RV Water Heater Not Igniting Or Staying Lit - Troubleshoot - RV Maintenance And Cleaning

[@rednfred93]

Thank you for not being a lame showman!!!! no false voice, music, jokes, yelling, etc. Your information is so concise and explained so that a 71 year old woman can understand and follow ;)

[@RVHabit]

Thanks so much for your support

[@Hlpus1nall]

With you on that, especially the no music part!

[@MadFunDay]

We have been without hot water for 3 months now. Tonight, we all took hot showers. Thank you so very much. You made a loyal subscriber here.

[@RVHabit]

Wonderful! So happy when I hear success stories. Happy camping.

[@rednfred93]

Right with you lol. NEED a hot shower, I stink LOL

[@JoyHesselbarth]

Your explanations were so helpful. We did the maintenance you described: checked and cleaned connections, blew out tubes, adjusted gap, air/gas mixture... and we now have hot water again. Thanks so much.

[@RVHabit]

Great job!

[@drewtorres211]

After watching dozens of videos no one could explain the simple procedure that you just demonstrated in your video!! Thank you sir!! God bless you for helping simpletons like me! Lol🙏🏻🤙🏼🙌🏼

[@RVHabit]

Hi Drew, Glad it helped!

[@jayshepard6505]

I agree 100%

[@newsveteran4466]

VERY well done. As a video producer, I must say your shots were great, steady and you went right to the topic. You didn't try to be funny, add a lot of fluff, or other useless banter. You taught me a lot about the water heater, and I solved my "no light" problem thanks to you. I was getting the clicking of the sparker, but no ignition, so I was using my torch to light the heater when propane was needed. The problem was the gap between the sparker and the grounding rod. Also cleaned the water deposits off the screw and wind adjustment slide and it's igniting every time now with no hassle. I'd give you an A in my class, but I wouldn't be a good journalist or English professor if I didn't remind you not to use the word "basically." Also a good tip is, even though you may be using electricity all the time, use the LP option about once a month just to make sure all is clean and working. Keep up your good work and educational tips.

[@RVHabit]

Excellent comment and tips. Thanks for watching and taking the time to respond. Always exercise all parts of the RV. Anything not used will certainly fail when needed.

[@healsinger]

Because of your thorough and well put together video I was able to troubleshoot why my (propane) water heater ignited but then stopped every time I attempted to start it. This is a 26 year old water heater. I went through every step you outlined. I checked the wires for conductivity and discovered a few wires were corroded and the spade connectors weren't tight. I checked the overheat safety for continuity. I checked the burner pipe for blockage and corrosion. There was lots of rust. I cleaned the orifice with carburetor cleaner. I checked the igniter gap. I checked that the round plate in the burner tube was centered. I re-adjusted the flame so it burned quiet and blue. I actually have a new water heater that I can replace it with but the work involved is too much right now. I'm at the tale end of a 2 month restoration on this motorhome and I'm exhausted. You saved me a lot of work. This rig was rarely used and this water heater should have a few good years left in it. Many thanks!!!

[@RVHabit]

Great to hear when my videos are able to help someone.

[@lisathompson9470]

I'm camping without my husband and the water heater didn't work. Thank you for your video, it saved the day (week) for me, knowing what the different parts were helped me to not be afraid to unplug the igniter and plug it back in. It's working now all thanks to you and your very well made video. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU

[@RVHabit]

Great job!

[@MrRMB1]

Wow, what a great video! Thanks for taking the time to put it together and especially for explaining how both the electric and gas process works. I learned more from this one video than from all the other ones on KZbin put together!

[@aaf6133]

Well done, thanks for making an intimidating part of RV'ing seem a little less stressful

[@RVHabit]

Half the battle is understanding how it works. Once you understand that part the rest is easy. Thanks for watching and happy camping!

[@drinkinslim]

That's what I was thinking, exactly.

[@WilliamNau]

Thank you for your video. My wife picks on me for watching KZbin RV repair videos but I keep teller her you never know what you might learn. My water heater worked fine but sounded like a jet engine. After watching your video, I adjusted it, and now it is quiet with a nice blue flame.

[@RVHabit]

Hi William, That's great. Watching videos is a great way to learn. You don't know what you don't know. Happy camping.

