2000 Sunline Solaris T-2653 Water Heater Maintenance
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Chrisco1963
Member
Ok. This morning I retried the process of firing up he hotwater heater.
Tanks on…check
Fresh water tank full…check
Pump switch on…check
I flipped the switch to light the water heater. Within seconds it lit with the first set of clicking. Nice! With a nice steady blue flame in the burner chamber. After about 8 , the flame shut off. I checked the temperature of the hot water at the kitchen sink…138.7 degrees. I kept the faucet on and the temperature dropped to 132.2 degrees. I turned the water off. Within a few seconds (15-20 seconds), the water heater relit, with a steady blue flame.
I waited another 8 minutes to when the flame shut off, at which time I rechecked the water temperature at the same location, this time it read 141.4 degrees. This time immediately turned the faucet off. Within a Hal a minute the flame relit, but immediately turned off, then immediately relit, then shut off, then relit and remained on for 12 minutes until it shut off again. At that point, the temperature of the water was up to 143.2 degrees.
I tried again this afternoon. At the initial flip of the switch, the flame lit, but had “fluttered” off an on 3-4 times while I walked from the front of the camper to the exterior rear to where the flame is in the water heater. While standing there it continued to flutter several times before staying lit. It is a little breezy out this afternoon, but during it’s “fluttering” (as I call it), the access door was shut. I opened it to do the video recordings.
I videoed this occurrence in the following links…
As as always, I am interested in your thoughts.
Also, I’d like to know the process for the vinegar boil-out.
-Chris
Tanks on…check
Fresh water tank full…check
Pump switch on…check
I flipped the switch to light the water heater. Within seconds it lit with the first set of clicking. Nice! With a nice steady blue flame in the burner chamber. After about 8 , the flame shut off. I checked the temperature of the hot water at the kitchen sink…138.7 degrees. I kept the faucet on and the temperature dropped to 132.2 degrees. I turned the water off. Within a few seconds (15-20 seconds), the water heater relit, with a steady blue flame.
I waited another 8 minutes to when the flame shut off, at which time I rechecked the water temperature at the same location, this time it read 141.4 degrees. This time immediately turned the faucet off. Within a Hal a minute the flame relit, but immediately turned off, then immediately relit, then shut off, then relit and remained on for 12 minutes until it shut off again. At that point, the temperature of the water was up to 143.2 degrees.
I tried again this afternoon. At the initial flip of the switch, the flame lit, but had “fluttered” off an on 3-4 times while I walked from the front of the camper to the exterior rear to where the flame is in the water heater. While standing there it continued to flutter several times before staying lit. It is a little breezy out this afternoon, but during it’s “fluttering” (as I call it), the access door was shut. I opened it to do the video recordings.
I videoed this occurrence in the following links…
As as always, I am interested in your thoughts.
Also, I’d like to know the process for the vinegar boil-out.
-Chris
Chrisco1963
Member
JohnB,
Thanks for the boil out procedure. I will be doing this as soon as I get the rv pump winterization kit.
BTW, were you able to view the videos of the fluttering that occurred? Is that a normal phenomena with these water heaters?
In case you missed them, I’ll add the links to them here…
Thanks for the boil out procedure. I will be doing this as soon as I get the rv pump winterization kit.
BTW, were you able to view the videos of the fluttering that occurred? Is that a normal phenomena with these water heaters?
In case you missed them, I’ll add the links to them here…
Last edited:
Hi Chris,
On the vinegar boilout, I was typing as you were, and it ended up on the prior page. See here if you missed it. https://www.sunlineclub.com/forums/...ater-heater-maintenance-20786.html#post159776
Now to the water heater fluttering. Your videos help, as we can see and hear the heater fluttering.
There could be a few things doing this, but I'm going to start with what the most probable "might" be from what I see most often. We have two other retired RV techs on the forum who may see or hear something different in your video from their background.
I hear this; you can confirm. When the gas burner works, it works very well. It lights right off and burns clean. This helps tell me the gas supply pressure is somewhat OK for now. When the system goes into "trail for ignition," I hear a clunk of the gas valve opening followed by the igniter sparking, and then whoosh, the burner is up and going. That sequence is what is supposed to happen; you have to listen for the clunk of the gas valve opening and the sparking of the igniter.
