Water heater issue on a 182MPG

[Crossle]

We are new to the forum so if I'm repeating a prior post - sorry. We have a two year old 182 with a minor water heater issue that started during the summer of 2013. When turned on for the first time in the AM, the igniter snaps and it goes BOOM! It doesn't ignite at that point. A few second later, the second attempt is good. If I leave the exterior door to the heater open - no problem. I assume, because the vent in the door is at the top, the propane is building up inside the heater box. and the first ignition attempt clears it out. Then all is okay during the day. I thought about creating a vent at the bottom of the heater housing door but was told that may up set the overall air flow and cause it not to ignite at all. Any thoughts about a proper cure for this issue? Thanks in advance! Rick Lovett - Hillsboro, OR.

 

[danemayer]

Hi Crossle,

Anytime an LP appliance goes BOOM, it's not a minor issue. This is something that needs to be corrected and probably needs a skilled RV tech. Don't wait for the BOOM to get worse.

That said, this might be what's called a "Flashback in the burner tube." Possible causes are incorrect gas pressure (should be 11 water column inches) or misalignment of the burner tube. Burner orifice should be positioned down the center. Burner should be aligned with gas valve.

If you don't know how to check these conditions, get professional eyes on the problem.