Furance/water heater 2806C

[SCPOW]

Hey ya,

Just purchased this 2006 2806C from a private party and forgot to ask about showing me if the furnace or water heater was in working condition. I've watched all the videos of the HI-LO manuals on YouTube but my water heater and furnace isn't working.

For furnace I turn on the propane tanks, come inside light the stove top a few times to ensure I am getting propane. Then I turn the atwood thermostat on, and turn the temperature all the way up. I don't hear or smell anything. I opened up the cover to the furnace and there's nothing happening. I see that there's a red light in there but it's not on.

For the water heater I follow the same steps as above but turn both switches (12v and propane) to the on position on my monitor panel, they both turn red. I wait a few minutes and turn on the water but there's no hot water. I've pulled the cover to what I believe is what operates the water heater and there's also nothing happening, no flames or anything

Sorry for the long first post but it's getting cold here and I can't figure out why these two things aren't working and I need it.

 

[JackandJanet]

Just a thought - is the Master Switch (next to the Lift Switch) in the position that allows you to have interior lights?

For the water heater, I don't think you want BOTH a 12V switch and Propane switch on. Just the Propane. If your trailer is like mine, there should be an alarm light that comes on if the burner fails to light.

- Jack

 

[SCPOW]

Just a thought - is the Master Switch (next to the Lift Switch) in the position that allows you to have interior lights?

For the water heater, I don't think you want BOTH a 12V switch and Propane switch on. Just the Propane. If your trailer is like mine, there should be an alarm light that comes on if the burner fails to light.

- Jack

Jack,

Thanks for the quick response. Yes the master switch is on. All interior lights work as they should. I recall seeing in the YouTube tutorial videos that you could turn both on to speed up the water heater. There's a DSI circle above the propane but it never turned on.. I had the water heater on for several minutes.

 

[JackandJanet]

OK, have you checked all the fuses? The ones I'm talking about are the ones over the converter, somewhere in the lower half, probably on the street side.

- Jack

 

[SCPOW]

OK, have you checked all the fuses? The ones I'm talking about are the ones over the converter, somewhere in the lower half, probably on the street side.

- Jack

Jack,

Last I checked all my breaker were good and so were my 15amp fuses...

 

[JackandJanet]

I'm at a loss then. You have automatic igniters which are powered by the battery at both appliances I believe. You should hear the "snap, snap" of them when they activate. If you're not hearing that, then the electrical circuit to them is broken somewhere. This is probably something you should refer to an RV repair place, if you don't feel qualified to do the troubleshooting. Both systems are "generic" and virtually ANY RV repair place should be able to troubleshoot them and get them working.

I don't suppose you could call the person you bought the trailer from and see if he/she has any ideas?

- Jack

 

[sam-HILO]

I had water heater trouble.

My Model is a 1996 26ft. Classic. One time my DSI water heater wouldn't light up. The indicator light wouldn't light up and I had plenty of propane. Our breaker box fuse panel is located in the BR sink vanity wall closet to the wardrobe. The fuse was bad. Haven't had a problem since. Fuses can look good and still be bad.

 

[SCPOW]

I'm at a loss then. You have automatic igniters which are powered by the battery at both appliances I believe. You should hear the "snap, snap" of them when they activate. If you're not hearing that, then the electrical circuit to them is broken somewhere. This is probably something you should refer to an RV repair place, if you don't feel qualified to do the troubleshooting. Both systems are "generic" and virtually ANY RV repair place should be able to troubleshoot them and get them working.

I don't suppose you could call the person you bought the trailer from and see if he/she has any ideas?

- Jack

Jack,

Looks more like I'm gonna have to take it into a repair place.. no idea what's going on. Previous owner wouldn't be any help. She couldn't even figure out why the ac wasn't working..

 

[SCPOW]

My Model is a 1996 26ft. Classic. One time my DSI water heater wouldn't light up. The indicator light wouldn't light up and I had plenty of propane. Our breaker box fuse panel is located in the BR sink vanity wall closet to the wardrobe. The fuse was bad. Haven't had a problem since. Fuses can look good and still be bad.

You're speaking about the fuse next to the breaker switches correct? In my 2006 it's next to the couch, and to the left but under the sink. I come from the automobile world and I've never seen a unbroken fuse turn out bad.. anyways there's 8 of them inside my breaker box, all 15amp, and none looks broken.

 

[JackandJanet]

It IS rare for a fuse to go bad and still look OK, but it HAS happened. I always check mine with a continuity meter when I want to confirm their status.