Next is when the flame stops. This is harder to hear as the gas solenoid is dropping out, shutting the burner down, and the system has to restart. The two gas valves in series are spring return closed and electric solenoid open. You can hear more clunk when the valve opens and a faint click when it closes. You have to listen to the gas valve to figure this out.
I thought I heard a click of a gas valve closing, and then the flame went out. That is a big thing to listen for and correlate to the flame going out. If the gas valve is closed, that points to the controls shutting down the valve.
Then next, it clunks and starts the igniter, and whoosh off, it goes burning again. The controls told it to restart.
Here is what could be causing this, and it is the first place I would look. Inside the camper is a rocker switch that turns the heater controls on. That switch sends 12 VDC to the control board system and is a run signal. The odds are high that the switch setup is working, but it can be tested with a volt meter if my first what to do fails to solve the problem.
The heater acts as if the run signal is intermittent OR the safety devices are intermittent, shutting it down and then resetting it to allow the run signal to start back up. Due to corrosion outside, my first go-to place is the safety devices intermittently shutting the system down. They reset, and it fires back up as the run signal from the red rocker switch is still on.
Here is where you are going to go looking. This is your heater wiring behind the outside door panel.
There is a white connector at the top left of the black control board. And there are 4 wires on it.
- The green is ground. 12 VDC (-)
- The red is for the gas valve; the board sends + 12VDC to the ECO and gas valve.
- The blue is a gas flame fault light. The board sends 12 VDC + to a little red light on the tank panel for a flame fault.
The brown on the Rev 9 heater, which is what yours is, runs the show. The incoming brown wire starts getting 12 VDC power from the red rocker switch as a run signal to the heater. You can see the brown wire enters the outside of the heater area above the safety relief valve through a grommet. That incoming brown wire (run signal) goes to the little clear plastic tube with what looks like a small resistor inside. That clear tube is a thermal fuse. It will melt open if a fire breaks out in the outside cabinet.
See here for a close-up of the thermal fuse you gave us.
The thermal fuse then plugs into the T stat, which is behind the foam cover. Out of the T stat is a brown wire that runs back to the PC board connector.
Corrosion on the brown wire connections has stopped the whole show before. The thermal fuse has been the most problematic I have found, but any of those connections will shut the heater down. On the PC board, you can unplug the white connector and clean the connector with contact cleaner spray. For the PC board, the spray can help, but if there is tarnish, then use a piece of solid copper wire and rub the PC board to clean it. A solid ground wire out of Romex cable works. A fellow SOC member, Tinstallf, is to thank for the copper wire PC board cleaning.
The other wire spad connections clean them up also. Superfine paper (600 grit) can work then contact cleaner.
The T stat wires terminals are going to pull off hard, real hard. Needle nose pliers on the terminal while wiggling and holding the T stat so as not to pull it apart.
The idea is that corrosion in the brown wire connections creates intermittent connections, and the system's heat can cause the connections to separate and then remake.
If cleaning up the connections does not solve it, you should start with a 12 VDC meter onto the brown wire at the PC board end and the watch if the board loses signal. Then, back into what is causing the problem. They do still sell the thermal fuse and T stat if you break them.
It is possible that the ECO (Emergency Cut Off) thermal disk switch connections (red wire) are also shutting down the gas valve. But try the brown wire first. You can put the volt meter on the gas valve connection, too; if the valve is losing power, then why?
Hope this helps
John
On the vinegar boilout, I was typing as you were, and it ended up on the prior page. See here if you missed it. https://www.sunlineclub.com/forums/...ater-heater-maintenance-20786.html#post159776
Now to the water heater fluttering. Your videos help, as we can see and hear the heater fluttering.
There could be a few things doing this, but I'm going to start with what the most probable "might" be from what I see most often. We have two other retired RV techs on the forum who may see or hear something different in your video from their background.
I hear this; you can confirm. When the gas burner works, it works very well. It lights right off and burns clean. This helps tell me the gas supply pressure is somewhat OK for now. When the system goes into "trail for ignition," I hear a clunk of the gas valve opening followed by the igniter sparking, and then whoosh, the burner is up and going. That sequence is what is supposed to happen; you have to listen for the clunk of the gas valve opening and the sparking of the igniter.
