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aussie_paul


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Hot water problem on gas...
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Our Coast to Coast SW6DEA HWS fires up on gas, runs for a few seconds, then cuts out. It then attempts a restart and sometimes keeps going, and sometimes cuts out and restarts. If not going after 3 start attempts we have to switch it off and try again. I had put this down to an old gas cylinder that I think had some auto gas in it, but it now seems to be a problem with a new fresh gas bottle. What keeps the gas flowing, is it a thermocouple or electrical via water temp?

Aussie Paul. smile



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OwenK


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Hi Paul, 

I've had similar problems with my hot water. I have a compressor  at home  and I blew out the burner tube in hot water service "the whole thing" . Got a lot of dust and stuff out of it now it works fine. Just blow out everything around the heater.

Hope that helps you mate.

Cheers Owen. 



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aussie_paul


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OwenK wrote:

Hi Paul, 

I've had similar problems with my hot water. I have a compressor  at home  and I blew out the burner tube in hot water service "the whole thing" . Got a lot of dust and stuff out of it now it works fine. Just blow out everything around the heater.

Hope that helps you mate.

Cheers Owen. 

Thanks Owen, I had picked up that advice up along the way BUT I wanted some actual experience before I attacked the problem. biggrin

Aussie Paul. smile



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Brenda and Alan


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Paul it auto gas is exactly the same as cylinder gas so this would not be the cause, (see Elgas web site)

Our HWS is an Atwood but sometimes suffers similar problems. When it is foggy the igniter spark seems to short sometimes so I open the cover and light it manually. Once things dry out all is fine again. Other times a similar thing happens which we put down to dust etc and give the workings a blast of air to fix. When it plays up the red light comes on when switching on the unit then goes out during the igniter sequence. We hear the click of the igniter and if it does not light the light comes back onto indicate the failure.

Alan



-- Edited by Brenda and Alan on Tuesday 16th of August 2016 07:36:32 AM

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aussie_paul


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Brenda and Alan wrote:

Paul it auto gas is exactly the same as cylinder gas so this would not be the cause, (see Elgas web site)

Our HWS is an Atwood but sometimes suffers similar problems. When it is foggy the igniter spark seems to short sometimes so I open the cover and light it manually. Once things dry out all is fine again. Other times a similar thing happens which we put down to dust etc and give the workings a blast of air to fix. When it plays up the red light comes on when switching on the unit then goes out during the igniter sequence. We hear the click of the igniter and if it does not light the light comes back onto indicate the failure.

Alan



-- Edited by Brenda and Alan on Tuesday 16th of August 2016 07:36:32 AM

 Thanks Alan, I was getting confused between lpg and natural gas!!!biggrin

Ok on red light and hearing igniter, ours does the same. I just can't work out when it is already alight why it then switches off. no

Aussie Paul. smile



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Bill B


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aussie_paul wrote:

I just can't work out when it is already alight why it then switches off. no

Aussie Paul. smile




It is probably starved of air.

Open the HWS access door and leave it open when you light it and see if it still goes out.


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Bill B
Philw


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We had this problem. Took it to a gas guy in Caloundra. He cleaned it out but in particular he removed the sensor that pokes into the flame. It has a screw and a small electrical plug. He lightly sanded it as it gets a coating on it from the carbon build up and refitted it plus he tightened the electrical contact. Its only 12 volt. He said that was importantto have a secure connection. It now works perfectly. He also explained thatwecan do it ourselvesas it is not a gas safety issue. I am going to buy a spare. Good luck.

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aussie_paul


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Bill B wrote:
aussie_paul wrote:

 

I just can't work out when it is already alight why it then switches off. no

Aussie Paul. smile


 



It is probably starved of air.

Open the HWS access door and leave it open when you light it and see if it still goes out.

 I doubt it Bill as nothing else has changed from it working for the last couple of years, but thanks.nod.gif

Aussie Paul. smile



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aussie_paul


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Philw wrote:

We had this problem. Took it to a gas guy in Caloundra. He cleaned it out but in particular he removed the sensor that pokes into the flame. It has a screw and a small electrical plug. He lightly sanded it as it gets a coating on it from the carbon build up and refitted it plus he tightened the electrical contact. Its only 12 volt. He said that was importantto have a secure connection. It now works perfectly. He also explained thatwecan do it ourselvesas it is not a gas safety issue. I am going to buy a spare. Good luck.

