

Quality RV in Q moved (and changed names?) but they had the coils there last year. In fact Gambler's RV started carrying them too. If you are desperate, I am willing to sell one of my spares. You can email me if you are interested. I will be in the Jackson area next week but that may be too far from Coarsegold to be convenient.

[Ozz]

Carl has a good deal if that is the way you want to go.
I tried going to my supply warehouse, I had the guy there contact the gas valve mfg, they got back to him and said they don't make them available now, and for safety reasons (which I agree with) they should not be repaired, in any way.
Too much at stake for you to do that. I have seen gas valves malfunction and explode the rooftop unit, or run wide open overheating the unit until the safety's shut it down. If the safety does not work, or someone by-passes it, which I see all the time, it is not good.

[leenbeth]

Thanks for the responses, for some reason I was not notified by the forum admin. I was able to purchase 2 solenoids for $16.99 from americanrvparts.com. They arrived yesterday and are working fine.
Sure beats the $150 plus for a new gas valve.