To detect whether it is the air causing the problem light the stove burners and consequently switch on the rv water heater.
Rv gas water heater won t stay lit.
This control is part of the gas valve assembly and normally has a dial that will allow for temperature adjustment and will also have a probe that monitors the water temperature.
Dirt and debris can collect in the pilot tube causing the flow of gas to be blocked.
Thankfully a dirty pilot tube is the easiest issue to fix.
The last step of the rv water heater troubleshooting process is to turn off the lp system to check for a spark.
In case the hot heater starts you could conclude that air entrance is causing the real issue.
If air manages to enter the lp or the liquid propane lines it becomes a hindrance to the water heater and it won t light.
This is a question from a reader to chris dougherty certified rv technician when he was our technical editor dear chris my automatic ignition hot water heater in our motor home ignites but won t stay on.
When i turn it on it fires up for about 10 seconds then stops then fires up again and keeps repeating this cycle as long as the switch is on.
Okay but what if you get through each of these steps and still can t figure out what s wrong.
Atwood water heater won t stay lit it is the dsi model with propane 120 vac and motoraid heat exchanger.
As a result the pilot doesn t get enough fuel to stay lit.
Again easy fix quick solution.
If your gas water heater doesn t stay lit you may have a defective control thermostat.
The gas supply to the pilot assembly is controlled by this valve.
If you don t get a spark your system could have an electrode that is bent or carbon grounding.