Trying to get hot water working on gas to no avail. Worked last time we took the van away. Has gas and gas is on. Any suggestions?
Cheers
Craig
Cheers
Craig
Exterior Hot Water
- Thread starter Craig and Leanne
- Start date
Must be the time of year, someone just had the same prob a few days ago, if you take the lower outside panel off, of course making sure gas taps etc a on, have someone start the fridge up on gas while you look thru the gaps on the burner shield at the back of the fridge (you can take the plate off) you should see a bit of sparking as the igniter fires up, this is for a couple of flashes and a small gas flame should appear, by rights it should stay on, just a little blue flame, if it goes out after a second or 2 then the gas solenoid is closing off the gas because the flame sensor, which is the spiky thing just above the burner, is not working this can be because of a faulty connection, corrosion on the sensor tip or it just needs a good bit of heat applied to get it working again..................clean the connectors and end of sensor probe ,it should be about about 5mm above the burner I think.
When you start the fridge on gas the gas solenoid will open , the igniter will flash a few times and the gas flame should come on, it then heats the probe sensor which in turn sends a signal to the solenoid and it will remain open, if no signal the solenoid will close, this happens in about 7 -8 seconds..... the few that I have fixed the connectors on the probe where dodgy........if a lot of cobwebs around burner they or the fellas that made then can short out the igniter and cause crap on the probe and need to be cleaned.....
Dometic fridge manual and a search on Mr Google give some good diagrams if needed.
When you start the fridge on gas the gas solenoid will open , the igniter will flash a few times and the gas flame should come on, it then heats the probe sensor which in turn sends a signal to the solenoid and it will remain open, if no signal the solenoid will close, this happens in about 7 -8 seconds..... the few that I have fixed the connectors on the probe where dodgy........if a lot of cobwebs around burner they or the fellas that made then can short out the igniter and cause crap on the probe and need to be cleaned.....
Dometic fridge manual and a search on Mr Google give some good diagrams if needed.
Hi @Drover,
if I am not mistaken, @Craig and Leanne are having problems getting their Hot Water System to work on gas, not their Fridge.
cheers
Mike
Yes but Drover is correct, you should light the fridge, get the beer cold and then once cold, drink and enjoy, then you are ready to light the hot water unit.
The hot water requires power to light the pilot. Is it all turned on? Including the 3 pin plug to the hot water unit and setec
All good thanks guys.. pulled the main fuse put it back in then bobs your uncle it worked
Hi @rags,
this seems like it might be the start of the
Caravanner's Guide to Fixing Anything:
Is the beer cold (yes / no)
If no, then light the fridge, fill it with beer, and come back in a few hours
Is the beer cold (yes / no)
If no, fix the fridge or put the beer in another fridge.
Is the beer cold? (yes / no)
If no, go to the pub / bottle shop / neighbour and get some cold beer.
Now, you should have cold beer.
Sit back, drink a beer and enjoy, ready to start pondering the original problem.
Is the beer still cold (yes / no)
If no, return to the start of these instructions.
Now you are ready to get another beer and fix the original problem, if you can still remember what it was.
Or just get another beer and worry about fixing it tomorrow,
Or just ask @Drover and promise to teach him how to catch fish!
cheers
Mike
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Or give up completely......and give @Drover a call.
I'm sitting in a caravan park and watching what's going on around me......very productive!
The guy next to us has one of those Joolca hot water system which he says he loves and has certainly used it. It took him about 15 mins to set up with multiple pipes all over the place which I don't pretend to understand ...and don't want to appear too nosy.
But all this careful observation makes me wonder how most people use their hot water systems in the van....we must be different as we don't use it all in caravan parks...just use the electric kettle to boil water for washing up, coffee maker heats its own water and we shower at the amenities.
Are we missing out on something?
Our hot water is only used for showers when free camping as we seem to be conditioned to again boiling the kettle then as well for washing up.
I know others are different but it made me wonder why you'd wait for 20 minutes when a kettle boils in 5....or is the hot water left on all the time?
Just wondering....and pondering.
I'm sitting in a caravan park and watching what's going on around me......very productive!
The guy next to us has one of those Joolca hot water system which he says he loves and has certainly used it. It took him about 15 mins to set up with multiple pipes all over the place which I don't pretend to understand ...and don't want to appear too nosy.
