Camplux Water Heater Troubleshooting
The Short Answer: Camplux is a compact gas tankless, not a Rinnai and not a 40-gallon. Portable boxes are D-cell LP, about 1.3–2.6 GPM. Indoor CA units are 120-volt and vented. Cold water is empty bottles, dead batteries, no flow, a tripped ODS, a packed inlet, or E1/E2. Do not crack flares. If you smell propane, shut it down.
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Search Intent & The Real Problem
The small white box is passing cold water, clicking, or the display is throwing E0–E8. Marketing said “endless hot water.” Physics said 38,000–68,000 BTU is one fixture, not a house. People paste Rinnai 11/12 codes onto a battery igniter and a Chinese JSD-class board. Name the platform first. Cousin portable boxes: Excel. RV tankless with a real Girard or Suburban badge is not Camplux — Girard, Suburban tankless. Whole-house electric tankless is Powerstar.
What other guides get wrong
They treat Camplux like a condensing Rinnai: 3” PVC, code 11, a 199,000 BTU manifold. A BD158-class portable is ~1.6 GPM. They tell you to run vent-free in a sealed bedroom. They skip the D-cells, so you buy a gas valve for $3 of batteries. They paste generic E01–E05 charts that do not match your sticker — portable Nano codes are not CA318 codes. And they tell you to soap-test a smelling patio with the igniter still sparking.
Step-by-Step Troubleshooting
Step 1: Read the plate — portable LP vs indoor CA
| What you are looking at | Fuel / vent | What it can actually do |
|---|---|---|
| Compact outdoor box, D-cells or hydro-gen, shower hose, no flue | LP portable, ~38,000–68,000 BTU | One sink or a low-flow shower. Not a house |
| Indoor CA-series, 120 V, flue collar, remote, ~6–8 GPM class | NG or LP, must vent | Small whole-house if the gas and flue are real |
| RV door with Girard / Suburban / Atwood badge | Different OEM | Wrong article |
| No display, just a piezo button | Standing-spark portable | Spark path, not E-codes |
- What to look for: Model (AY132, BD158, Pro16, CA318, Nano, and cousins). Fuel: LP vs NG. Vent-free / outdoor vs a real flue. Photo of any error digits and the sticker that defines them.
- 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.
Step 2: Fuel, batteries, and a real call for heat
- What to look for: LP bottles open, not empty, changeover not stuck on reserve. NG cock parallel to the pipe. Two D-cells fresh and in the correct orientation on battery-ignition models. Hydro-gen models need enough flow to spin the generator — a trickle will not spark. Powered CA: 120 V present, display alive. Manifold: LP typically ~10–11 in. w.c., NG ~3.5–7 in. w.c. vs that plate. A manometer is licensed. Do not crack a flare to “see if you have gas.”
- Required tools: LP gauge, fresh D-cells, eyes on the cock.
Other LP appliances dead in the same hour is the tank or regulator, not the Camplux. No click at all on a piezo portable is piezo will not spark, not a heat exchanger.
Step 3: Water flow, inlet screen, and the GPM ceiling
- What to look for: Isolation valves open. Inlet screen packed with well sand or campground grit. Camplux marketing is low-pressure startup. That is not a magic 4 GPM heater. A 2.5 GPM shower on a 1.58 GPM box 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. House or city static over ~80 psi belongs on a regulator, not on the Camplux “boost.”
- Required tools: Faucet, a jug and a watch if you need GPM. Screen cleaning with water off.
Crossover test: close cold to the heater, open a hot faucet. Pressurized flow means a mixing cartridge is dumping cold into hot.
Step 4: Ignition, ODS, and the E-code on your sticker
Confirm against the cabinet. Portable Nano maps and indoor CA maps are not twins.
| Code (CA / many Camplux digitals — verify sticker) | Meaning | First move |
|---|---|---|
| E0 | Outlet temperature sensor | Wiring, then licensed sensor |
| E1 | Ignition failure | Gas, water open, one reset — then licensed |
| E2 | Flame failure / flame lost | Empty bottle, flame rod, then licensed |
| E3 | Overheat / dry fire | Flow, then licensed. Do not keep firing |
| E5 | Pressure switch / fan prove | Flue, 120 V, blower — not a thermocouple |
| E7 | Solenoid / gas valve circuit | Licensed. Do not loosen fittings |
| E8 / Eb | Residual flame / unexpected flame | Shut gas. Licensed |
- What to look for: Spark at the burner with gas off (one look, then bottles closed if you smell it). Spark, no flame: fuel. Flame, then ODS drop: starved oxygen, blocked grille, or a bad ODS — do not bypass. Vented CA that lights then dies is flame rod, flue, or gas pressure — same family as Rinnai no hot water but not the same codes. Click with no flame is burner not lighting, not a vinegar flush.
- Required tools: View of the burner with fuel off. The sticker.
Yellow tips, soot, or a headache: shut it down. Exhaust that smells like fuel is tankless exhaust gas smell. Closet odor now is closet smells like gas. Do not purge fittings.
Step 5: Flue (CA), leaks, and replace vs service
- What to look for: Indoor CA: flue disconnected, bird nest, condensate in a horizontal run, or a wall termination blocked. A dead blower on a power-vented unit must not fire. T&P on a vented unit that dribbles: expansion or >80 psi; never cap; typical 150 psi / 210°F. Wet cabinet, green on the copper exchanger, or a drip at a water union: isolate water, leave gas off. Parts and factory support are thin. A $200 portable with a cracked exchanger is replacement, not a rebuild.
- Required tools: Eyes on the flue and the cabinet floor. Water off before any panel on a leaker.
Do not convert LP to NG as a “fix.” That is a licensed orifice/valve job or a different unit. RV DSI click-no-light is a different board — Atwood clicking.
When DIY Ends: Calling a Licensed Pro
You may confirm bottles, swap D-cells, clean an inlet screen with the water off, 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 and a combustion sense beats another Amazon board.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why is my Camplux water heater not getting hot? A: Empty LP, dead D-cells, packed inlet screen, no flow, a tripped ODS, E1/E2 ignition, or a 1.6 GPM unit asked to run a house. Check fuel and batteries, then hire a licensed tech if it still passes cold water.
Q: What does E1 mean on a Camplux tankless? A: Ignition failure on most CA and digital portables — the board tried to light and did not prove flame. Open gas and water fully, one reset. If E1 returns, stop. Do not keep sparking into a dark burner.
Q: Can I fix a Camplux gas valve myself? A: No. Do not loosen gas fittings. Fuel, batteries, and the inlet screen are the homeowner list. Valves, ODS, flues, and E5/E7 lockouts are licensed.