Suburban HW Issue

[W7PSK]

The last outing I wound up with 0 hot water. I had been having issues with the electrical for a while and had been using gas. Well neither worked. I went to a local RV Store and put in a new element but nothing. And my gas didnt work either. Red light would come on for 30 seconds and go out. Tried it many tim
Not having a meter I couldnt read out things so waited till home and found the power switch for the Electric dead. Replaced that and has power to the new element so I assume it works.

Now here is the fun part.

I had my Meter ready to check the Thermostats for the gas and had the wife hit the switch. Got 12v through the thermostat and was thinking board.

Suddenly I hear the igniters and the gas kicks in.

How ever its motorboating, so I shut it off.

Any Ideas why it came on suddenly and why its motorboating.

Thanks.

[bobbecky]

Not sure what 'motorboating' is, but on the electric side, it sounds like you have three switches for the electric side, the breaker in the electric panel, a switch on the control panel, and the little black switch on the face of the water heater outside. All three must be turned on for the water heater to function in the electric mode.
For the gas to function, obviously, you must have the gas turned on at the cylinders, and the switch on the control panel must be on. The little red light will turn on every time the water heater attempts to light, and once it lights, the red light will turn off. This is normal. If the water heater fails to light after a certain number of attempts, the light will stay on until you turn off the gas switch and then turn it back on, and it will attempt to light again. One thing you can do prior to turning on the gas mode is to light a burner on the stove to help make sure air is purged from the gas line, then your water heater should light, assuming everything else is working properly.

[W7PSK]

The electric side works now. I replaced the Power switch that failed.

The gas side did not work. But, when I went to test it today it fired up and was producing heat, but it was motorboating. Its a term Ive heard before when gas heaters fire up but its not a steady flame, but rapidly sputtering engine, but not quiting just constant.

[Max23]

Have you tried the gas at the stove? Is it acting the same way? Sometimes a bad regulator will cause this. Just a thought. Generally motorboating will be caused by just not quite enough gas pressure to maintain that constant. Not sure why both would happen at the same time but ya know, them gremlins!!!

[sourdough]

If the "motorboating" you are describe is like what I think it is have you checked the propane level in the tank? Do you have two tanks? Are they both turned on? I know my propane is about gone in a 20lb. tank on my grills when the fire starts fluttering. Just a thought.

[chuckster57]

Sputtering flame can be debris in the burner tube, (cobwebs), bad air adjustment or debris in the orifice.

[W7PSK]

Originally Posted by chuckster57

Sputtering flame can be debris in the burner tube, (cobwebs), bad air adjustment or debris in the orifice.

thanks, I had the Tube off to replace the Electric Heating element, Ill take my air hose and blow it out.

[W7PSK]

Originally Posted by sourdough

If the "motorboating" you are describe is like what I think it is have you checked the propane level in the tank? Do you have two tanks? Are they both turned on? I know my propane is about gone in a 20lb. tank on my grills when the fire starts fluttering. Just a thought.

I had just filled the tanks, and it didnt work at all while at the RV park. It only started working when I was trouble shooting it. BUT, now with the sputtering.

Its raining and getting colder the next few days, so further trouble shooting will have to wait.

[bobbecky]

I just thought of this. If you had the propane valves at the cylinders turned off, and then turned them back on a little too fast, you might have set the excess flow valves in the large pigtail nuts and might have a restricted flow of gas, causing the sputtering of the flame.