But all this careful observation makes me wonder how most people use their hot water systems in the van....we must be different as we don't use it all in caravan parks...just use the electric kettle to boil water for washing up, coffee maker heats its own water and we shower at the amenities.
Are we missing out on something?
Our hot water is only used for showers when free camping as we seem to be conditioned to again boiling the kettle then as well for washing up.
I know others are different but it made me wonder why you'd wait for 20 minutes when a kettle boils in 5....or is the hot water left on all the time?
Just wondering....and pondering.
Hi @Dobbie,
good point! I have now modified the guide, to account for that as a solution.
cheers
Mike
Good to see someone reads things.......................................and you are correct, using a stupid phone makes things difficult now on laptop, anyway the basic workings are about the same , if the gas doesn't ignite the gas gets turned off extra switching with a thermostat for the water temp to turn the gas/igniter on again when needed and of course a bigger burner......................check power, check connections then look for the hard stuff............
Cold beer nearby, fridge working well but it's that flamin cold on The Darling Downs a fridge isn't needed...............If I catch fish then I have to clean them and the mess afterwards, easier to just roll up the paper and chuck it in the bin...hey........
We use our hot water in caravan Parks as well as free camping.
I can't see the sense in having a shower in the van then trapsing to the communal shower block.
The best thing is getting up and having a shower without going into the cold and getting whatever fungus is on the floor of the amenities block.
Hi @Bellbirdweb,
this is always a possibility in communal showers that are almost constantly wet.
When we were backpacking / trekking, we always carried a set of rubber thongs which we always wore in the shower to avoid / reduce having our feet pick up nasties living and breeding on the shower floor.
We still do the same now we have a van.
cheers
Mike
or ..... if you drink enough, the lack of hot water will rapidly become less important. And if you raise the drinking bar too high, having access to hot water can be just dangerous.
I have a Joolca set up at the factory in a bathroom we built for my son, when he live in there for a while. Its a great gadget, and works surprisingly well.
We're the opposite with the vans HWS, we always use it in caravan parks and rarely when free camping. We use a Coleman portable HWS free camping because it uses a lot less water, and is much easier to manage and conserve water for extended stays off the grid. The bonus of the Coleman is we can source shower water from pretty much anywhere. So we have a lovely indoor bathroom .... and yet shower under a trickle outside. Doesn't sound so inviting, after reading it.
I'm with @Bellbirdweb , can't see the sense in traipsing over with the plebs to a shower block ,especially when it's flamin freezing........free camp in a decent spot with a tap nearby or mice river makes life easy....besides drag the damn shower around may as well use it.
and youv'e got us wandering off topic again @Dobbie / @Crusty181 and sucking @mikerezny along as well, shame, shame , shame...............What was the topic ???????????
and youv'e got us wandering off topic again @Dobbie / @Crusty181 and sucking @mikerezny along as well, shame, shame , shame...............What was the topic ???????????
Hmmm, @Drover,
I thought the original topic was a faulty HWS, then it became some instructions on fixing a faulty fridge.
Or I could have understood it incorrectly.
cheers
Mike
Ok!
Fungus features here....and apologising for another digression.
We've got a couple of off cuts from the original rubber floor stuff on our old camper trailer....they always go to the shower with us and have done so since Moses was a boy. No fungus then and no slippery thongs.
That just confirms that we're lazy bums when we camp...I guess it's the added bits to set up in caravan parks ...which we avoid unless necessary...like hoses, sullage, etc and we like to get value for our hard earned $$ so usually use their showers....if they're acceptable.
Fungus features here....and apologising for another digression.
We've got a couple of off cuts from the original rubber floor stuff on our old camper trailer....they always go to the shower with us and have done so since Moses was a boy. No fungus then and no slippery thongs.
That just confirms that we're lazy bums when we camp...I guess it's the added bits to set up in caravan parks ...which we avoid unless necessary...like hoses, sullage, etc and we like to get value for our hard earned $$ so usually use their showers....if they're acceptable.
Im pleading the Nuremberg defense, I was led astray by more experienced, manipulative elder gentlemen. Bit like a youngster doing what hes told by his elders ... which is a sign of respect