2010 Silver Creek Atwood Water Heater No Spark

[djpritchard]

In my 2010 Silver Creek travel trailer I am having issues with my hot water heater. I was getting a spark at ignition after turning on the water heater switch - one of three switches in the KIB Electronics RV Tank Monitor Panel. But now I don't get a light so I'm not sure how the 12V DC gets to the switch, which should eventually get to control board on the Attwood hot water heater. All fuses are good in the DC panel, which I'm my RV, is in the back of the cupboard over the kitchen sink. I have multiple 20 Amp fuses, one 15A and one 1A. There are no labels on the printed circuit card in the DC fuse panel and I have nothing more than the Owners Manual for the Silver Creek. I am wondering if any one has a Silver Creek out there and might have some wiring diagrams that spell out which fuse (they are numbered 1 through the total number of circuits on the board - I'll attach pic of DC fuse panel and the KIB Electronics RV Tank Monitor Panel.


Thanks


Dave

 

[Rene T]

I would unplug all the plugs on the heater and clean all the contacts.
A pencil eraser works good for doing that. Once all clean, plug them in and off several times to clean the mating surfaces. If there is any chance of mixing up the wires, take picrures

 

[Jkoht]

Just to be clear is it igniting or not, or are you talking about the switch being illuminated, "lighting"? If those are anything like my camper the light only illuminates when there is a fault and the water heater doesn't light, or if you run out of gas and the pilot light goes out. When there's no light everything is running normal.

 

[OldWEB]

Why is the wiring screwed up on the heater?

 

[djpritchard]

The light doesn't light and the igniter does not ignite. I took the pic when I was checking for voltages to the the thermostat and ECO and I also took out the thermal over load jumper (think that's what it's called - the thing that's encased in translucent heat shrink as I was just seeing if that was why I wasn't getting the 12V to gas solenoid). Does anyone know which wire to the controller brings in the 12V? I'm not seeing the 12V to thermostat or ECO.

 

[OldWEB]

Manual is easily found online.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

The power TO the light comes from the heater itself. Power TO the LP Gas switch can come from any 12v source - it flows thru the switch TO the heater. See the "combo gas/electric" wiring in the manual.

 

[Kirk]

. But now I don't get a light so I'm not sure how the 12V DC gets to the switch, which should eventually get to control board on the Attwood hot water heater.

Have you opened the panel to see if there is 12V to that switch? That is the first place to check. If there is, you could use the ohm scale of the meter to check the switch for proper operation.

All fuses are good in the DC panel, which I'm my RV, is in the back of the cupplboard over the kitchen sink. I have multiple 20 Amp fuses, one 15A and one 1A.

The fuse panel that you show has a light that will light if the associated fuse is open. You could easily verify that by removing the fuses one at a time.

diagrams that spell out which fuse (they are numbered 1 through the total number of circuits on the board -

Since you stated that all fuses are good, why does it matter? You can check to make sure that there is voltage out of each fuse while you are there and you can also use that meter to verify if the fuse is good or not.

I also took out the thermal over load jumper (think that's what it's called - the thing that's encased in translucent heat shrink as I was just seeing if that was why I wasn't getting the 12V to gas solenoid).

That device is not an overload but a safety device to turn off the water heater if the flame should ever ignite outside of the burner.

Does anyone know which wire to the controller brings in the 12V? I'm not seeing the 12V to thermostat or ECO.

The voltage only gets to the locations you are asking about when the water heater is turned on. If there is no voltage there then either the switch is off or bad or there is no 12V to that switch. Time to open up the control panel and look for voltage to the switch inside.

 

[djpritchard]

Kirk - thanks for responding. I did confirm there is 12V to the switch and that it is at the terminal going to heater when in the on position. I pulled the two white plugs at the controller and I'm getting 22V to ground on the light red wire that goes to the smaller plugin connector at the top of the board. I also get 12V to the red wire going to the larger plugin connector under the smaller connector. When turned on I get no spark now. I'm thinking now it's a bad controller

 

[OldWEB]

Please take another picture of the present wiring of the heater, the same as the first picture above. Cuz it is messed up.

 

[Kirk]

I pulled the two white plugs at the controller

I assume that the two plugs are these two?

I'm getting 22V to ground on the light red wire that goes to the smaller plugin connector at the top of the board. I also get 12V to the red wire going to the larger plugin connector under the smaller connector.

There is something wrong with the measurement as you are measuring higher voltage than is available at 22V. And those readings were with the plugs removed from the circuit board? Would the wire you called light red perhaps be the orange one?

 

[OldWEB]

Dang... scared another one away.

 

[FRod]

I have had the same problem before in a rv once it was simply taking the plugs out of the control board on the heater unit, clean them and replace back on the board and it worked. The one other time after doing everything diagnostic possible and just about giving up I checked my Carbon monoxide saftey unit switch in the bus that was mounted by the floor in which when vacuuming the carpet after a trip, tripped the switch and shut the propane off to the unit. Turned the monitor back on and it was fixed.