[@michaeljuarez6966]

I just watched a crap load of these and this one was the best one because of the hands-on expertise. It was greatly informative and also straight to the point. . It was easy to watch the entire duration. Good focus on the topic. Thank you.

[@RVHabit]

Thanks so much. Hope it helped.

[@davidfedorko3059]

Likely the best video explanation of how this Atwood/Dometic water heater works, thank you very much! Ordering a few parts to get ours back in operation.

[@RVHabit]

Awesome, thank you!

[@LionelCLRR]

Yes! Found out 2 weeks ago that the hot water was not staying lit. You saved our trailer a trip to the shop. Cleaning it got it working again!!!

[@RVHabit]

Hi Frank, Great to hear!

[@jacquesbanville745]

Thank you after listening to your video description, I found and fixed my problem. My spark probe was defective and cracked. I also replaced my thermal cut-off. Then I adjusted my air/gas mixture. Great video and congratulations.

[@RVHabit]

Hi Jacques, awesome glad to hear it. Happy camping.

[@jonsyverson2997]

Thanks for the tip. I have the exact same water heater with the same problem. The connection was a bit corroded from the water seeping occasionally from the relief valve. Also a miller had crawled into the tube where you regulate the airflow. Cleaned it all up and runs like a champ! Thanks!

[@RVHabit]

Hi Jon, Glad it helped and for taking time to comment.

[@gwenbischoff5157]

I'm going to tear into mine tomorrow!!

[@matthewo.6734]

Thank you so much! It definitely helped me out! New sub alert! 💯

[@RVHabit]

Glad it helped and Thanks for the sub!

[@scottywin5571]

Great how to video my man!

[@RVHabit]

Appreciate it! Hope it helped.

[@lizlucasburnett1933]

I have to do things by myself these days and need Ideas for that and brush up for all those things I thought I knew. Looking forward to having a long connection with you all.

[@RVHabit]

Happy to help!

[@jennlwood]

I followed your directions and got it to fire right up and stay lit. So glad it saved us a service call. Thank you!

[@RVHabit]

Hi Jennifer, that's great to hear. Happy camping 🏕

[@kpow6106]

Couldn't get my heater to ignite after spraying for wasps. Thought I was going to have to replace every electrical component in the box. 😮 Followed the steps in this video, and my water heater works like a charm. Great information well explained.

[@RVHabit]

Great to hear.

[@cherylcoldwell1348]

Thank you so much for this video. It helped me understand the workings of the hot water heater and how to properly take it apart for cleaning.

[@RVHabit]

Hi Cheryl, glad it helped. Happy camping.

[@billschnarr348]

My wife and I cut short a mini trip due to no hot water. Lit fine at home, but after a 4 hour drive, no flame. Got home and followed the same procedure you demonstrated. The gas lit within a couple of seconds. Thank you so much for posting this video. You saved this old guy a few dollars!

[@mxgangrel]

Outstanding! Easy to understand what you're talking about, and good shots where you can see what you're talking about. Thank you for doing this.

[@RVHabit]

Much appreciated!

[@gagerawluk2949]

Simple steps to follow, propane and electric were not working. I changed thermostats and fuse earlier. Cleaned out the little orfic has plugged with white powder , cleaned out all good thank you .

[@RVHabit]

that's great to hear. Happy camping.

[@gagerawluk2949]

Thank you, now to tackle the electrical heater issue.

[@johnsenkosky5271]

Looked at a lot of videos this is probably the best one I’ve seen on that Atwood Water heater it was very thorough and very informative thank you very much

[@RVHabit]

Hi John, Wow, thanks!

[@newsveteran4466]

AMEN

[@michaellacroix2315]

I just wanted to thank you so much for the helpful video. I sent $2.00, I didn't even know that was a thing, but I'm glad I could pay something back for your help and expertise.

[@RVHabit]

Hi and thank you again. I hope this helped you get everything running smoothly. Happy camping.

[@trevbjo]

Wow. I did exactly what u did and it fits up now. I took it apart and sanded connections on thermal fuse, blew out jet, blew out curved gas pipe, put it back together and it works. Suggestion tho, I had an extra screw, finally figured where it goes.. take photos before u start. Thanks for video

[@RVHabit]

Yes if you are not familiar with something always take a picture before starting. I usually forget and regret it.

