water heater problen in '17 sprinter 334fwfls

[labman]

Just started this trip, the water heater was working fine and as far as I can tell, still is working fine on AC but I have a fault light on the panel between the elec and gas switched for DSI FLT. Evidently the direct spark ignition is having issues. We turned the gas part off for a ten minute rest and it didn't come on. The light has come on now two or three times this week and am wondering how to trouble shoot the dang thing. Couple questions. First, is it an issue to have the elec and the gas turned on at the same time? and second, What can I do to determine the cause of the dsi fault? thanks in advance for the help everyone..

[JRTJH]

First, what brand and model water heater do you have? There are some subtle differences between Atwood and Suburban and between the 6, 8, 10 and 12 gallon models.

For most, have you pushed the gas thermostat/high temp reset button? It's located under the outside hatch cover, in the upper left corner of the water heater, under a rubber plug. Just push on the rubber, you should feel the switch "click" when it resets.

Also, have you cleaned the burner tube/ignitor system? Often spiders will build a nest in that area. For some reason, they tend to migrate toward the smell of propane. Use a tooth brush to clean the area and if you have one, use an air compressor to blow out the debris.

Otherwise, it's check electrical connections, make sure things look "normal" (not burned or discolored) and hope it works.

Possibly you've got a bad igniter control board. If so, replacing it will usually fix the problem. Don't buy a replacement board until you've exhausted the other steps, they are fairly reliable and don't fail often.

[labman]

It is a suburban 6 gallon. I did check the resets outside under the cover plate and they were not in need of reset. I will try cleaning the tube. I did not see anything in it but it is not easy to look down so i'll run a toothbrush thru it.:cool: ty