My water heater does not appear to be working properly. When I flip the switch to "on" it does make a noise like it is coming on, but it quickly stops and the red "reset" light turns on. It repeats this sequence multiple times, trying to turn on, red light comes on, and repeat. We were not sure if the heater runs off gas or electricity, but both systems were functioning sufficiently for other appliances so that should not be the problem. We are new to this camper, and water heater system, so if there are any suggestions on what could be wrong, or just general information about the system, we would appreciate the help.
1995 Chinook Concourse
Water heater not working
Re: Water heater not working
First thing I would check is to make sure that there is water in the hot water tank. The system will shut itself down automatically if there is no water in the tank. Doing this would include checking to make sure the water valves to and from the tank are not in the by-pass mode. The bypass mode is used when storing the Rig for winter when you want to drain water from your system so it won't freeze and do damage.
On my 2004 Premier, this bypass system is located under the couch in front of the hot water heater. After checking to make sure these valves are not in the bypass position, you can fill the regular water tank, which will cause water to flow into the hot water heater tank.
Once you have worked to make sure there is water in the tank, you should check for any leaks...in particular, at the plug on the outside of the water heater (accessible via the removable panel on the driver's side. The nut you will see on the bottom of the water heater is where leaks most often appear. That nut is also the end of the magnesium anode rod that sits inside the tank to help prevent corrosion. You unscrew the nut using a large socket wrench to see if the rod needs replacement (if all that is left is what looks like a thin wire, then rod should be replaced). Use teflon tape when resceuring the anode rod to prevent leakage.
A note of caution...when unscrewing the aforementioned nut, do not stand right in front of it...because, if the tank is full of water, and it is not in bypass mode, then the pressure from all the water sitting in the hot water tank AND the regular water tank will cause that nut to shoot out and you do not want to be standing in front of it. So, before going to work on removing that nut, make sure the system is in bypass mode, and that you back out that nut slowly to relieve the pressure.
If it appears that the hot water tank does indeed have water in it, and is not leaking, then your problem could be that the unit is not getting propane and the nozzle needs to be replaced. I have not had to do that, so of no help on that. Perhaps someone else on Forum could chime in.
Other problem might be that the electronic spark ignition that is supposed to light the propane is not working properly and needs to be adjusted or replaces...again, have not done any of that, so leave it to others to advise on how/what to do if that is the case.
Good Luck...and don't despair...there is a learning curve here. And once you climb that hill and begin to know your Rig, the FUN begins!
Hope this helps.
David
On my 2004 Premier, this bypass system is located under the couch in front of the hot water heater. After checking to make sure these valves are not in the bypass position, you can fill the regular water tank, which will cause water to flow into the hot water heater tank.
Once you have worked to make sure there is water in the tank, you should check for any leaks...in particular, at the plug on the outside of the water heater (accessible via the removable panel on the driver's side. The nut you will see on the bottom of the water heater is where leaks most often appear. That nut is also the end of the magnesium anode rod that sits inside the tank to help prevent corrosion. You unscrew the nut using a large socket wrench to see if the rod needs replacement (if all that is left is what looks like a thin wire, then rod should be replaced). Use teflon tape when resceuring the anode rod to prevent leakage.
A note of caution...when unscrewing the aforementioned nut, do not stand right in front of it...because, if the tank is full of water, and it is not in bypass mode, then the pressure from all the water sitting in the hot water tank AND the regular water tank will cause that nut to shoot out and you do not want to be standing in front of it. So, before going to work on removing that nut, make sure the system is in bypass mode, and that you back out that nut slowly to relieve the pressure.
If it appears that the hot water tank does indeed have water in it, and is not leaking, then your problem could be that the unit is not getting propane and the nozzle needs to be replaced. I have not had to do that, so of no help on that. Perhaps someone else on Forum could chime in.
Other problem might be that the electronic spark ignition that is supposed to light the propane is not working properly and needs to be adjusted or replaces...again, have not done any of that, so leave it to others to advise on how/what to do if that is the case.
Good Luck...and don't despair...there is a learning curve here. And once you climb that hill and begin to know your Rig, the FUN begins!
Hope this helps.
David
Re: Water heater not working
I just want to add that if your water heater is on electric, there should be a circuit breaker for it, and you should see the heating element on the heater going into the tank.
Another thing is that you can disconnect the water supply, and relief the pressure in the water system by open up the faucet on both hot and cold water and let it drain out a little. Removing the plug when it is pressurized may get people to get hurt, but only if there is sufficient air in the plumbing system. It is only a problem because it is a lot more difficult to remove when pressurized, and when you turn it so quickly that you do not allow the pressure to escape slowly.
I think the red "reset" light means that the propane is flowing, and the water heater is getting hot. You may want to check the manual to make sure you understand the meaning of the indicator light. After all, there is no point in worry about it if it is working fine.
Another thing is that you can disconnect the water supply, and relief the pressure in the water system by open up the faucet on both hot and cold water and let it drain out a little. Removing the plug when it is pressurized may get people to get hurt, but only if there is sufficient air in the plumbing system. It is only a problem because it is a lot more difficult to remove when pressurized, and when you turn it so quickly that you do not allow the pressure to escape slowly.
I think the red "reset" light means that the propane is flowing, and the water heater is getting hot. You may want to check the manual to make sure you understand the meaning of the indicator light. After all, there is no point in worry about it if it is working fine.
2000 Concourse dinette, on 1999 6.8L Ford E350 Triton V-10 Chassis
Re: Water heater not working
We just had the same issue with ours this morning. 1996 Concourse. Water heater is gas only. It would ignite then shut off. Process repeated 5-6 times. I beilieve the thermo coupler might be going bad? Any one ever replace one?