Your Girard tankless water heater keeps shutting off for any of the following reasons:
- Electrical glitch
- Gas supply interruption
- Bad gas valve
- Faulty thermostat switch
- Failed control board
Also, the ECO switch might be tripped due to rising temperature for sediment build-up or blocked venting. If so, it’ll cut the power to the unit constantly.
Before considering anything else, make sure you’ve checked the power supply first. It may also be worth inspecting the fuel tank to verify the propane amount and refill it. If that fails, look for an internal problem related to a bad gas valve or an issue with the control board.
Let’s dig deeper into all the reasons for the Girard RV tankless water heater that keeps turning off and how to solve them effectively.
Table of Contents
How You Fix Instantly
Before we get into the gist of the problems and solutions of this issue, it’s wise to go through below quick fixes for the various causes if you are in a hurry.
| Probable Reasons | Recommended Fix |
| Power supply issue | # Reset the tripped circuit breaker. # Replace the heater’s broken ON/OFF switch and the blown fuse. |
| Poor fuel supply | # Make sure you have refilled the fuel tank with an adequate amount of propane. # Check for obstruction in the gas line and remove it. |
| Bad gas valve | Fix the faulty gas valve issue or replace it if needed. |
| Faulty thermostat switch | # Check for continuity on the switch. # Replace the broken thermostat switch. |
| Sediment build-up | Descale and flush your water heater. |
| Poor air supply | Clean out the blocked exhaust venting or remove the stuck dirt particles from the air filter screen. |
| Failed control board | Replace the bad control board. |
Girard Tankless Water Heater Keeps Shutting Off [Causes + Easy Solutions!]
After previewing the instant solution, it’s time to discover the detailed solution. Stick with the article as I’m going to disclose what’s causing your RV water heater to shut down constantly, and point you in the direction to solve the problem.
01. Power Supply Issue
If your Girard RV tankless water is failing to stay on, it is most likely related to an electrical glitch in the system. There are a few factors that might be responsible here.
Before heading to troubleshooting, let’s walk you through all the probable reasons that lead to the power supply interruption in the system.
- Tripped circuit breaker: If your heater is connected to an electrical panel, it might be the source of the problem. If there is an electrical short in the breaker, it’ll fail to adjust the continuous load. Plus, like other electrical devices, a breaker’s usability declines after continuous usage. So, in this regard, you may have simply a faulty breaker.
- Blown Fuse: Like other RV models, Girard features a fuse located below the power switch in the heater inside. Here you will find a 12VDC red wire from the fuse to the power connector. So either the red wiring has worn out or you may have a blown fuse.
- Broken Switch: Along with a fuse, the heater equips an ON/Off power switch to control the power. The best chances are the switch is faulty or the switch connectors may be fried out.
- Faulty Wiring: Damaged or faulty wiring connection is one of the frequent causes if your heater turns off randomly. When you go for an inspection, you may find signs of corrosion at the internal wiring, or the wiring connection gets loosened.
- Bad voltage: Your water heater requires up to 12VDC for proper operation. In case, the input voltage drops down, leading to your electrical appliance keeps turning off.
How To Fix:
Having an electrical glitch in the heater is truly problematic enough and an issue you should attend to carefully. Here’s all that to do:
- First off, make sure your heater is connected to the 12VDC electrical power system. Also, the heater should be properly grounded to ensure the heater’s efficiency.
- Secondly, unplug the power cord from the wall socket and remove the front panel. Locate the power switch first and make sure it is in well working condition. Check and replace the blown fuse as well.
- Inspect the circuit breaker to verify if it is live. Reset any tripped circuit breaker to get back to its normal operation. Don’t miss to check the power cord. Inspect the cord for any sign of corrosion and replace it.
- Look for faulty wiring or any signs of damage in the connection. If you are technically inclined, I recommend calling an electrician to help you with this step.
