Simple CHEAP fix for yellow, sooty water heater flame

[JeffThor325]

My Atwood water heater worked great. In fact, it sounded like the afterburner on an F-15 fighter jet. Until one day it suddenly didn't.

I went outside so see if I had any flame at all. I did but it was a lazy, yellow, sooty flame.

This happened quite suddenly, within the span of a few hours. I tried all the simplest stuff first. I took the assembly apart and checked for obstructions, tried adjusting the air intake… nothing made a difference. Given that my coach is a 1995 and the water heater is original, I thought maybe the propane regulator had simply gone bad. I bought a new $95 propane regulator but that still didn't fix the problem.

Eventually I did fix it and it once again sounds like an afterburner on a fighter jet. The fix was simple and FREE. I recorded a video to explain.

https://youtu.be/vbiPq3pjs-A

[javelin]

Thanks for posting your video to help others potentially save some $. I suspect what you are calling a regulator (that you changed) in your video is likely the gas valve....but in any event.....you now have a spare.
You can buy fine mesh external screens that completely fit over the OEM appliance screens to help keep all those multi legged buggers out of your various gas appliances. Happy camping.

[16ACE27]

Spider webs and mud dauber nests obstructing air flow is a VERY common issue with propane water heaters and furnaces.