SUKISHORT
SO CAL
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Another of many questions about the Hot water heater. Mine will not light when we first set up. It will try but no flames in the heating area. After several hours it seems to light up and run normally for the rest of the time we need it. I have cleaned the ash and stuff out of the burner area, ran a plastic bag throught the gas tube, cleaned the contacts for all the wires. I don't know what else to do or check befor I start paying $95 an hour to find out it's a spider leg in the gas outlet. Any suggestions? Thanks
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Lad79der
Bucks County, PA
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Is it the first gas appliance you use when you get there?
You may have air in the lines and it takes time to purge the air.
For example, when we go to start our fridge on propane, we turn on the burner of our stove, make sure we get a flame, and then switch it over for the fridge to work on propane. It fires right up since the air was purged by the gas stove top.
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j-d
Sunny Florida USA
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Is this an electrinic ignition unit, called DSI (Direct Spark Ignition)?
What's Make/Model?
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MaverickBBD
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If you have gas, air plus spark it should light. As others have sad, light a stove burner to establish gas flow. BTW, why would you want to heat "Hot" water?
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SUKISHORT
SO CAL
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I run the stove for about 3 mins (after it lights) and I run the fridg on gas while I drive to the camp. I may run the furnace for a few mins next month before I try the water heater, but it seems that it shour be getting gas.
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pulsar
Lewisville, NC
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Moved from Forum Technical Support to Tech Issues.
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anemic
Grand Rapids, MI
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Cummins Bridgeway told me that typically water heaters only go bad when "The Board" fails and then they put in a new board which costs about $60. Apparently there are few if any other failure modes. For some reason spark or gas is prevented from functioning normally on yours.
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Alpenliter
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anemic wrote:Cummins Bridgeway told me that typically water heaters only go bad when "The Board" fails and then they put in a new board which costs about $60. Apparently there are few if any other failure modes. For some reason spark or gas is prevented from functioning normally on yours.
I had a bad solenoid on my gas valve, which caused the same problem. Couldn't buy just the solenoid, have to buy the whole gas valve. Fortunately I found a deal on E-bay from a guy whose water heater split from freezing, so he was selling all the parts off it.
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oldbeek
lancaster CA
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Air in line X2 if it only happens on first use. The board will try to fire the gas three times and then shut down for some duration, then try again. The gas valve is open only a very short time on each try. Several trys will be required to purge line of air.
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anemic
Grand Rapids, MI
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I learned firsthand that water heaters get pinhole leaks which then become easier to find after a time as they grow. Consider replacing a water heater at about 10 years of age which is easier than replacing a water heater later in addition to tearing out wet floor bits and rebuilding that. YMMV
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