Hi new to this site, I have a 2006 mallard travel trailer, It has a 6 gal propane only attwood water heater with electric ignition. After first setting up at camp the water heater lights right up but after about 15 min or so it goes out, the igniter keeps sparking and It gets a small flame but goes out, it does this every trip. Once the switch is off all night the water heater fires up and works good the rest of the trip, driving me crazy any help would be appreciated. Would a bad battery have anything to do with this problem?
Attwood water heater problem
- Thread starter alsamp
- Start date
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Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
I suppose a bad battery could contribute. If the voltage dropped low enough, the electric gas valve would not stay open. But if you are plugged into shore power, the voltage should stay high enough regardless of battery condition. I can't think of what else would change overnight, though.
Mopar1973Man
Well-known member
Possibly low on propane... When the bottle gets low and the outside temps are low it has a hard time generating enough propane. But that's a guess... :
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
It certainly sounds like a propane delivery problem, but why does it correct itself overnight? If the propane was low to begin with, it didn't increase overnight...
Unruly
Member
as compressed gas warms up it expands thus increasing the pressure.... if the tanks are almost empty and the nights are cold, it could drop the pressure below the regulator operating level..... I had the same problem with my propane grill that is outside on the patio in the winter that we use after scraping the snow off of the top of it....lol
Unruly
Member
a second thought, the regulator spring may be sticking not allowing enough gas to pass to maintain enough operating pressure, but once the system has been pressurized over night it may be able to open the regulator more and allow enough gas to pass to keep the HW operating.... I would try to change out the regulator first to see if it corrects your problem.....
as regulators get old the spring in them weakens and the rubber diaphragm can stick open or close depending if you the pressure is on or off of the system, most likely off
as regulators get old the spring in them weakens and the rubber diaphragm can stick open or close depending if you the pressure is on or off of the system, most likely off
Water Dog
Well-known member
Do your other gas appliances work when the water heater refuses to?
When you are at home, do you store it with the propane valve on and then turn it off while you travel?
I am just considering that you may have a problem with air replacing propane in the line to the water heater when not under pressure from the tank. Then over night the propane is replaced and your unit works well again.
Shooting in the dark but would be one of the things I would consider.
Best of luck solving the problem.
I am just considering that you may have a problem with air replacing propane in the line to the water heater when not under pressure from the tank. Then over night the propane is replaced and your unit works well again.
Shooting in the dark but would be one of the things I would consider.
Best of luck solving the problem.
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
Redman makes an excellent point. Air in the lines seems like a likely explanation, since that will indeed often correct itself given enough time.
Water Dog
Well-known member
I would agree with Redman but for the fact that you said it ran for a straight 15 minutes then wouldn't relight. On our last MH the Temperature & Pressure relief valve dripped water on it's initial start up as the heater warmed up the first time, and the heater was giving us problems of sometimes it would light and sometimes not. Turned out that the dripping T&P valve would drip right in to the burner air intake and until it dried out a little, it wouldn't light. I finally installed an insert fitting on it and a short piece of tubing to direct it away, and that solved the problem. Don't know if this is your issue, but you might want to open the door and just watch it as it heats up the first time.
When I have the trailer home I shut the gas valves off, I do leave them on when traveling to keep the fridge on. I dont think its air in the lines I think it must be the control board, what I cannot understand is why it fires up nice with good powerful flame at first. Is there a way to check the control board because there not cheap and I hate to buy one just to see if it fixes the problem. When at home I can turn the gas on and the heater works, still think its something when traveling that does it.
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
The control board is subject to expansion/contraction problems, so having it fail after warming up (or cooling down) is a known problem. But yours seems to sort itself out after sitting overnight and I can't explain why it would not fail again the next time it warms up. I can't think of how a control board would fail like that.
Your fridge uses very little propane (small flame), so it can get by when the water heater (large flame) cannot.
Have you tried turning on the water heater while the RV is at home? See if it fails there too?
Your fridge uses very little propane (small flame), so it can get by when the water heater (large flame) cannot.
Have you tried turning on the water heater while the RV is at home? See if it fails there too?
Water Dog
Well-known member
alsamp said:
Have you checked/cleaned the electrical connections to the gas valve?
Molaker
Well-known member
Have you tried the furnace? It will draw a lot of propane. If it works fine, then the problem is not likely to be the gas supply, pointing more to the control board. Also, you say it has no problem "at home". When at home, is the trailer plugged into shore power? If it may be a 12 vdc problem (weak battery?) and after sitting overnight (plugged in, I'm assuming), the battery is charged enough to support the demand. If the battery is bad, it may take some time on shore power for the converter to bring it up. That and poor battery connections might keep the available 12 vdc low until it catches up overnight.alsamp said:
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
Good idea with the furnace. If the furnace lights and runs when the water heater does not, it has to be something in/near the heater.
The battery was going bad last year that was another thing I thought also, I have to buy a new battery this spring hopefully it will fix this thanks for the help. I dont usually plug the camper in at home, I dont remember if I tried the water heater when it was plugged in at home or not.
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
Let us know what happens when you get the new battery in. You don't have to be plugged into shore power to use the water heater, as long as the battery is charged. And you can put a regular automotive charger on the battery(s) if you want to just charge them up.
well I put in a new battery and tried the water heater at home this was the first time this season it was lit, the problem was still there. This time it did it at home parked plugged in, I cannot understand it. I checked gas selenoids and they had the proper voltage all other appliances work fine. I cleaned all connections and removed gas valve to see if there was any blockage in the lines, put it back together and still wouldnt light. the next morning i tried it and it lit and worked as it should I left it on most of the day and it worked fine. We took the trailer camping last weekend and the heater did the same thing, lit right up then went out and would not light again, I had bought a new thermostat and put it in, still would not light. The next morning it lit and worked fine for the rest of the trip. Iam really frustrated that I cant figure this out if they were not so expensive I would rip this one out and put in a new one!
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
I think I would replace the circuit board with that sort of intermiitent failure. They are expensive, but much less than a new heater.
