My water heater stopped working earlier this week. It’s an Atwood model with electronic ignition. When I hit the switch to start it up, the propane ignites and then the heater shuts off.

I took my problem to the Escapees forum where someone I trust to be an RVing and electricity expert gave me advice on how to troubleshoot. He warned me that while there were some simple things I could check first, my symptoms indicate that the heater needs a new circuit board.

Water heater access compartment. The circuit board is up in the top right corner.

The issue is heat detection. There is a ceramic probe in the path of the flame which is linked by wire to the circuit board. If the board does not receive a signal that heat is present, it will shut off.

Following the expert’s instructions, I cleaned the lead and connector for that wire. I had been instructed to clean and replace the probe if it seemed burnt, but it was still snowy white, so that wasn’t the problem. I turned on the heater and it worked for a short time before shutting off again. I then turned it back on to go see what was happening at the panel level, arriving just as the heater once again shut off. I just tapped that connecting wire and the heater kicked on for a nanosecond, effectively isolating the problem to a specific place, the circuit board, as well as confirming that the probe was well in the flame.

I posted my findings to the forum and am still waiting for a reply from the expert. Someone else chimed in and told me to make sure connections are tight. I did so and that significantly improved the heater’s performance: it heated up a whole tank of water before shutting off and refusing to restart. I really don’t think I dodged the bullet as to replacing the circuit board, but at least my hour’s tinkering this morning will be rewarded with a hot shower in my own home tonight. That’s more progress than I usually make when working on a problem like this.

Rather than purchasing a new Atwood circuit board, I will be going with one manufactured by Dinosaur Electronics, as recommended by the expert, because they have a three year warranty vs. Atwood’s one year warranty. Dinosaur does not sell at the retail level, so I will need to find a Canadian supplier. The American supplier who was recommended to me sells the circuit board for 95USD, plus shipping by UPS (which I prefer to not deal with), plus customs and brokerage fees. I will do some research for a Canadian supplier; Dinosaur says they exist but there is very little information on the matter on their site.

Miranda’s turned twelve in December so I had better get used to her systems failing one by one…