Robertshaw SP845 Ignition Control Unit bad?
Deeply Disturbed
White Direct vent type. Igniter won't spark. I "think" the igniter
is bad. It's a Rockwell SP845 Ignition Control Module.
Now I don't normally go round poking in my HWT, but I was in the
basement Saturday and noticed the power vent running.
"La-de-la-la-la-la". My typical attitude when I got Honey-do's.. NOT!
After about 10-15 minutes notice it's still running. Oh-oh.... Start
thinking (Oh-oh). "This ain't right - should of shut off by now."
Opened up the little visual door and see no flame. Shut her down.
Find manual, look at instructions on tank and try starting her back
up. No spark at igniter - never. I think I now understand how this
modeule works. For you that don't believe me - this is close...
Sparks for about 90 seconds, waits 5 minutes, sparks 90, wait 5 min.,
sparks 90, shuts down, Need to hit reset on thermostat.
I notice that the Ignitor (Robertshaw SP845) has a green LED on it.
When I turn the ON/OFF switch on, the LED lights for 3 seconds then
shuts off. Normal? Like mentioned above; I don't make it a habit of
poking around here, so I don't know what normal LED lighting is. BUT,
the module says IF LIGHT IS FLASHING, REFER TO SERVICE MANUAL. IF
GREEN LIGHT IS OFF, CHECK POWER OR REPLACE MODULE. Hmm..... OK,
check power.... I can do that. Get the Voltmeter out and make
connections and watch as I toggle ON/OFF Switch. Constant 27 volts -
the entire time (LED on or off). Got good power in. Hmm. now I'm
thinking some more. Sparker - ignitor - cars - racing......nonono, I
gotta fix this thing, it's getting ripe over here.... Umm, I check
the wire and ignitor for continuity and have no open.
So is it a good "educated" guess (remember homoaner here) that the
module is bad? Good power in, and looks like external wiring out of
the module is also good. I just think something in the module unit is
bad now and get another, but I got a feeling these are not cheap -
like $100 or so. See there's a universal Robertshaw kit available,
but didn't see if they still make an SP845.
Sent this problem to alt.home.repair 2 days ago, but got no replies,
so I bow down to you all for a little guidance. Let the flames begin
<g>
So do I spring for a new module or make a call for service. Ain't
messing with the gas valve - but I do not think the problem is with
the flow of gas.
Joe
richard p dawson
are you dealing with a bobby shaw module or a rockwellmodule
sounds like you are dealing with a bobby shaw sp845?
gray box ?about 4 inches wide and about 6 inches tall
and about 3 inches thick ?
they werent that good to begin with
honeywell makes a good universal replacement
S8610u1000 i think it is a sparker
just like your's
depending on the age of this unit you might consider not replacing with
the bobbby shaw
and go with something better ,
without laying hands on it it would be hard to say exactly
what is wrong with it from here
but at any rate the change from the bobby shaw to the honeywell
is not something an amatuer should attempt,
the next question would be, where would you get this
to install yourself?
call for service, sounds like you need a iid module
but before you spend that kind of money you might want to be sure
could also be a plugged vent or a bad pressure switch
or who knows ?
good luck
rich
Deeply Disturbed
Thanks for your response... Roughly, what are we talking for a R&R of
the module and service call? Ballpark figure; I know prices vary by
region. I live in northern Ohio, so I imagine price is middle of the
road?
I wonder if I should go with the better one (Honeywell). The HTW is 3
years old with a 6 year warranty. These direct vents ain't cheap
comparitavely - but the house was all electric and has no chimney so
this is what got put in. Thought a Bradford White was more of a
"name-brand" type of HWT. Model is MITW40L6LN10 if it matters. I'll
go with the better one - if the serviceman stocks it and if the
Bradford White seems like something that will last longer than its
warranty.
But isn't the LED on the Robertshaw SP845 a visual indicator of the
status of the Ignition Control Module? And if everything was right,
it would remain lit as long as it has voltage applied to its input?
Right now if only lights for 2-3 seconds when power is applied to it,
then it shuts off. Input voltage is still present at all times.
Thanks again,
Joe
Bubba
<I_Got_...@home.today> wrote:
>OK Guys, your average homoaner here. My HWT is dead. It's a Bradford
>White Direct vent type. Igniter won't spark. I "think" the igniter
>is bad. It's a Rockwell SP845 Ignition Control Module.
>
>Now I don't normally go round poking in my HWT, but I was in the
>basement Saturday and noticed the power vent running.
>"La-de-la-la-la-la". My typical attitude when I got Honey-do's.. NOT!
>After about 10-15 minutes notice it's still running. Oh-oh.... Start
>thinking (Oh-oh). "This ain't right - should of shut off by now."
>Opened up the little visual door and see no flame. Shut her down.
>Find manual, look at instructions on tank and try starting her back
>up. No spark at igniter - never. I think I now understand how this
>modeule works. For you that don't believe me - this is close...
>Sparks for about 90 seconds, waits 5 minutes, sparks 90, wait 5 min.,
>sparks 90, shuts down, Need to hit reset on thermostat.
If you have no spark ever (as you stated) I would be looking for a
clogged vent, open limit or draft switch or a bad module.
>
>I notice that the Ignitor (Robertshaw SP845) has a green LED on it.