[@AlmegaMedia]

great, informative video.. showing how to clean/fix, rather than just look for parts replacement.. thx!!

[@RVHabit]

Glad it helped

[@paulroesner]

Great video. Having the links to products in the description helped a ton! Order 3 parts.

[@RVHabit]

Hi Paul, Awesome, thank you!

[@nelliemillan4627]

Clear , explicit explanation ! I'll probably have it done with a professional , BUT I love learning new things, I find it so interesting to find out how things work , now I can go take a look with a more knowledgeable view , thanks to you ! I also sent it to my own WhatsApp to review as many times as I need .

[@RVHabit]

That's great to hear. Thank you.

[@christophermarquez2310]

Thank you very much for this walkthrough. One additional thing I noticed on my Atwood fix, while the sparker bases were intact the rods themselves had some carbon buildup. I gave them a light sanding as well as the connector tabs and adjusted the sparker gap to the proper measurement. As per your advise I carefully removed the gas nozzle tip and gave it all some compressed air. It’s been very dry here. Reassembled and it fired right up. Sweet blue flame. And adjusted the the air to gas window to a gentle roar. 👍🏼

[@RVHabit]

Awesome, great to hear.

[@pegn0sepete]

You're awesome!! I just adjusted the air flow like you showed towards the end of the video and it fired right up!!

[@RVHabit]

Hi glad it worked.

[@cmnightfaces]

Thank you. I think that's what is wrong with ours. We out at our camper today but visiting on Father's day and looked you up. Once we get back to campground I'm sure this will get our hot water back to work. So thanks.

[@RVHabit]

Your welcome and Good luck!

[@jacobbailey5498]

Better than the other videos!

[@RVHabit]

Thank you for watching.

[@johnwsharpe4063]

This is one of the best troubleshooting videos I've ever seen. Excellent, thanks so much!

[@RVHabit]

Hi John, Thanks for taking time to watch.

[@noahfalgout5367]

Very informative video. Ready to ditch my old Atwood, but after watching this video, I remedied the propane start/stop/start problem. Thanks for your guidance.

[@RVHabit]

Hi Noah, Glad it worked out. Thanks for watching.

[@andreaevans9596]

Thank you for explaining in detail what to do! My water heater just went out in my jayco Jay flight, going to check entire system tomorrow, now that I know what to do

[@RVHabit]

Hi Andrea, Hope you get it working, Good luck!

[@andreaevans9596]

@@RVHabit well I’ve cleaned everything drained the tank there was a lot of calcium in the tank itself, but my DSI FLT light is still coming on, I use the electric switch for my water heater instead of my propane. But neither are working (but I don’t have propane to troubleshoot that issue)

[@jc-mm7ht]

This is the exact problem I was having. Followed all these steps and mine is working fine now as it seems

[@RVHabit]

Glad it helped. These water heaters need yearly cleaning and maintenance to work properly.

[@Paynefamily4465]

100% just maintenance ! Really appreciate the video. All cleaned and it no longer shuts off. Thank so much!

[@RVHabit]

Great to hear!

[@johndodi]

Lou, great maintenance video on the Atwood water heater. I didn't have any problems with my unit but I did clean up the burner tube alone with the thermal cut-off terminals. I did adjust the air/gas mixture. Doesn't sound like a 747 taken off. Kept those maintenance video's coming our way. I too have a 2016 GTS Forester with the same appliances / equipment.

[@RVHabit]

Hi DJ, Yes those water heaters can get very loud. I think the 2016 GTS is a great rig. They did everything just about right. (except the split rear bed).

[@johndodi]

@@RVHabit the split rear bed with the window head board and the pull down shade, not a good design!

[@RVHabit]

I finally got fed up with the shade and put a rice paper window film on the back window. Works out excellent and no more fighting with that shade.

[@TheSnookyputz]

Figured out it was corrosion on my igniter that was my problem but I checked everything else you pointed out while I was fixing it! Thanks!

[@RVHabit]

Nice work!

[@kellyohara806]

Very informative. You helped my husband and me get our heater working great. We did find a small crack in our sparker and will be ordering a new one. Thank you!

[@RVHabit]

That is awesome!

