michaelhillhouse Report post Posted March 21, 2015 My water heater starts just fine when first turned on but then won't cycle to keep the water hot. I have blown the tube out to make sure there aren't any restrictions or trash in it but still won't work properly . It has to sit a long time before I can get it to restart and we're fixing to have to have it at the NASCAR Races at Texas and momma don't like cold showers Help!!!!!! Regards Michael Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hermanmullins Report post Posted March 21, 2015 Michael, do you have a pilot light or igniter? You may have a bad thermocouple. Momma is correct, there might be cold, rain, mud and or all three. Dang this is Texas. Herman Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
michaelhillhouse Report post Posted March 21, 2015 Herman , I have a igniter , on the system and it starts fine the first time . We sure needed this rain and believe me we've been out there in the rain and mud but we still have a blast , just not when the shower is cold . How can I determine the coupler good or bad ? Michael Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dickandlois Report post Posted March 21, 2015 Michael, Clean the contacts on the connector and the socket on the circuit board. Check for good grounds. The circuit boards get testy at times. The gas valve should open-then the ignition / spark should fire. The circuit should try to light the burner 3 times - then the red LED on the inside switch will light if it fails to get a flame. Need a good 12 volts to the board also. Rich. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
michaelhillhouse Report post Posted March 22, 2015 Thanks Rich for the info I will do that first thing in the morning. What it usually does is light the first time and the red light will go out. But then the light stays out until I reset or turn the switch off and back on only after a long period of time has elapsed. Thanks for the replies from you and Herman Michael Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tbutler Report post Posted March 22, 2015 If I understand this correctly, you are saying that when you first turn on the water heater it heats a tank of water just fine. When you use the water or it sits for a while and cools then it won't automatically restart. That sounds like a problem with the control board or the temperature sensor that the board reads to tell it to restart. This is where I take it to a tech for repair! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wildebill308 Report post Posted March 23, 2015 Is it trying to light the second time? As mentioned I would clean all the contacts, the board and ground. You might look at the manufacture web site for further trouble shooting ideas. Bill Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
michaelhillhouse Report post Posted March 23, 2015 Bill, It doesn't do any thing until I turn the switch on and off after it sits for a while . It then relights the burner to start warming up again. The bad thing is there are no mgf tag to see what type it is . I'm going to look at the manuals that were supplied to see if there is any information so right now I'm stumped . The contacts looked good and are tight , there's no corrosion on them and everything looks fine . I'm going to start all over tomorrow and see where it takes me . I also thing I'll call Newmar and see if the service adviser can give me any Information Thanks form the reply Michael Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wildebill308 Report post Posted March 23, 2015 Let us know what you find out. I don't know how to check it but it might be the temperature sensor. When you call Newmar they should be able to tell you the make, have your coach serial number handy. Bill Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jleamont Report post Posted March 23, 2015 Michael, This story is a flashback to our first coach with an Atwood 6gal HW heater. Mine was dirty contacts, cleaned them up and it worked every time. The only problem was it sucked down the propane and you only had hot water for about 2 min then can warm...then cold. I was warned "the first cold shower I take this motorhome is gone....you may go with it"! So after being married for 10 years at that point I thought about it and figured I better come up with a solution.... I replaced it with a tankless from Precision temp. It hardly used any propane and you could shower all day with very hot water, and was a direct replacement for the Atwood. Best investment, she was happy with her hot showers and I am still married 7 years later . The system was more expensive but it had no annual maintenance and the huge savings on Propane was worth it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dickandlois Report post Posted March 23, 2015 Michael, If everything is clean, tight and voltage is good; then my thought leans towards the circuit board. You might also want to clean the tank on the water heater. Remove the drain plug and the safety valve / flush the tank by spraying water into the top opening and you will see some sediment come out the drain. To really clean it-replace the drain plug, pure 4 gal. of distilled vinegar into the vent opening-fill the tank up to the lower edge of the hole. Install the safety valve. Start the water heater. Let it run until it stops, Turn it off / let the vinegar set in the tank as it cools off-"Cold" 4 Gallons of vinegar works well for the 6 Gal heaters / The 10 gal. heaters need 6 Gal. !! Then drain and flush it again, flush longer with a strong stream of water / spraying around the inside area as best as you can. If this has never been done you should notice faster hot water recovery time !! NOTE! This is a good Time to check the safety valve will work properly when you open it manually. A valve that does not open properly can turn your water heater into a bomb ! The terminal switch opens the circuit to close the gas valve / the mechanical safety is there as a backup / just in case the terminal switch fails. Rich. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kaypsmith Report post Posted March 23, 2015 Ditto Rich, I also lean towards the circuit board, and if an older unit, cleaning as described certainly helps. An added note for vinegar, dip a paper towel, or clean rag into vinegar, then swab the inside of the kitchen faucet, after removing the aerator and cleaning it with vinegar. This will help rid the system of that musty tasting drinking water. Kay Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
michaelhillhouse Report post Posted March 23, 2015 I spoke with Newmar and what I have is a 10 gal Suburban gas/ elect. water heater . There is a switch for the electric side that doesn't seem to be working either . To be safe I am going to take it to a RV Repair next week so they can find and fix the problem . Meanwhile I am going to get some vinegar and flush the system . Thanks for the replies and hope everyone has a great RVing season Michael Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