Next is when the flame stops. This is harder to hear as the gas solenoid is dropping out, shutting the burner down, and the system has to restart. The two gas valves in series are spring return closed and electric solenoid open. You can hear more clunk when the valve opens and a faint click when it closes. You have to listen to the gas valve to figure this out.
I thought I heard a click of a gas valve closing, and then the flame went out. That is a big thing to listen for and correlate to the flame going out. If the gas valve is closed, that points to the controls shutting down the valve.
Then next, it clunks and starts the igniter, and whoosh off, it goes burning again. The controls told it to restart.
Here is what could be causing this, and it is the first place I would look. Inside the camper is a rocker switch that turns the heater controls on. That switch sends 12 VDC to the control board system and is a run signal. The odds are high that the switch setup is working, but it can be tested with a volt meter if my first what to do fails to solve the problem.
The heater acts as if the run signal is intermittent OR the safety devices are intermittent, shutting it down and then resetting it to allow the run signal to start back up. Due to corrosion outside, my first go-to place is the safety devices intermittently shutting the system down. They reset, and it fires back up as the run signal from the red rocker switch is still on.
Here is where you are going to go looking. This is your heater wiring behind the outside door panel.
There is a white connector at the top left of the black control board. And there are 4 wires on it.
- The green is ground. 12 VDC (-)
- The red is for the gas valve; the board sends + 12VDC to the ECO and gas valve.
- The blue is a gas flame fault light. The board sends 12 VDC + to a little red light on the tank panel for a flame fault.
The brown on the Rev 9 heater, which is what yours is, runs the show. The incoming brown wire starts getting 12 VDC power from the red rocker switch as a run signal to the heater. You can see the brown wire enters the outside of the heater area above the safety relief valve through a grommet. That incoming brown wire (run signal) goes to the little clear plastic tube with what looks like a small resistor inside. That clear tube is a thermal fuse. It will melt open if a fire breaks out in the outside cabinet.
See here for a close-up of the thermal fuse you gave us.
The thermal fuse then plugs into the T stat, which is behind the foam cover. Out of the T stat is a brown wire that runs back to the PC board connector.
Corrosion on the brown wire connections has stopped the whole show before. The thermal fuse has been the most problematic I have found, but any of those connections will shut the heater down. On the PC board, you can unplug the white connector and clean the connector with contact cleaner spray. For the PC board, the spray can help, but if there is tarnish, then use a piece of solid copper wire and rub the PC board to clean it. A solid ground wire out of Romex cable works. A fellow SOC member, Tinstallf, is to thank for the copper wire PC board cleaning.
The other wire spad connections clean them up also. Superfine paper (600 grit) can work then contact cleaner.
The T stat wires terminals are going to pull off hard, real hard. Needle nose pliers on the terminal while wiggling and holding the T stat so as not to pull it apart.
The idea is that corrosion in the brown wire connections creates intermittent connections, and the system's heat can cause the connections to separate and then remake.
If cleaning up the connections does not solve it, you should start with a 12 VDC meter onto the brown wire at the PC board end and the watch if the board loses signal. Then, back into what is causing the problem. They do still sell the thermal fuse and T stat if you break them.
It is possible that the ECO (Emergency Cut Off) thermal disk switch connections (red wire) are also shutting down the gas valve. But try the brown wire first. You can put the volt meter on the gas valve connection, too; if the valve is losing power, then why?
Hope this helps
John
Chrisco1963
Member
Water Heater Electrical connections.
John B.,
Will there be 12 volts at the pc board because the battery is connected, or will I have to turn the water heater button inside to on?
John B.,
Will there be 12 volts at the pc board because the battery is connected, or will I have to turn the water heater button inside to on?
Hi Chris,
The only way12VDC power gets to down to the heater is from the red rocker switch. The battery can be on or the power converter or both to supply the red rocker switch power.
That said, 12 volt DC power will only be at the pc board connecter on the brown wire is if,
The red rocker switch is on, the red light in the switch will be on too unless it is burnt out
The thermal fuse is not blown
The T stat at the heater is closed calling to allow the heater to run. If the water is too hot, the T sat is open
And, all the connections are good to allow power to pass.