[@davidcole814]

Fantastic video, I am having the propane start to make a whump sound when it lights. Going to do all of your steps to correct it. Thank you for all the tips, I will be able to recognize more issues if there are any!!

[@RVHabit]

Hi David Good luck!

[@seymourscagnetti1413]

MY SUBURBAN 6 GAL. GAS/ELEC. HAS THE SAME ISSUE. I HOPE THIS PROCEDURE CURES IT. THE W/H WAS REPLACED IN 2018. IT SHOULD HAVE A LOT MORE MILES LEFT ON IT. IT'S TIME FOR AN ANODE ROD CHANGE OUT ANYWAY. GREAT TUTORIAL! CHEERS.

[@RVHabit]

Hi Seymour, hope it solves your issues.

[@pcarr51]

Awesome. I'm learning how to clean n replace the parts. Now I pray after I put it back together it works!

[@RVHabit]

Good luck!

[@pcarr51]

@@RVHabit it worked!!!!! Your awesome!!!! Thank you!!!!

[@RVHabit]

Glad to hear it. Happy camping!

[@garymaillot9715]

Absolutely great video on showing us what to look for and do , my hot water heater is exactly doing what the one you were working on, I’ve tried a few things but ran out of daylight but I’ll be back at it in the morning, my wife had forgot to turn the hot water switch to off and came back to town for 3 days and when she came back to the trailer this happened not her fault though I probably would have done the same thing ,

[@reidwagner1508]

This was amazing. Not too “techy “. Thanks for an easy to understand explanation

[@RVHabit]

You're very welcome!

[@heberbelles916]

Had the same issue with my gas part and will follow your advice. thanks

[@RVHabit]

Good luck thanks for watching

[@WayneVerhey]

Thank you for the great video. My particular problem was gas would not light reliably. I adjusted the air mixture tube, and walla! starts every time. Subscribed!

[@RVHabit]

Glad it helped

[@yanceyrobertson2414]

Thanks so much for de-mystifying the solution to my problem. This is exactly what I needed. I haven't tried it yet, but it gives me great optimism moving forward and I feel sure it will work.

[@RVHabit]

Good luck!

[@fencott]

Many thanks for the vid. I am in NSW and had the same issue with the spark initiator...cleaned it up and away it went. Cheers

[@RVHabit]

Good to hear

[@topofhelist6592]

Just wanted to say thank you and that your video helped me main burner had mild blockage debris rust etc

[@RVHabit]

Great to hear!

[@ellasmommy9278]

Thank you! I am visiting and staying in a friend's RV and the hot water quit this morning. I will try this first thing tomorrow. But this video is exactly what I need. I looked at this panel and got super intimidated. Nothing made a lot of sense. And that's not normal for me. I will let you know how it turns out.

[@RVHabit]

Hi Karen, sometimes knowing how something works is half the battle. Good luck.

[@montanawalsh8155]

Absolutely perfect instruction. I feel totally confident that I can troubleshoot and get the pilot light up and blue flaming. Thank you

[@RVHabit]

Glad it helped

[@deltabravo1257]

Excellent video. My water heater has the same issue - it won't spark and when I light it manually, it won't stay lit.

[@markskates7899]

Nice video! Very good explanation of the operation of the water heater.

[@RVHabit]

Thank you very much. Glad you enjoyed it

[@ryanm1973]

That was so helpful!

[@RVHabit]

Glad you think so!

[@rajuom]

It was really helpful. I was able to fix my water Heatar, Thank you so much for your nice illustration.

[@RVHabit]

You are welcome 😊

[@rottsrool]

Thanks for a great video tutorial, I have the same problem with my water heater and now thanks to you I know what to do.

[@RVHabit]

Great to hear!

[@ruffroadrvlife]

Many thanks for making this informative and helpful video. We wish we had seen this before we did a couple of other things. 😆Now, we suspect it was simply a clogged orifice all along. Before we got to that though, we tried a new motherboard and we ordered a new gas valve. After we put that on, we checked the orifice and it was completely clogged! We are sharing your video link so others can be informed and avoid our mistakes.

[@RVHabit]

Hi, thanks so much I appreciate it.

[@rickadams1521]

Followed your directions and got the hot water heater going while out camping.

[@RVHabit]

That's great to hear. Glad it helped. Happy camping.

