Suburban SW6D water heater not starting

[dslaggie]

I recently installed a new suburban propane SW6D gas water heater
in my casita. The installation went perfectly and I had two full temperature
tests to a 130 degrees. Everything was perfect. However my first trip out a week later found that it would not start or start very weakly and then turn off. I made sure all the other gas appliances still worked and that the gas tank was full. I've even changed out to a different tank just to be sure. I hear the gas valve click and the gas come on but it either doesn't spark the ignition or if it does fire it up, it quickly shuts it down. It tries twice and then I have to reset it by switching in off then on again. The gas runs but something is keeping it from running and I have no idea what that is. Can anyone help me?

[mszabo]

Just a couple things to check. Make use yur heater isn’t in bypass.
Open your pop off valve to test the water temp. If it’s hot then you know it is in bypass.
Also make sure the air shutter is open at least 25%
Also go to utube and watch a few vldeo’s, will show you how to test your heater.

[dslaggie]

Thanks much for that information. I've since found the problem. It was the controller board in the white case with the thick red sparker wire. I tried the one from my old water heater and it fired right up! (I'm glad I saved it). Now, I have to see if they will replace it?

[John Pendergraft]

I have an SW6DE gas water heater in my new Escape and it failed after the second time we camped with it. Suburban refused to send a new board to me and the only route to service was to wait two weeks and take the camper to a dealer for diagnosis, then return again with the trailer once Suburban sent the part. I found this unacceptable and talked to Escape.

They sent a new board and that fixed the problem. There was bad batch of these boards and many of them are probably still sitting in new water heater kits. The bad boards are marked FENWAL. Escape sent me a different board.