Hi folks, newbie here and my first post. I bought a 24 ft motorhome, its a 1985 but it is literally as new, unbelievable!!! Everything works great...Except I cant seem to figure out how to flash up the water heater. I cant see a switch anywhere. Inside the compartment I see the propane supply valve, the thermocouple under the tank itself but no way of turning on propane supply at the heater itself. I'm at my wits end!!!!!
If I am looking at the right model in my catalog, there should be a switch probably on the range hod.
You may want to verify my brains. Looking at water heater is there an electronic circuit board in the upper right corner?
Is the gas valve electrically operated?
If both answers are yes, then the switch is normally on range hood.
If no, then look closely at the gas valve. Is it about 4 inches square? Does it have red or black know on the top of it? Does it have a large blue knob on the face?
Hi enblethen, thanks for your help. I went to have another close look at the heater. Looking into the panel on the outside, in the upper right there is a grey/blue box about 4 inches by 6 inches. It says "Fenwall Inc Auto ignition system". There is a red high voltage cable going from the middle of it to the burner "tube" in the bottom right corner so it looks like electronic ignition. On the gas reulator there are no knobs, no indications, nothing but mounted underneath it is some kind of electronic device. the gas line runs from this regulator thingy into the right hand lower burner "tube" again. As for a switch, well, I'm just lost!!! The range hood has a rotary switch that turns on the rangehood fan and light. Outside the washroom are 2 switches, one turns on the bathroom light, the other turns on the bathroom fan. I checked almost everywhere and cant find the switch anywhere. There are no switches in the propane fill spot or the face of the heater or the back of the heater......Anymore ideas? If not, thanks anyway my friend its a nice welcome to the site....
Hi Fred, thanks for the info, I will head out and have another look. I think the key is you said the switch lights up, you would think it would be easy!!!!! Maybe I'm just stupid lol!!!!!!! I will report back.....
Might help to know make and model of rig.
Do you have a monitoring panel for holding tanks somewhere? Some have the water heater switch there.
Fred is correct that it should have a red light (LED) either adjacent to or in the switch assembly.
The gray/blue box that you refer to is the DSI (direct spark ignition) control. As Firstep1 suggests the DSI is powered up through
a toggle/rocker switch which may or may not have an indicator lamp.
If you cannot find it on the range hood then I would look all around the cabinet that immediately surround the water heater itself.
If that doesn't do it, you will have to trace the control wiring from the heater back to locate this switch. On my MH, this switch
is located at the end of the sink cabinet.
Good Luck, You'll find it
Guys..........I feel really REALLY stupid!!! I looked everywhere for that switch. Spent 10 minutes going through every nook and cranny. Just as I sat there, scratchig my head, I looked at the sink, hanging there was a pair of.....oven mitts, I moved them...Eureka!!!!! there is the switch!!!!! Its in the most obvious, directly in view place that it could be!!! I hit the switch, light came on, heard the igniter...Life is good!!!!! No more jumping in lakes to clean up for this old boy!!!! Now I can have a shower! I feel stupid but you know, its proved that it was a great idea to join this group, none of you called me stupid yet!, you made me feel right at home. Its a good place to visit. I'm going to grab a large cup ot tea tonight, thats the English in me coming out, and I'm going to go through as many posts as I can because the knowledge base on here is obvious. I have a million questions, how to tow my little SUV, use of onboard generators etc. SO again, thanks for being so helpful and being so welcoming....Keith in Canada.....
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