[@Bclark424]

Thanks so much for your video. Had issues with mine and your video saved the day. Happy camping! Thanks!

[@RVHabit]

Hi Brent, Glad it helped! Happy camping.

[@jacknapier3482]

He needs to say continuity one more time. I don't think he said it enough. 😁

[@RVHabit]

Lol, It's hard sometimes talking off the cuff trying to explain things. Thanks for watching.

[@jacknapier3482]

@@RVHabit you're good. I was just teasing. Thank you for the great content!

[@I77AGIC]

best explanation of all of this that I've seen so far really great video

[@RVHabit]

I appreciate it. Thanks for watching.

[@joelfortfortunato9025]

Excellent maintenance advice. I appreciate How you explain every step. Definitely worth the time to look at all video.

[@RVHabit]

I appreciate that!

[@timrover]

Great tips Lou, I am working on a RV preventive maintenance (PM) calendar. This is a great idea to take notice. Good Job!

[@RVHabit]

Hi Tim, Understanding how things work is half the battle when it comes to maintenance.

[@GT32757]

I would add a dab of Dilectric grease to help protect that connection from further corrosion, great tutorial

[@RVHabit]

Hi Gary, that's a great idea. I think I will do that.

[@krishanknoles9276]

Great video. Covering lots of important details. Thanks for educating me on air flow adjustments and fine tuning.

[@RVHabit]

Thanks so much for commenting.

[@neonman1000]

Great video! Went out this weekend and mine was doing the same thing. It would lite for a few seconds then shut down. The electric worked thank God. Will try your tips. Hopefully have the same results

[@RVHabit]

Good luck!

[@matthewparry9539]

Many thanks for creating and sharing such a detailed video. Excellent!😊

[@RVHabit]

thank you I appreciate you watching and taking time to comment

[@chess2338947]

Use you vid the first time before I went from Ohio to North Carolina about a month. Got it going with new control unit. On leaving North Carolina out of there with no hot water checked vid again and now after cleaning video and now I don’t even have ignition at the starter for three times

[@jerryhahnu]

Very well done. I now know how to solve my houseboat water heater issue. Thank you.

[@RVHabit]

Hi Jerry, glad it helped.

[@davidcochran934]

Man great video. Wish it had been at the top of my list. Fortunately you have the same one as me so all your info was spot on. Luckily my gas side of heater just came on but I am going to check everything that you did when I get home.

[@RVHabit]

Hi David, Glad it was helpful. I have another video about changing out the control board if you find that is the problem. Good luck.

[@chubby1969]

I have just come across your video awesome. I have a rv here in the UK 🇬🇧 not many videos go into great detail. Thanks I look forward to going through your other videos.

[@RVHabit]

Awesome, thank you!

[@chess2338947]

Best video for an old and new Atwoods

[@RVHabit]

Thanks so much

[@DarrellDouglas-c2e]

I applaud this informational video!!!! You covered everything I needed to know to fix my problem! Thank you so very much for no nonsense, to the point without a bunch of unwanted banter!!! Subscribing and look forward to future videos from RV Habit !!

[@RVHabit]

Great to hear!

[@lynnbishop6960]

Great video, helped me diagnose and troubleshoot my heater. Thank you!

[@RVHabit]

Great to hear!

[@willbaker8125]

Great video, and very informative. My Camper sat for a while and I was having an issue with ignition. gas was flowing, but had to use a lighter to light it. Looks like a bad spark probe. Cleaning out everthing else while I am in there. Thanks!

[@RVHabit]

Hi Will, Great to hear!

[@danielbrown2266]

I found out that the orris on the pilot line was stopped up I took a sewing pin to Clean the end orris and the pilot lite worked well and saved me money

[@spadog63]

Fantastic! perfect video. It was exactly what I needed to know. Now I understand the system.

[@RVHabit]

Hi Rick, Great to hear!

[@michaelgoodroe7278]

Great video. Clear and concise. Very helpful. Thanks!

[@RVHabit]

Thanks Michael.

[@drinkinslim]

I don't know if it was your accent or not, but you were pronouncing it "selenoid" or "salenoid" instead of "solonoid". Excellent water heater tutorial! Thank you so much.

[@RVHabit]

That is my Jersey accent lol.

