KRum Posted June 12, 2016 Report Share Posted June 12, 2016 I have a Atwood 10 gas waterheater where the gas flame sputter and makes a jet engine sound and then the flame burns out after a minute and then will relight - this just continues in a cycle... I have taken the burner orifice off and cleaned it and looked and there in nothing blocking the burner tube... I reinstalled the burner orifice and adjusted the air intake slot to a nice quiet blue flame and all sounds and works great.... Then I close the door and the same sputtering and burn out happens?... I've always been a tinkerer and a fixer... So what better way to stay active in my retirement than to buy an RV... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fly2low Posted June 12, 2016 Report Share Posted June 12, 2016 Sounds like air flow to the unit is being restricted when you close the door. Is the vent to the water heater clean? Rich and Carol 2007 Dynamax DQ 340 XL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mptjelgin Posted June 12, 2016 Report Share Posted June 12, 2016 Are you at a high elevation? I had a previous trailer that needed the water heater access door left ajar at elevations over about 7000 feet. I learned this trick from my Brother-in-Law who'd had the same issue. The water heater worked normally at lower elevations. That being said, my current trailer's water heater is working fine on gas at 10,000 feet. Mark & Teri 2021 Grand Designs Imagine 2500RL, 2019 Ford F-350 Mark & Teri's Travels Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al F Posted June 13, 2016 Report Share Posted June 13, 2016 Check that the burner and the control module has a really good ground. Find the ground wire for the module or burner/lighter and clean it up. It also could be the water heater assembly is not grounded, or the ground connection is corroded. Don't know where to tell you to look for the assembly ground. Hard to see the back of most heaters. I had the same kind of problem. The heater would try to light and after 3 tries it would stop. Flipping the switch on and off would give 3 more tries and it would usually light and stay lit. Cleaning the ground wire from the module/burner really helped. Not a total fix, but much better. Al & Sharon 2006 Winnebago Journey 36G 2020 Chevy Colorado Toad San Antonio, TX http://downtheroadaroundthebend.blogspot.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadow Catcher Posted June 13, 2016 Report Share Posted June 13, 2016 Blowing out the spiders in the air tube fixed ours. That is btw adjustable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirk W Posted June 13, 2016 Report Share Posted June 13, 2016 You did right in cleaning the burner tube first and also the gas orifice but I hope that you din't use anything metal to open the hole in that orifice. Metal can damage the opening and so always use wood or similar material and I prefer alcohol to clean mine with. Since that has been done the next thing that I'd consider is air restriction by the closed access door. You may need to open the air shutter a bit more than ideal when you adjust it in order to allow for some restriction but it should not take much if everything in the door is clean. It is also possible that altitude is a factor as some are water heaters seem to be more sensitive for some reason. If your propane pressure has not been checked recently, it would be well to consider that as a possibility also. It should be 11" of water column, measured by manometer at the entrance to the water heater. Low pressure can cause ignition problems. You may also want to make sure that the flue is clean and free of any soot or bug nests. Restriction there can have a similar effect to that of air restrictions. Good travelin !...............KirkFull-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KRum Posted June 13, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 13, 2016 ^^^ Great and thanks for the responses... It sounds like I might have an altitude issue as I'm at 7,000 feet at Lake Heron NM I'll have to suffer thru another week here with the Waterheater door open... ;-) I've always been a tinkerer and a fixer... So what better way to stay active in my retirement than to buy an RV... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jc2 Posted June 13, 2016 Report Share Posted June 13, 2016 If you don't have an adjustment on the side of your wh when at 5000 ft or more of altitude, your manual, I believe recommends using the electric element if you have one. I remember some of the earlier gas gennies had a high altitude adjustment but don't remember wh's having one. 2010 Newmar Dutch Aire 4304-Spartan Chassis-Cummins ISL 425hp-2013 Chevrolet Equinox AWD Towed-SKP# 120487-FMCA #402879- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mptjelgin Posted June 13, 2016 Report Share Posted June 13, 2016 ^^^ Great and thanks for the responses... It sounds like I might have an altitude issue as I'm at 7,000 feet at Lake Heron NM I'll have to suffer thru another week here with the Waterheater door open... ;-) Sounds right. The fact that it works well with the door open indicates to me that the internals are working fine. At high altitudes they start to burn a little rich, and with the (slightly) reduced airflow with the door being closed you can get that "jet engine roar" and then a flame-out. I don't think that there is any danger with the door being open. I did it with my last trailer for a week or more at a time. Mark & Teri 2021 Grand Designs Imagine 2500RL, 2019 Ford F-350 Mark & Teri's Travels Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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