R-pod Owners Forum Homepage

This site is free to use.
Donations benefit a non-profit Girls Softball organization

Forum Home Forum Home > R-pod Discussion Forums > Podmods, Maintenance, Tips and Tricks
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed: Water Heater Trouble R-Pod 178
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Calendar   Register Register  Login Login

Topic ClosedWater Heater Trouble R-Pod 178
 Post Reply Post Reply
Author
Message
  Share Topic Share Topic  Topic Search Topic Search  Topic Options Topic Options
mjh203 View Drop Down
Newbie
Newbie


Joined: 10 Jul 2016
Location: Colorado
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 19 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: Water Heater Trouble R-Pod 178
    Posted: 10 Jul 2016 at 7:08pm
Hello,

I have a 2015 R-Pod 178 which has a Suburban SW6 DE Water heater. I can not get it to light on propane or work on electric. I am hoping I am missing something simple...

I have a red switch inside the camper that says "water heater- on/off" and a black switch outside for on/off. My understanding that is the red switch inside is for propane use to automatically light the water heater, and the black switch outside is for electric use. When I turn either switch to on, I hear 3 series of clicking sounds like it is trying to light the pilot light but it will not light. 

I tried using a lighter and manually lighting the pilot while the clicking sound is happening and it lit, but went out as soon as the clicking stopped. 

Any thoughts? Should I be hearing the clicking sound when I try just the black switch for electric?
mjh203 is online now Report Post  
Back to Top
Tars Tarkas View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: 14 Jan 2013
Location: Near Nashville
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1446 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Jul 2016 at 7:20pm
Is the gas on?  Try the stove burners and make sure they're working.  Yes, you should hear the clicking when it's trying to light the propane burner.  There is no pilot. The gas is either on or off; it's lit electrically (12v).  It can take a while for the propane to get to the WH after changing propane tanks. Leave the red switch on for 5 or 10 minutes before giving up on it.

Is the WH tank full?

If you want to run on 120v, you need to flip the switch outside on the water heater and the fuse in the fuse panel needs to be on.  And, of course, you need to be hooked up to shore power.

TT
2010 176
FJ Cruiser
Back to Top
mjh203 View Drop Down
Newbie
Newbie


Joined: 10 Jul 2016
Location: Colorado
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 19 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Jul 2016 at 7:29pm
Thanks for the response.  I am sure the propane is on.  The stove lights and the refrigerator runs on propane just fine.  The water heater tank is full of water.  I hear three series of clicking sounds and then it wont light.  When you noted to leave the red switch on for 5 or 10 minutes, should I expect it to try to light again after the three series of clicks/attempts?  It doesn't seem to do anything after the three series of clicks, so I have been flipping it off and back on to get it to try to light again.

On electric, I have power to the camper (everything else is working), turned on the black switch on the water heater, and then have tried both with the red inside switch on and off, and still seem to get nothing.  When it is running on electric and not propane should I hear it running at all?  Or is it silent?

Thanks again
Back to Top
mjh203 View Drop Down
Newbie
Newbie


Joined: 10 Jul 2016
Location: Colorado
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 19 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Jul 2016 at 7:50pm
Update... I was able to get it to heat water on electric, but not matter what I try I can not get it to work on propane.  
Back to Top
furpod View Drop Down
Moderator Group - pHp
Moderator Group - pHp
Avatar

Joined: 25 Jul 2011
Location: Central KY
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 6128 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Jul 2016 at 8:58pm
If the water is already hot, the propane side won't light.
Back to Top
mjh203 View Drop Down
Newbie
Newbie


Joined: 10 Jul 2016
Location: Colorado
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 19 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Jul 2016 at 9:02pm
It wouldn't light with cold water when I was camping.  I had no electric there to heat the water, so I know it was cold.  
Back to Top
furpod View Drop Down
Moderator Group - pHp
Moderator Group - pHp
Avatar

Joined: 25 Jul 2011
Location: Central KY
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 6128 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Jul 2016 at 9:34am
Originally posted by mjh203

Hello,

I have a 2015 R-Pod 178 which has a Suburban SW6 DE Water heater. I can not get it to light on propane or work on electric. I am hoping I am missing something simple...

I have a red switch inside the camper that says "water heater- on/off" and a black switch outside for on/off. My understanding that is the red switch inside is for propane use to automatically light the water heater, and the black switch outside is for electric use. When I turn either switch to on, I hear 3 series of clicking sounds like it is trying to light the pilot light but it will not light. 

I tried using a lighter and manually lighting the pilot while the clicking sound is happening and it lit, but went out as soon as the clicking stopped. 

Any thoughts? Should I be hearing the clicking sound when I try just the black switch for electric?
mjh203 is online now Report Post  


Ok.. the red switch is to use gas. You will only hear clicking in the gas mode. That is the DSI (Direct Spark Ignition) There isn't a pilot.

If you got a lighter to light it, but it wouldn't keep the flame after the lighter was removed, my guess is a clogged burner tube (best scenario) or a bad controller, (worst scenario, but quite rare..) There will be no clicking sound when on elec.

I would suggest using a line brush or compressed air to blow or clean out the burner tube. There are a couple youtube videos out there to help you, some better than others.

Here is one..  The area where he blows the air in can be opened/removed, for a better cleaning experience.
Back to Top
mjh203 View Drop Down
Newbie
Newbie


Joined: 10 Jul 2016
Location: Colorado
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 19 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 Jul 2016 at 9:16am
Cleaned the burner tube, no luck. Thanks for the pointer though. It's heading into the dealer for warranty work.
Back to Top
garbob View Drop Down
Newbie
Newbie


Joined: 03 Dec 2013
Location: Canada
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 13 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Jul 2016 at 7:39pm
Have had the same problem. It won't light with gas and the gas reset button does not appear to work. The water will heat with shore power, but now that I've set the black button to "on" I can't shut it off. The electric reset button also does not seem to work.
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down

Bulletin Board Software by Web Wiz Forums® version 9.64
Copyright ©2001-2009 Web Wiz