Good Sam Club Open Roads Forum: Water heater won’t stay lit with hatch door shut


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Seminoe Joe

Texas, Wyoming, or somewhere in between

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Posted: 04/06/22 06:41pm

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Here’s the deal: I replaced my old, burned out water heater with a new Dometic. It fires up, stays lit, and works great as long as the outside hatch is ajar or fully open. As soon as I shut it and latch it, the heater is starved of O2 and sputters out. Anyone else have this problem? I use a small metal pin to keep it ajar when it’s running now, but wonder if there’s another solution I’m just not seeing?
Thoughts?

“It’s all in the reflexes.”
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AnEv942

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Posted: 04/06/22 07:58pm

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Older furnace, only thing I can think of is adjusting the air gap sleeve.
Unless exhaust port being blocked misaligned?

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Seminoe Joe

Texas, Wyoming, or somewhere in between

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Posted: 04/06/22 08:00pm

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I’ll give that a shot tomorrow. It’s a brand new unit that I just fired up this week for the first time after installing a couple of months ago.
The exhaust port is aligned fine so I don’t think it’s that.
Edited to add:
I got curious and just ran out to test again. I had installed a piece of window screen in front of the exhaust prevent mud dauber wasps from coming in and building nests. After removing it and trying to water heater again, it fired right up and stay lit. Turns out the window screen was enough deflection/baffle to choke off the oxygen and lead to a build up of exhaust.
Thanks for the suggestion to check!

* This post was last edited 04/06/22 08:29pm by Seminoe Joe * View edit history

wildtoad

Blythewood, SC

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Posted: 04/07/22 05:49am

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Never mind

Tom Wilds
Blythewood, SC
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freddypinak

Nevada

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Posted: 04/07/22 07:04am

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Seminoe Joe wrote:

I had installed a piece of window screen in front of the exhaust prevent mud dauber wasps from coming in and building nests. After removing it and trying to water heater again, it fired right up and stay lit. Turns out the window screen was enough deflection/baffle to choke off the oxygen and lead to a build up of exhaust.

We use these -- Screens

They do a good job without interfering with any burners. They come in many different sizes. We use them on the hot water heater and furnace.

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