1976 Prowler 17.5' water heater identification question

[RobertM18]

I just picked up a 1976 17.5' Prowler and the water heater pilot won't stay lit.

The trouble is that I can't identify the make or model. It looks like a surburban from drawings I have seen and judging from the cover plate. Propane only.

Does anyone know the make/model/size of a 1976 prowler water heater?

I would also appreciate advice on repair/replace. Obviously it is old. I think I just need a pilot assembly to get it running again. It was winterized by the owner before the past owner and the past owner never used the water systems. Everything burner related and visible is pretty rusted.

My thought is to replace the pilot assy and see how it goes. If it works, great. If not, take it part by part.

Any thoughts would be very welcome.

 

[jimtoo]

Hi RobertM18,

Welcome to the Heartland Owners Forum. We have a great bunch of folks here with lots of information.

The Prowler you have was not made by Heartland RVs, but we do have some folks on here that may be able to help you with your problem. You might check our Heartland Users Guide area to see if anything looks close there.

And like I said, we have lots of information here. We have some folks that are old enough to have used one like that... but the problem is if they can remember anything about it.

Enjoy the forum.

Jim M

 

[TandT]

Robert,
If it was me and I could afford it, I think I might just replace a 40 year old water heater. Just measure it and find one that fits the opening.
If that is not possible, try cleaning the orifice where the pilot would normally burn. Many times spiders or debris will plug that opening, especially if it has not been used for a while. I remember on those old manual pilots, you had to hold them down for a few minutes after ingnition before they would stay lit.
Trace

 

[danemayer]

Hi Robert,

Pilot lights rely on a thermocouple detecting heat from the pilot flame, along with a constant supply of gas. And you have to fully depress the button that is used to light the pilot, and then hold it for around 30-40 seconds after lighting the pilot.

So the first thing to check is the gas supply. Does the furnace run? It places more demand on the LP system, so if enough gas is flowing to run the furnace, you'll likely be getting enough gas flow for the water heater.

The pilot light will be close to a thermocouple that senses the heat from the flame and converts it to electrical power. The low voltage from the thermocouple is enough to hold open the magnetic valve that allows a little gas to keep flowing to the pilot. The voltage is not enough to move the valve - that's why you have to fully depress the button and hold it until the power from the thermocouple takes over.

If the pilot flame is engulfing the thermocouple, and it cuts off immediately when you release the button (after 30-40 seconds), the most likely cause is a bad thermocouple.

But it could also be a bad gas valve.