02. Poor Fuel Supply
Along with the electric supply, your water heater requires a propane amount of fuel to keep the burner’s flame on. As propane is one of the main sources to light the burner, you will never expect to run your heater without a fluent propane supply.
If your RV water heater is constantly turning off, either you don’t have sufficient propane in the tank, or the valve of the tank isn’t fully turned on. Also, obstruction in the gas supply line causes bad gas flow to the heater.
In most cases, the gas pipes are bent or damaged or there is a leak in the gas lines and the users don’t even notice that.
How To Fix:
First off, inspect the propane tank and make sure there is enough fuel to keep running the heater. After refueling, purge all the air from the LP tank and bottles correctly.
In case you have enough fuel in the tank, check for the gas pressure of your water heater. Do a gas pressure drop test with a pressure manometer. It should give a reading a minimum of 8.0 WC or 1.99 kPA. If not, increase the pressure from the pressure by adjusting the regulator on the gas control valve.
After fixing the gas pressure issue, check for leaks in the propane tank. You can apply soapy water methods to check the leaks in the plumbing system. Bubbles on the line or smell like a rotten egg will let you determine the leakage areas.
Next, make sure any of the gas hoses are not bent. Plus, there should not be any obstruction or accumulated oil and debris in the gas line that restricts the gas flow to the appliances.
After doing all the above effective processes, you can expect to run your water heater without any distractions. If not, be sure you’ll need to do a deeper inspection of the gas valve in the heater inside.
03. Bad Gas Valve
The gas valve is an essential part of a water heater responsible for opening and closing the incoming gas to the system based on the temperature setting. The malfunction from the gas valve does not allow the gas to flow properly which causes the heater to switch on and off.
In the Girard RV tankless model, you will find two gas valves in one connection. One is the on/off solenoid valve and the other one is the linear valve which is designed to adjust the amount of gas pressure to the burner.
In case, the gas valve fails to open fully or for accumulation of dirt oil on the valve connection, your RV water heater will turn off constantly.
How To Fix:
First of all, unplug our tankless water heater from the power connection. Unscrew the front panel and locate the gas valve assembly from the inside. Just after you’ve removed the panel, you will find a gas line connection at the front as in the picture below.
Make sure the screws at the connection are not tight enough, leading to gas flow interruption. Next, find the brown (+) and black (-) gas valve wiring connections at the bottom of the board.
Check for voltage at the connection and it should give a reading of approximately 12VDC on a voltmeter. If not, be sure there are any defects at the connectors or wiring that need to be fixed.
Next, measure the output gas pressure at the test port on the right side of the board. Make sure the gas pressure is 1.5” WC on low heat and 7.8” WC on high heat.
If there is no pressure, it’s confirmed that the gas valve is opening. Check for obstruction on the valve assembly and clean it. In case you can’t fix a faulty gas valve yourself either, you should contact a professional.
04. Faulty Thermostat Switch
If the built-in inlet thermostat switches on the water heater are not operating well as they should, the heater will turn off soon after a short response. The Girard RV water heater uses inlet thermostats to regulate the temperature of the system. It is designed to switch the heater’s power on and off to keep the water at the set temperature.
But if the switch malfunctions, it will automatically shut down the power before the set temperature has been reached. In rare cases, it could even trip the breaker as well in the electrical panel that turns off the heater.
Several factors would lead to thermostat malfunction. Either there will be loose wiring connections at the thermostat or the element is defective itself. Whatever the fact is, let’s fix the thermostat issues following the below how-to section.
How To Fix:
To determine the actual fault of your thermostat, you need to test it through a multimeter and replace it if necessary. Don’t worry! It’s not as hard as it sounds!
But first off, fix the loose wiring connection to the thermostat. Then inspect the thermostat and check for continuity by touching the probe to the base of the switch. The multimeter should give a read close to zero, confirming that the thermostat has continuity.
In case not, the thermostat is faulty and needs to be replaced as soon as possible to get the heater back into normal operation.
