Hot water heater

Ford 4 Life · 05-21-2011, 03:15 PM

I am new to this whole camping thing. Not sure how to light the hot water heater. When I turn the dial to the pilot position and press the red button, I don't hear or smell any gas. Is this normal? Where do I light the pilot at?

Poppy & Nana · 05-21-2011, 03:48 PM

Ford 4 Life - you many want to give our guru's more info...ie what year is your Sunline, do you know the manufacturer of your HW heater is.

Have you checked to see that the propane is on? Did you bleed the lines - let the propane flow thru the lines to the HW heater?

Good luck!

Steve Collins · 05-21-2011, 04:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ford 4 Life

I am new to this whole camping thing. Not sure how to light the hot water heater. When I turn the dial to the pilot position and press the red button, I don't hear or smell any gas. Is this normal? Where do I light the pilot at?

Presuming that your trailer is an older one that does not have the auto-ignite water heater. I haven't used one of them in over 20 years, so I am a bit rusty on doing that, but the manuals for all the versions of the Atwood heaters is in the Files area. They may give you enough info to get the heater fired up.

You do need to have propane in the tanks, the tanks turned on, and the gas lines purged. I usually purge by firing up the stove first. Then there is only a small amount of pipe that needs to purge when you press the pilot button. There is very little gas in the pilot venturi so you may not be able to smell it.

mainah · 05-21-2011, 05:38 PM

It's a tiny flame (very little gas) so you won't hear or smell it. Some pilot controls require you to turn the pilot control backwards a little bit some you just push the button either way it has to stay lit on pilot for a bit to heat the thermo couple in order for the flame to stay on. And as Steve said try lighting your stove first.

Ford 4 Life · 05-21-2011, 06:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ford 4 Life

I am new to this whole camping thing. Not sure how to light the hot water heater. When I turn the dial to the pilot position and press the red button, I don't hear or smell any gas. Is this normal? Where do I light the pilot at?

It is in a 1982 Sunline travel trailer. It is an Atwood water heater with a Robertshaw Unitrol

Ford 4 Life · 05-25-2011, 03:09 PM

Got the hot water tank to light. When i turn on cold water it flows great. When i turn on hot water it barely comes out, and its not warm when it does. Any idea?

mainah · 05-25-2011, 05:47 PM

I wonder if you have a heater by pass and it's turned off? Not a good thing if you do it would be a good ideal to check there maybe two valves near you hot water heater they are used to by pass the water heater when it is winterized so you don't have to fill the water tank with anti freeze. If it is by passed the heater will not fill and of course the water will no flow through it. In till you check it out I would not run the heater until you are sure there is water in it you can tell by opening the pressure release on the tank with the pump on.

Ford 4 Life · 05-25-2011, 06:52 PM

Bypass lines are open and tank is full of water. Does the water need to be hot to flow?

Gene · 05-25-2011, 07:09 PM

Water will flow from the water heater even when cold. A common problem when there is no flow from the hot water is a stuck check valve which is mounted at the tank outlet.

Steve Collins · 05-26-2011, 06:37 AM

No, the water does not need to be hot to flow. It just needs adequate pressure (pump or city water), and unrestricted piping.

Is your bypass a two-valve or a single valve? The single ones have the check valve as Gene describes above. If you the check valve, it may just have some mineral buildup or other blockage preventing it from opening. The only way to do this is to remove the valve. Be sure to clean the threads and use fresh teflon plumber's tape when reinstalling it.

It also needs enough pressure to over come the spring in the check valve so your pump has to be in decent working order and your battery well charged up.

If you have the two-valve bypass, then it is probable that one or both valves are not fully flipped. They can be a bit stiff, and since they only get switched twice a year, they never really "loosen" up. If they are stopped somewhere in between, they will restrict flow.

In the Files area there is a write up about hot water bypass systems with diagrams and photos. If you haven't already looked at it, you may find it will answer most questions about them. http://www.sunlineclub.com/forums/do...do=file&id=423

Jim-Bev-2363 · 05-26-2011, 07:31 AM

I wonder if it would help to tap the check valve (if there is one) while trying to use the hot water. If the check valve has pressure on it and there is buildup, perhaps a tap will free things up. Just an idea.

jim