 Thanks Phil, I don't think ours is like that but I will have a look. I thought the 12 volt was just used for igniting the flame, BUT it might control a solenoid of some sort.

Aussie Paul. smile

img20160816_22591621.jpgimg20160816_22555474.jpg



-- Edited by aussie_paul on Tuesday 16th of August 2016 11:06:12 PM

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macka17


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Jeepers.

I had a few of them in different vans.
electronic ign. then gas to heat.
restricted to size of water tank then start all over again.

Last van and in process of fitting with this one.
Supply on demand Gas heater.
as much as you like till gas runs out. at whatever temp you want.
$340 del. No tank no nothing. just the unit plus piping to sink and shower.
Coupla battery's inside. and couple up water supply (Tank or mains)

Just remember the tank. Full, with all it's ancilliaries
would be near 50kg on your van weight.
These weigh around 4.1\2-5kg. (two fingers)


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Brenda and Alan


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Paul maybe he problem is to do with the senor bulb for the pilot light not working. When the unit is started this is bypassed so as to let the gas flow to the burner. After the unit starts this bypass mechanism would be turned off after some seconds to allow normal safe operation. If the pilot light sensor is not working the unit thinks its gone out and shuts the gas down.

Alan



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Philw


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Paul. It looks like mine. The electrode senses if the flame has gone out and turns off the gas. As I understand what the guy told me.if it is not clean and thereis carbon build up then it doesnt work probably plus it is electrical so as to send a signal to the gas shutoff.So try unplugging, take out the holding s rew and lightly sand. Refit and make sure the electrical plugs are tight. Cant hurt to try. It fixed mine. Cheers

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aussie_paul


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Philw wrote:

Paul. It looks like mine. The electrode senses if the flame has gone out and turns off the gas. As I understand what the guy told me.if it is not clean and thereis carbon build up then it doesnt work probably plus it is electrical so as to send a signal to the gas shutoff. So try unplugging, take out the holding s rew and lightly sand. Refit and make sure the electrical plugs are tight. Cant hurt to try. It fixed mine. Cheers

 Thanks Phil and others. Tomorrow I will attack it, I think I understand how it works now. Slow learner am I!!!!biggrin

Aussie Paul. smile



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Joe50


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aussie_paul wrote:
Ok on red light and hearing igniter, ours does the same. I just can't work out when it is already alight why it then switches off. no

 

Hi Paul, my Suburban HWS is similar to yours, but gas only, not 240v as well (SW6DA from memory). My red light also stays on until it has fired up (after about 10 seconds), then goes off - I've deduced that's how it's supposed to work. I initially thought there was a problem, expecting the light to stay on all the time, and kept switching it off and then back on again when it went out. But after listening closely and actually hearing the burner fire up, I left it alone and everything was fine. I'm assuming the red light coming on warns you that it has stopped working for whatever reason.

Cheers

Joe

 



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aussie_paul


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Some pics to show what I actually have. I imagine that the igniter also controls the gas shut off even though it is not right in the flame. Am I correct or not?biggrin

Aussie Paul. smile

 



-- Edited by aussie_paul on Thursday 18th of August 2016 10:07:07 PM



-- Edited by aussie_paul on Thursday 18th of August 2016 10:08:44 PM

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aussie_paul


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Today I put a volt meter on the igniter while I held it over the kitchen gas hob. There was some BUT very little voltage but as soon as I took it out of the gas flame the voltage disappeared. So I ever so slightly bent the two probes of the igniter more into the flame. It took a couple of cycles to get rid of the airt and then kept going. So, fingers crossed. biggrin

Aussie Paul. smile



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aussie_paul


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Oops!!!! Not wrong thread as I am never wrong!! Incorrect thread.disbelief

 

My thread re same/similar problem.

http://thegreynomads.activeboard.com/t62526988/hot-water-problem-on-gas/

Aussie Paul. smile



-- Edited by aussie_paul on Saturday 20th of August 2016 07:25:07 PM

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