05. Blocked Venting
Overheating is one of the frequent causes if your heater fails to keep the power on in a stable condition. This is most likely related to the insufficient airflow throughout the system that might be caused by blocked venting.
Unlike other RV water heaters, Girard tankless water heaters require proper exhaust venting that blows hot exhaust gas outside of the system. As for the design, it tends to become clogged by shoots and debris from the combustion. If that is so, it does not allow enough air to the gas burners which causes your water heater to shut off.
Even despite the exhaust venting, there is an air inlet screen inside of the heater that helps keep dust out of the unit. Depending on the amount of dust or lint, the air filter may become blocked with debris causing a flow interruption.
How To Fix:
Inspect the exhaust venting of your water heater and make sure nothing is blocking the venting. If you find stuck debris, simply try to suck the debris or lint using a vacuum cleaner. You can even use a duct cleaner to reach parts of your heater venting that are hard to reach with the extension hose.
Then, check the air inlet screen for clogs or blockages. Take a wire brush or compressed air to clean out the stuck debris on the screen.
06. Sediment Buildup
Blocked venting isn’t only the culprit to blame for overheating the heater. Despite that, there may be sediment build-up in the heater elements that are causing the issue.
In tankless or tank RV water heaters, sediment buildup through hard water is a quite common phenomenon to the users especially for those who live in the hard water areas. Basically, during the water heating process, naturally occurring minerals like calcium and magnesium pass through the heater elements.
After long use, the minerals form into sediment particles and settle down to the heater parts. It causes the elements to heat up more than normal to make up for the hard particle blockage.
Anyway when this happens, increasing the inlet temperature is quite obvious and at this end, you encounter the randomly powering-off issues.
How To Fix:
The only way to get rid of this problem is by flushing out the heater. It will effectively remove the hard particles from the heat exchanger, burner, and other ignition parts.
Consequently, you can get your heater back to normal functioning. Descaling and flushing out the heater is easy enough and you can do it by yourself since you have a flush kit with you. Yet, if you struggle to do so, you can go through this effective video to perform the task easily.
07. Failed Control Board
Last, but not least, the control board is the suspect element of your Girard tankless heater behind the problem of keeping turning off the heater while operating. The best chances are the control board has failed that is no longer communicating with other heater elements.
You may have an internal wiring issue on the control board or the controller is defective itself.
How To Fix:
You need to inspect the control board on your RV tankless water heater and check for any electrical wiring glitches. If you’re technically inclined, I recommend hiring a professional technician to verify the board for you. He will better suggest to you whether you need the control board replacement.
This part comes under the warranty for up to 2 years, so first check if you’re eligible for that. If so, it will save you from the cost of the replaceable part, or in rare cases it may even cover the shipping charges as well. Contact the customer service and get the details!
FAQs:
Should I leave my RV water on all the time?
Yes! It’s safe enough to leave your RV electric water heater on at all times. But make sure you’ve always got water in the tank. Otherwise, it will ruin the heating elements. But if is propane-powered, you should not leave your heater on all the time.
How long does an RV water heater last?
It will mainly depend on the type of RV water heater. If it is a tank model, it can last approximately 10-15 years. In case you have a tankless RV water heater, you can expect to use it for up to 15- 20 years.
In Closing!
Your Girard RV water heater is certainly a valuable partner for you, especially during winter. It keeps you warm by providing hot water as you need it. But unlike other electric appliances, the heater is prone to having a few issues. For instance, you may find that your Girard tankless water heater keeps shutting off whenever you are using it.
Remember, your RV water heater certainly requires regular maintenance to run smoothly but make sure there is an adequate amount of fuel in the tank.
However, knowing the root causes behind this problem is essential to solving the issue. That’s the point, I bet our complete guide has come into play, isn’t it? Hit our comment section and let us know how our guide reaches you! Undoubtedly, your feedback inspires us a lot!!!
Well, Lastly, to fix any further problems with Girard tankless water heater, I recommend going through this linked guide till the end. We’ll be glad to see you there again.