You can test is 12 volts is getting to the heater area at the input side of the thermal fuse which is the brown wire that is fed from the red rocket switch. And keep testing after each device to see that power is passing.
Make sure you have a good ground when testing and the the green ground wire at the heater is a good connection
Hope this helps
John
tbe T stat is calling for heat, the thermal fuse is not blown
The only way12VDC power gets to down to the heater is from the red rocker switch. The battery can be on or the power converter or both to supply the red rocker switch power.
That said, 12 volt DC power will only be at the pc board connecter on the brown wire is if,
The red rocker switch is on, the red light in the switch will be on too unless it is burnt out
The thermal fuse is not blown
The T stat at the heater is closed calling to allow the heater to run. If the water is too hot, the T sat is open
And, all the connections are good to allow power to pass.
You can test is 12 volts is getting to the heater area at the input side of the thermal fuse which is the brown wire that is fed from the red rocket switch. And keep testing after each device to see that power is passing.
Make sure you have a good ground when testing and the the green ground wire at the heater is a good connection
Hope this helps
John
tbe T stat is calling for heat, the thermal fuse is not blown
Chris. No power is at the PC board unless the things I mentioned above are allowing it to pass. On the Rev 9 heater there is no separate 12 volt supply wire. The brown wire when it get hot at the pc board fires on the pc board and everything will start trying to run.
Rev 10 heater that is newer then yours works differently
Chrisco1963
Member
John B,
Yea after looking over the wiring more closely, I realized that the harness of wires coming through the grommet was where the power would be coming from (not at the pc board)., I also realized that to get power on that harness, I would have to switch on the heater switch, but initially when I did the water heater fired up (even though the propane tanks valves were closed, there was residual gas in the lines).
So, to check for voltage, I disconnected the white terminal on the board and placed my meter’s positive probe onto the terminal where the brown wire connected and touch the negative probe to the ground screw where the green wire attached.
Then I checked it in another way, by having both probes on the white terminal connector (+ on brown and - on green).
The following are videos indicating the way I held the probes and the voltage readings of each way.
These readings are after I cleaned all the places the brown wires attached
Unfortunately, I ran out of daylight, so didn’t try firing the heater up. Before I packed my tools up, I did clean every male and female wire connections as well as the white terminal block on the pc as you suggested with 600-grit sand paper, electrical connections spray cleaner and the copper wire to remove any tarnish that may have built up on the white terminal block on the pc.
I found that the red wire connection at the ECO spade terminal was extra difficult to detach, but I was patient and careful in disconnecting it by using needle nose pliers while gently pushing against the foam area around the terminal) so I made sure to put extra effort in to cleaning that connection point.
(this video may have faulty reading due to possibly poor meter probe placement)
I will fire it up tomorrow to see if there is any change and let you know what I find.
-Chris
Yea after looking over the wiring more closely, I realized that the harness of wires coming through the grommet was where the power would be coming from (not at the pc board)., I also realized that to get power on that harness, I would have to switch on the heater switch, but initially when I did the water heater fired up (even though the propane tanks valves were closed, there was residual gas in the lines).
So, to check for voltage, I disconnected the white terminal on the board and placed my meter’s positive probe onto the terminal where the brown wire connected and touch the negative probe to the ground screw where the green wire attached.
Then I checked it in another way, by having both probes on the white terminal connector (+ on brown and - on green).
The following are videos indicating the way I held the probes and the voltage readings of each way.
These readings are after I cleaned all the places the brown wires attached
Unfortunately, I ran out of daylight, so didn’t try firing the heater up. Before I packed my tools up, I did clean every male and female wire connections as well as the white terminal block on the pc as you suggested with 600-grit sand paper, electrical connections spray cleaner and the copper wire to remove any tarnish that may have built up on the white terminal block on the pc.
I found that the red wire connection at the ECO spade terminal was extra difficult to detach, but I was patient and careful in disconnecting it by using needle nose pliers while gently pushing against the foam area around the terminal) so I made sure to put extra effort in to cleaning that connection point.
I will fire it up tomorrow to see if there is any change and let you know what I find.
-Chris
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