Atwood Clicking But Not Lighting
The Short Answer: Clicking is the DSI board trying to spark. No flame means no LP at the burner, a cracked igniter, a failed gas solenoid, or an ECO that drops out. Confirm bottles and bypass, hear spark with the gas off, and stop cycling if you smell propane. Electric heat is a different circuit — Atwood electric not working.
Licensed local technicians
Atwood clicking, no hot water?
Connect with a licensed 24/7 technician in your zip code right now.
Search Intent & The Real Problem
The interior switch is on. Tick-tick at the exterior door, then silence — or tick forever. Atwood (now Dometic) 6- and 10-gallon DSI heaters have no standing pilot. The board sparks, opens the solenoid, looks for flame. People keep hitting the switch. That dumps unburned LP into the burner box.
Suburban Phase 3 sounds the same and is not the same board — Phase 3.
What other guides get wrong
They mix Atwood, Suburban, and “just clean the pilot.” There is no pilot. They also skip bypass valves: heater in bypass means no water, ECO trips, board clicks, nothing useful happens.
Step-by-Step Troubleshooting
Step 1: Water in the tank, valves in normal
- What to look for: Three-valve bypass in the heat path. Steady stream at a hot faucet, no sputter. A winterized tank is empty even if the lines are wet.
- Required tools: Flashlight, cabinet diagram.
Electric switch off while you diagnose gas so you do not dry-fire the element.
Step 2: Decode the click
| Sound | Meaning | Next |
|---|---|---|
| No click | Switch, 12V, fuse, ECO, board | Power and ECO |
| Click, no spark | Igniter wire, cracked ceramic, board | Spark test, LP off |
| Spark, no light | Bottles, regulator, solenoid, spider nest | LP supply, then tech |
| Lights, then off | Flame sense, dirty electrode, ECO | Clean electrode; stop cycling |
- Required tools: Ears at the exterior door.
Step 3: Spark test with fuel off
- What to look for: Bottles closed. Switch on. Sharp spark at the electrode (about a business-card gap). No spark at the tip = wire or ceramic. No click = ECO or board power.
- Required tools: Eyes. Do not short the electrode to “test the board.”
Step 4: LP supply — still not a DIY purge
- What to look for: Bottles open, pigtail not stripped, regulator icing, stove lights. Stove works and Atwood does not = problem at the heater. Nothing LP lights = supply.
- Required tools: None on the fittings.
Air after a bottle swap can delay ignition. Loosening flares is how bays fill with gas.
Step 5: ECO, spiders, and the solenoid
- What to look for: ECO on the tank jacket after a dry fire or overheat. Burner tube full of nests after storage. Solenoid that clicks but never opens (you hear board click, you have spark, you have LP at the bottle, still no fire).
- Required tools: Visual on the burner with LP off. Solenoid replacement is an RV-tech job.
When DIY Ends: Calling a Licensed Pro
Stop at gas-solenoid replacement, a heat-damaged harness, LP odor, and an ECO that will not latch. You may fill the tank, set bypass, confirm 12V, and verify spark with fuel off. Dometic/Atwood boards and valves are model-specific. A mobile RV tech is cheaper than a coach fire from a fifth ignition trial.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why is my Atwood water heater clicking but not lighting? A: The DSI board is sparking and not seeing flame. LP off, a dead solenoid, a cracked igniter, an empty tank/ECO, or a blocked burner. Do not keep clicking it.
Q: Can I fix an Atwood that clicks with no flame myself? A: You can confirm water, 12V, bottles, and spark with the gas off. Gas-valve and board work is for an RV tech if those pass.
Q: Atwood clicks on gas but electric still works. Is the tank bad? A: No. Gas DSI and the 120-volt element are separate. Electric working means the tank can hold water. Stay on the LP/ignition path.