I just reviewed the wiring diagrams in the Reference Library section. It has the diagram for the 2006 models, which would be the same as yours. If the two 15A fuses are good, then there has to be a break in the wiring either upstream of them or downstream. You could check the wiring upstream with a voltmeter. Put the positive probe on the fuse outputs and the negative probe on any suitable ground. You should read battery voltage. If you don't there is a break somewhere before the fuses, but since the interior lights work, it would have to be behind the fuse panel at the fuse input.

Then, use the voltmeter to check for battery voltage at the output of each of the switches (the hot water - propane and the thermostat) and ground. This would tell you if the switches/thermostat are passing power.

Find the inputs from those switches/thermostat at the hot water heater and furnace. (Use the wire colors shown in the wiring diagram to do this). With the switches ON, is there voltage there? Any place you find no voltage indicates a break in the circuit, that would have to be repaired.

One more question - do the water pump, and tank monitor lights both work? These also get their power through the same fuse panel.

- Jack

 

[SCPOW]

It IS rare for a fuse to go bad and still look OK, but it HAS happened. I always check mine with a continuity meter when I want to confirm their status.

I just reviewed the wiring diagrams in the Reference Library section. It has the diagram for the 2006 models, which would be the same as yours. If the two 15A fuses are good, then there has to be a break in the wiring either upstream of them or downstream. You could check the wiring upstream with a voltmeter. Put the positive probe on the fuse outputs and the negative probe on any suitable ground. You should read battery voltage. If you don't there is a break somewhere before the fuses, but since the interior lights work, it would have to be behind the fuse panel at the fuse input.

Then, use the voltmeter to check for battery voltage at the output of each of the switches (the hot water - propane and the thermostat) and ground. This would tell you if the switches/thermostat are passing power.

Find the inputs from those switches/thermostat at the hot water heater and furnace. (Use the wire colors shown in the wiring diagram to do this). With the switches ON, is there voltage there? Any place you find no voltage indicates a break in the circuit, that would have to be repaired.

One more question - do the water pump, and tank monitor lights both work? These also get their power through the same fuse panel.

- Jack

Just called 4 different places and they're backed up 3 weeks.. looks like I won't be getting this fixed anytime soon. Portable heater I suppose and no showering.

The lights on the monitor light up red when I turn them on.

 

[JackandJanet]

How about the water pump? Put water in the fresh water tank and try it.

- Jack

 

[SCPOW]

How about the water pump? Put water in the fresh water tank and try it.

- Jack

Water pump works fine. I've turned it on to used to flush my toilet, and bathroom and sink faucets

 

[JackandJanet]

OK, so it's just the hot water heater and the furnace. I suppose, it's possible neither one of them is getting propane too. The usual culprits of spider webs in the gas ports would apply here. I somehow doubt this would happen to BOTH appliances, but I suppose it's possible.

So, if you're not getting DC current to the igniters or, you're not getting propane, that's your problem.

Are you at a hookup where you could see if you can run the hot water heater on AC power? In fact, looking back at your first post, I THINK the other switch for the hot water heater is 120V AC power, not 12V DC. I'm pretty sure the water heater does NOT heat with DC power all by itself. That would put a horrible drain on the battery, much like running the refrigerator on DC power does.

- Jack

 

[sam-HILO]

How the AC works.

I assume your unit works like mine. In the BR behind the exterior wardrobe is a plastic cord cover. Pull out this cord and plug in. Then turn your interior AC on at the ceiling to the desired speed for the fan and temp. When we got our 1996 last summer we replaced the propane regulator and the skinny black propane hoses as they were original. Cheap insurance that we will be good for a long time.

 

[JackandJanet]

Sam, I was talking about Alternating Current (AC) 120V power, not the Air Conditioner (A/C), which I don't think he needs according to his posts where he's saying it's getting cold where he is this time of the year.

Your point about the propane regulator, and its attached hoses is good advice however. You should definitely replace it if you smell any propane around the tanks when the regulator is working.

- Jack

 

[Savage709]

I changed out my old water heater to a Suburban on demand one but still have the old one sitting around. It worked perfectly when I changed it out and you can have it if you'll pay the shipping. I don't know what that would be but if you like I'll find out and let you know. My e mail addy is LNT123@att.net so if you want to contact me that is how to do it. I am in Austin Tx.
TC

 

[Lesley-HILO]

2806c

If you hear the igniter clicking 3 times when you turn on the propane heater then turn the switch off and on again. You may have to do this a number of times before it catches. We have a 2806C and it takes some time for the propane to reach the water heater and the furnace as they are a distance from the stove. This may not help but the turning off of the switch is important.. Good luck with it. Lesley/Canada

 

[Beverly-HILO]

On the furnace you should hear the fan come on when you turn it Up at the thermostat. Then about a minute later the furnace should ignite. If you take your thermostat off and touch the red and the white wires together the fan should start. If it does you simply need a new thermostat. Make sure to reset the switch on the furnace itself before you do this.