[VAC] Re: Water Heater Continued

["T. Byrd" <tbyrd@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hey Don,

I have yet to fire up my Atwood water heater, but I have been amassing
information on the subject in preparation for the worst. First of all, I
will echo the words often heard on this list; purchase a copy of
Livingston's 'RV Repair and Maintenance Manual'. It's well worth the
cost, and in addition to the other RV systems, it covers Atwood and
Suburban water heaters pretty well.

You may also want to try the Atwood web site, they have a decent
troubleshooting page at
http://www.atwoodmobile.com/Service/Trouble/pilot.cfm that covers the
pilot, as well as other problems. I think this page is intended for
their heaters, but the troubleshooting sections for the pilot and flame
match well with Livingston's section on troubleshooting water heaters.

You might want to try cleaning the pilot tube. Soak it in rubbing
alcohol, and use a round tooth pick to *gently* clean away any debris
from the hole, being careful not to break off any of the tooth pick in
the hole. DO NOT use a metal object to clean the pilot tube, as you may
damage it. When finished, blow out the pilot tube with compressed air if
you have it. Also, make sure you don't have any dirt, corrosion, or
insects plugging the air passage around the pilot or burner.

Good luck!

--
Ted Byrd
1958 Overlander