Camplux Water Heater Not Lighting
The Short Answer: A Camplux that will not light is almost always dead D-cells, empty LP, not enough water flow to open the water-gas valve, a wet electrode, a tripped overheat, or an ODS that shut it down. It is a compact portable tankless, not a Rinnai. Do not crack flares to “see if you have gas.” If you smell propane, shut the bottle.
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Search Intent & The Real Problem
The little box at the campsite, cabin, or barn is passing cold water, clicking, or the display is dark. Marketing said “low-pressure startup, endless hot water.” Physics said a 1.5–2.6 GPM / ~38,000–68,000 BTU portable is a one-fixture heater with a water-controlled gas valve. No flow, no fire. People paste Rinnai 11/12 onto a pair of D-cells and a Chinese JSD board. Name the platform first.
Cousins: Excel tankless is the same class of box. RV bays with a real Suburban, Girard, or Atwood badge are not Camplux — Girard, Suburban gas, Atwood clicking. Whole-house electric tankless is Powerstar. Lights then dies is RV fires up then goes out, not this page’s no-spark / no-flame start.
What other guides get wrong
They treat Camplux like a 199,000 BTU condensing Rinnai: 3” PVC, code 11, a manometer at the house meter. A 5L/8L/10L portable is ~1.3–2.6 GPM. They skip the D-cells, so you buy a gas valve for $4 of batteries. They tell you to run a vent-free unit in a sealed tent or camper. They paste generic E1–E5 charts that do not match your sticker. And they tell you to soap-test a smelling picnic table with the igniter still sparking.
Step-by-Step Troubleshooting
Step 1: Prove it is a no-light, and read the plate
| What you have | What “not lighting” means | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Compact hang-on box, garden-hose threads, D-cells, no flue | Portable LP, water-controlled valve | This page |
| Taller “Pro” / 16L-class, flue collar or 120 V plug | Small whole-house / cabin if the gas and flue are real | Same steps, plus power and vent |
| Display E1 (confirm sticker) | Ignition failure — no proven flame | Steps 2–4 |
| Display E2 / flame-out | Lit, then lost — LP, wind, ODS | Not a second rapid trial |
| Display E3 / overheat | ECO — scale, no flow, blocked exchanger | Cool it. Find why. |
| Tick-tick, no flame | Spark without gas or flow | Batteries vs LP vs diaphragm |
| Dark, no tick | Dead cells, polarity, or no water call | Step 2 |
- What to look for: Model (AY132, BD158, 5L/8L/10L, Pro 16L, and cousins). Fuel: LP vs a rare NG kit. Vent-free ODS vs a real flue. Photo of any error digits and the sticker that defines them. Spark with no flame is not a piezo crystal failure until fuel and flow are proven — piezo won’t spark is a different button.
- Required tools: Flashlight, phone camera.
A vent-free Camplux in a tight coach without a working ODS is a CO appliance, not a “no flue needed” feature. Outdoor-rated units stay outdoors.
Step 2: Batteries, LP, and a real call for heat
- What to look for: Two D-cells fresh, correct polarity, contacts not green. Weak cells spark once then quit. LP bottle open, not empty, changeover not stuck on reserve; a 20 lb tank frosting on a 20°F morning will not feed the burner. Appliance valve on the heater fully open — these units often need the knob past a click, not a quarter turn. Other LP appliances dead in the same hour is the tank or regulator, not the Camplux. Manifold: LP typically ~10–11 in. w.c. vs that plate. A manometer is licensed. Do not crack a flare to “see if you have gas.”
- Required tools: Fresh D-cells, eyes on the bottle valve and the heater knob.
120-volt Pro-class: confirm the cord and the display alive. Hydro-gen / water-powered cousins need enough flow to spin the generator — a trickle will not spark.
Step 3: Water flow, inlet screen, and the GPM ceiling
- What to look for: The water-gas diaphragm is the ignition switch. Kinked garden hose, packed inlet screen, calcified shower head, or campground pressure under the unit’s minimum (often a few psi, not a city 60) means no valve opening, no gas, no light. Isolation or hose valves half closed. Inlet and outlet hoses reversed — some boxes will not fire. Frozen winter drain plug or ice in the exchanger: no flow, no fire; thaw with the gas off. House or city static over ~80 psi belongs on a regulator, not on the Camplux “boost.”
- Required tools: Water off, rinse the inlet screen, unkink the hose. A jug and a watch if you need GPM.
A 2.5 GPM shower on a 38,000 BTU 5L/8L in 50°F inlet water is lukewarm with a healthy burner. That is math, not a failed exchanger. Activation is still real: no flow, no fire. Whole-house no-flame on a real appliance: burner not lighting.
Step 4: Spark, electrode, ODS — one look with gas off
- What to look for: Spark at the burner with bottles closed (one look). No spark: cells, wet ceramic, bent electrode, or a drowned igniter after rain. Spark, no flame: fuel never arrived (step 2) or the water diaphragm did not open (step 3). Flame, then ODS drop: starved oxygen, blocked grille, wind, or a bad ODS — do not bypass. Wind on an outdoor portable blows the trial out and throws E1/E2. Error digits: use the sticker in that cabinet. Do not invent Rinnai 11/12.
- Required tools: View of the burner with fuel off. The sticker.
Yellow tips, soot, or a headache: shut it down. Do not keep clicking propane into a dark heat exchanger. A bang on a late light is delayed ignition — stop.
Step 5: Overheat, leaks, and replace vs service
- What to look for: Resettable overheat / ECO on some Pro units — cool the exchanger with flow, then one reset. Scale or a blocked coil overheats a 10L asked to run a house. Wet cabinet, green on the copper, or a drip at a water union: isolate water, leave gas off. Parts and factory support are thin. A $150–$300 portable with a cracked exchanger or a torn diaphragm is replacement, not a rebuild. Do not convert LP to NG as a “fix.”
- Required tools: Eyes on the cabinet floor. Water off before any panel on a leaker.
T&P on a vented Pro that dribbles: expansion or >80 psi; never cap. Sister “no hot water” on a real tankless: Rinnai no hot water.
When DIY Ends: Calling a Licensed Pro
You may swap D-cells, confirm the bottle, clean an inlet screen with the water off, unkink hoses, and photograph a code. Stop at gas fittings, ODS bypass, flue work, combustion, and any leak into the cabinet. Vent-free Camplux in a dwelling or an RV is a CO conversation with a licensed tech, not a weekend “tune.” A licensed plumber or RV tech with a manometer beats another Amazon board.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why is my Camplux water heater not lighting? A: Dead D-cells, empty or frozen LP, not enough water flow to open the valve, a wet electrode, a tripped overheat, or an ODS shutdown. Check batteries, bottle, and flow before you buy a gas valve.
Q: Does a Camplux need a flue to light? A: Most compact units are sold vent-free with an ODS. They still need outdoor air, a working ODS, and a shutdown if the flame is yellow. Pro-class vented units do need a flue. Do not run either with a gas smell.
Q: Can I fix a Camplux gas valve or ODS myself? A: No. Do not loosen gas fittings or jumper an ODS. Batteries, the inlet screen, and hose flow are the homeowner list. Valves, ODS, and flues are licensed.