[@jasongreek2342]

This popped up in my recommended after I tried to Google more troubleshooting info for ours. We spent our first weekend in our new (to us) trailer and the water heater would work on both electric and gas, but it was overheating and tripping off on a fault. Once I got back on Tuesday with my tools I found that it was overheating to 180°F, tripping the ECO, which I assume causes the board to lock out and send a fault. The main TSTAT was still closed and calling for heat. It had good contact to the tank, I went back and replaced it last night. The trailer is being used for a rental this weekend so I hope they don't have any issues. It's a decent heater

[@RVHabit]

If I was to guess without running tests I would have done what you did and replace the thermostat. Hopefully that corrects the problem.

[@jasongreek2342]

I'm a plumber/oil burner mechanic/gas fitter... if I can't figure it out and fix it I'd be a little embarrassed at myself lol

[@RVHabit]

LOL, you will have no problem.

[@kenreynolds9726]

Excellent vid...my water heater is now 100%...thanks!

[@RVHabit]

Hi Ken, That's great to hear. Happy camping.

[@chrisgardner1441]

Thank you so much for this video you saved me $500 it was alot easier then i thought i changed out the igniter and cleaned the terminals ist working perfect. Thanks again

[@RVHabit]

Glad it helped

[@pkk6428]

GOOD VIDEO LIKE ALWAYS. ONE THING I WOULD DO ON THOSE CONNECTORS IS PUT DIELECTRIC GREASE ON THEM.

[@RVHabit]

Hi, I sprayed the connections with Corrosion X. It is an excellent spray that protects against rust and corrosion. Dielectric grease is also an excellent suggestion.

[@pkk6428]

@@RVHabit I put grease every time I change a light bulb out.

[@mnoah5307]

thank you very much very informative. my electric does not work either. going to look for a vid of that also. and the heater only blows cold air. have some work to do. I was thinking it is a propane problem. but with the electric not working on the hot water heater it has got me wondering. I will get to final answer you have me of to a good start. thank you again.

[@RVHabit]

Good luck!

[@RVWeekendsRC1]

Nice video.

[@RVHabit]

Thank you for watching

[@RVWeekendsRC1]

@@RVHabit I’m currently taking an rv technical training class on line and real stuff on videos are so much better than a text book. I can’t wait to fix some rv’s:)

[@RVHabit]

I agree watching a video is so useful.

[@DanKirchner5150]

great video looks like cold showers for this winter again !

[@calebjarrard3517]

Just saved me from a service call my man. Thank you so much

[@RVHabit]

Glad to hear it

[@WendyWelch-sh2qy]

You helped me fix my hot water heater!!! Thanks!

[@RVHabit]

Glad I could help!

[@alholborn8516]

Nice job Lou. You made it very simple for us. Stay safe.

[@RVHabit]

Hi Al, Thanks 👍

[@augustinejannace]

Nice job. Thank you. Now I'll service mine

[@JasonBelgarde]

Excellent tutorial...Easy to understand:)

[@shmorpieM]

Very simple and informative, sir. I appreciate you!

[@RVHabit]

Thanks so much.

[@luelauj375]

Amazing DIY video. Straight to the point only. Thank you

[@RVHabit]

Thanks so much.

[@GetGonewithUS]

Nice Job, Lou. Great close ups with the video. I miss our Atwood Water Heater. The only problem we ever had with it was the same that you had, the ceramic insulator on the igniter had a small crack in it that prevented the heater from running on gas. We changed it out and was good to go. Now we have the On Demand Heater, still hate it. LOL

[@RVHabit]

Yes, I like the Atwood water heaters. Not quite sold on the On Demand water heaters.

[@Ed-ip2sg]

Thanks for this. My Atwood will not light. I do hear the sparks but no gas smell.

[@bmorrison0070]

Great video. Thank you. You go over everything in a nice way to make it easy to understand.

[@RVHabit]

Thanks so much.

[@queenB1963]

Thank you! I haven't done my trouble shooting yet, but at least now I know where to start!

[@RVHabit]

Hi Beth, good luck.

[@queenB1963]

@@RVHabit ~ Thanks. Turns out my issue isn't quite the same. Gas is clearly flowing, and it ignites. But it won't stay lit. Back to the drawing board... (and to your blog for more information!!)

[@RVHabit]

Check the igniter wire or the control board.