giamantic
Active member
- Joined
- Apr 17, 2011
- Posts
- 30
My friend has a 85' prowler and the pilot light on the hot water heater won't stay lit. Heats up about half of a tank and then goes out. Any ideas on what could be wrong?
85' Prowler hot water heater problems
- Thread starter giamantic
- Start date
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muskoka guy
Well-known member
Does it have an automatic lighter or do you have to hold the gas valve in manually for a short period of time to get it to light? Gas appliances have a safety device called a thermocouple on them. It is a probe that sticks into the flame. When you hold the valve in it supplies a limited amount of gas to light the pilot and heat up the thermocouple. Once the probe has reached a certain temperature it opens a valve and allows more gas to flow to the burner. If the probe cools back down it will automatically shut off the gas flow. If the probe gets bent or worn so that it is not in the flame properly, it may heat up enough when you hold the valve in to light the unit. But if it is not in the flame properly, it will cool back down and shut off the gas. If you can see the burner, look for the thermocouple. Try bending it slightly so it is more into the flame and see if that corrects the problem. We use a lot of propane salamanders and see this problem all the time. If the thermocouple was defective it would not light at all. When you light the pilot, listen closely at the thermocouple. After about 10 seconds or more you should hear the thermocouple click. This is the gas valve opening. Hope this helps the problem. happy trails
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
If it stays on long enough to heat "half a tank" (how do you heat just half?), I would think the thermocouple is ok. If the thermocouple did not engage, it would shut off within about a minute.
What make and model heater is it, e.g. an Atwood G6A-7? It helps to know what specific heater we are talking about. I'm guessing this is a pilot-relight type of heater, i.e. you manually light a pilot and it runs automatic after that. Does the pilot remain lit and the main flame go off, or does the pilot go out too?
If it stays running for several minutes or more, I would suspect that it is sensing an overheat condition (there is a safety cut-out in most models) or that the thermostat is simply misreading the temperature and shutting down too soon. Again, we need to know the heater model to get more specific.
What make and model heater is it, e.g. an Atwood G6A-7? It helps to know what specific heater we are talking about. I'm guessing this is a pilot-relight type of heater, i.e. you manually light a pilot and it runs automatic after that. Does the pilot remain lit and the main flame go off, or does the pilot go out too?
If it stays running for several minutes or more, I would suspect that it is sensing an overheat condition (there is a safety cut-out in most models) or that the thermostat is simply misreading the temperature and shutting down too soon. Again, we need to know the heater model to get more specific.
mwells4654
Member
I have an 86 Prowler and had a similar problem. At first the pilot kept going out. Replaced safety pilot assembly (thermocouple/pilot unit). Then it would stay lit for a little while, then go out. It would relight and would work for a little while and then go out. Water was barely warm. I replaced the Gas Control Valve/thermostat assemble and it works great.
The PO had let the water tank freeze so I took it to the welding shop and for $50.00 was all fixed. It had no covering around it so I bought most of my parts from PPLmotorhomes.com. But I bought the gas control valve from adventurerv.net as they were cheaper.
I hope this helps. Happy Trails.
Melvin L. Wells Jr.
2006 GMC 1500 SLE with Reese 16K/slider
1986 Prowler 3000CL 5th Wheel
The PO had let the water tank freeze so I took it to the welding shop and for $50.00 was all fixed. It had no covering around it so I bought most of my parts from PPLmotorhomes.com. But I bought the gas control valve from adventurerv.net as they were cheaper.
I hope this helps. Happy Trails.
Melvin L. Wells Jr.
2006 GMC 1500 SLE with Reese 16K/slider
1986 Prowler 3000CL 5th Wheel
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
Yeah, if this is a pilot or pilot-relight model, chances are he will have to replace the controller valve. Not difficult but runs around $90 or so in discount RV stores. More at an RV dealer.
We realise this is an older posting, However, we would like to thank you all for such great responses.
Our 1991 Cobra Sandpiper is in need of either a new propane control valve or possibly the thermocouple from what I understand.
I get the hot water to lite without a problem, have a full tank of hot water, however, once it needs to re-fire to continue heating after use, the pilot goes out and I have to go a re-lite .
I hope to get this fixed up this weekend.
Any further responses in case I may have another issue, a response would be greatly appreciated.
This site is terrific,
Thank-you so much !
Krissy & Derek
Our 1991 Cobra Sandpiper is in need of either a new propane control valve or possibly the thermocouple from what I understand.
I get the hot water to lite without a problem, have a full tank of hot water, however, once it needs to re-fire to continue heating after use, the pilot goes out and I have to go a re-lite .
I hope to get this fixed up this weekend.
Any further responses in case I may have another issue, a response would be greatly appreciated.
This site is terrific,
Thank-you so much !
Krissy & Derek
kwbush
Well-known member
;D a 2013 post huh, ok... I can't help it... Mom always said I was a joker but an 85 foot Prowler? Hey I got a Prowler too but it's only 30 feet long... just sayin...
