Long time problem

[Jerry]

Just getting around to trying to do something about it. I apparently have a bad gas valve. Suburban SW12DE part number 161109. I have gas above the valve and none below. I have voltage coming from the control module. My question is how is the best way to confirm the valve is bad besides just replacing it. $78.00 online. I don't guess these valve are serviceable. Does anybody know?

[Eric J]

as I know it, all gas valves have a coil that the voltage is supplied to? so I would recommend checking voltage at the coil. if good voltage is their than a bad coil could be the cause? coils also can have a ohm value, that info may or may not be available? I dont know? if the coil is good and the voltage is their and the valve will not open? than I would have to say change out the gas valve.

[Jerry]

Just realized that I never followed up on this post. My AC went out during this time so I took the rig to a repair facility. Turns out it was the valve and it was covered by my extended warranty, so I got my water heater and a new AC unit that was covered by my warranty. Made me feel alot better about putting up the money for the Warranty.

[Eric J]

man, sure is good to know some body can get some thing fixed under warr. thats great
being that you have a new gas valve that is working and if you wanted to take a min? you could check the continuity reading on that coil by pulling both wires off ( take a meeter set to ohms) and see what that coil reads? and write it with a marker in that compartment some where, I did this with mine on the heater and the hot water heater so in the future if their is a problem and the coil is receiving 12v? you will be able to know weather or not its the coil or the valve?
i,m not sure if all coils are replaceable? or if you have to get the whole valve with the coil tho? in my work there are many coils that are and some times you have to buy the complete valve.

[Jerry]

OK Thanks, that's good advise, but according to my parts list it's all one unit.

[ron buckner]

All LP parts and components have to be sold as a complete unit. (Liability issues with assemby/disassembly in the field), as a result the valves are glued together w/epoxy. This of course doesn't help anybody in Cheopas Mexico. Most of the time if a valve stops working it's broken internal soldering at the coil and it can be a relatively simple fix if you can get to it and find the break. However, depending on the brand of valve, getting inside it might compromize the seal (which is why they won't let us fix them in the first place). In the field when I had no other options I've fixed the wiring and then used 3 & 1 oil on the exposed seals to get by. It's worked but I've always replaced the valve after getting back to civilization. The oils will eventually deteriorate the seal, and if the wires are breaking now it's only a matter of time before it happens again

[Eric J]

ron you have me really scratching my head I have replaced a bunch of gas valve coils in my day at one point I was keeping up 1400 plus laundry machines out of those they was a good 600 gas dryers, then traveled most of Tn and 1/2 of Ky in commercial laundry equipment for a good 6 years and now in home appliance service for the past 8 years and as I think about it most everything gas I delt with was natural gas, in home service I have replaced gas valve coils on a few dryers that were on propane but thats all I can think of, (as of now anyway) every thing else was on natural gas and that never dawned on me until I saw your post.
home dryers use the same gas valve with only changing a orifice as I know it? and I have replaced coils on those on propane.
it very well could be the gas valves are so small and dinky on campers that only the complete valve can be replaced. I will have to take a closer look at my junker next time I'm up there, I thought the coils I made continuity checks on looked like they would slide right up and off? not to say that I could find a replacement tho? only thinkin that in my mind

[ron buckner]

HMM, I don't know, I would imagine size has a bunch to do with it. most of these valves will be 3/8 mpt or smaller with no where near the BTU capacity of home appliances. And your right about simply sliding a new coil in place on industrial valves (I've done that myself) I think it probably has more to do with insuring a fat repair price than anything else. The real problem here is that RVing in general is not common-place enough that a "real" RV after-market can be self supporting.

[Eric J]

well believe it or not there have been a bunch of dryers made through the years that only have a 3/8 pipe goin through to the front of a dryer into the gas valve, back in the better days there were even a shut off valve on some of them to turn the gas off right at the gas valve with out having to go behind the dry to turn the gas off.

well i wonder? has anybody here ever been able to replace just the coil on there water heater or cabin heater on there camper?
if so chime in please
if not then there is only one check to ever make, and that would be........ is there 12v at the coil or is there not.