>When I turn the ON/OFF switch on, the LED lights for 3 seconds then
>shuts off. Normal? Like mentioned above; I don't make it a habit of
>poking around here, so I don't know what normal LED lighting is. BUT,
>the module says IF LIGHT IS FLASHING, REFER TO SERVICE MANUAL. IF
>GREEN LIGHT IS OFF, CHECK POWER OR REPLACE MODULE. Hmm..... OK,
>check power.... I can do that. Get the Voltmeter out and make
>connections and watch as I toggle ON/OFF Switch. Constant 27 volts -
>the entire time (LED on or off). Got good power in. Hmm. now I'm
>thinking some more. Sparker - ignitor - cars - racing......nonono, I
>gotta fix this thing, it's getting ripe over here.... Umm, I check
>the wire and ignitor for continuity and have no open.
Why did you check all that "power stuff"? If the green light is on you
dont need to do all that checking. You said the green led came on so
you dont need to check power. Power is what lit that green led. There
are no batteries, you know :-)
>
>So is it a good "educated" guess (remember homoaner here) that the
>module is bad? Good power in, and looks like external wiring out of
>the module is also good. I just think something in the module unit is
>bad now and get another, but I got a feeling these are not cheap -
>like $100 or so. See there's a universal Robertshaw kit available,
>but didn't see if they still make an SP845.
Throw the POS Robertshaw away and convert it with a Honeywell spark
ignition module.
>
>Sent this problem to alt.home.repair 2 days ago, but got no replies,
>so I bow down to you all for a little guidance. Let the flames begin
><g>
Suprise, suprise. No geniuses in alt.home.repair?
>
>So do I spring for a new module or make a call for service. Ain't
>messing with the gas valve - but I do not think the problem is with
>the flow of gas.
Gas is not present, (although you say you arent getting spark either)
since you are not getting ignition so dont rule out the gas valve. Do
you smell gas when it is trying to lite?
Unfortunately, I believe you are in a bit over your head. If your
going to fumble through it yourself (WHICH I DONT RECOMMEND) try the
easiest and least expensive repairs first. Is the pilot orifice clean?
Good Luck
Bubba
>
>Joe
profft
being plugged up with combustion residue.
"richard p dawson" <rda...@shout.net> wrote in message
news:3D7524C8...@shout.net...
richard p dawson
Deeply Disturbed wrote:
>
> Hi Rich,
> Thanks for your response... Roughly, what are we talking for a R&R of
> the module and service call? Ballpark figure; I know prices vary by
> region. I live in northern Ohio, so I imagine price is middle of the
> road?
>
cant begin to tell you .
here i would charge 65 dollars for the first hour if you were
within 25 miles of my office
i am in central illinois
the module would be roughly 170 dollars
> I wonder if I should go with the better one (Honeywell). The HTW is 3
> years old with a 6 year warranty. These direct vents ain't cheap
> comparitavely - but the house was all electric and has no chimney so
> this is what got put in. Thought a Bradford White was more of a
> "name-brand" type of HWT. Model is MITW40L6LN10 if it matters. I'll
> go with the better one - if the serviceman stocks it and if the
> Bradford White seems like something that will last longer than its
> warranty.
i would, i have not been impressed with the bobby shaws
i have seen these honeywell units perform far longer
and under more adverse conditions
>
> But isn't the LED on the Robertshaw SP845 a visual indicator of the
> status of the Ignition Control Module? And if everything was right,
> it would remain lit as long as it has voltage applied to its input?
> Right now if only lights for 2-3 seconds when power is applied to it,
> then it shuts off. Input voltage is still present at all times.
> then it aint a power problem, is it?
> Thanks again,
>
> Joe
> think hard about what you are attempting,
if you cant troubleshoot it , the you really dont have any business
messing with it, because it indicates that you really
dont understand how it works, a real formula
for disaster .
call somebody who knows what they are doing with this thing
rich
Deeply Disturbed
It's fixed....comments scattered thoughout. Thanks!
On Wed, 04 Sep 2002 06:38:48 -0500, richard p dawson
<rda...@shout.net> wrote:
>Deeply Disturbed wrote:
>>
>> Hi Rich,
>> Thanks for your response... Roughly, what are we talking for a R&R of
>> the module and service call? Ballpark figure; I know prices vary by
>> region. I live in northern Ohio, so I imagine price is middle of the
>> road?
>>
>
>cant begin to tell you .
>here i would charge 65 dollars for the first hour if you were
>within 25 miles of my office
>i am in central illinois
>the module would be roughly 170 dollars
Here in Cleveland, the place I got to do it charged $65 for the
service call (1/2 hour) and every 15 minute increment over
that was like $19. Took the tech 3 trips to get it working. First
trip to diagnose the problem - confirming what I suspected, 2nd trip
to bring the "wrong" Robertshaw SP845... numbers after SP845 are
critical he found out. The replacement got the pilot lit, but
wouldn't turn on the main burner. Then 3rd trip was finally putting
in the right one. Each trip was 15 minutes, so I got charged $84 for
the labor. I guess I coulda complained about the 2nd trip when they
brought back the wrong module, but I figgured that's my just reward
for troubleshooting it myself. Oh, and the service call was just for
time on job - no travel.
>> I wonder if I should go with the better one (Honeywell). The HTW is 3
>> years old with a 6 year warranty. These direct vents ain't cheap
>> comparitavely - but the house was all electric and has no chimney so
>> this is what got put in. Thought a Bradford White was more of a
>> "name-brand" type of HWT. Model is MITW40L6LN10 if it matters. I'll
>> go with the better one - if the serviceman stocks it and if the
>> Bradford White seems like something that will last longer than its
>> warranty.
>
>i would, i have not been impressed with the bobby shaws
>i have seen these honeywell units perform far longer
>and under more adverse conditions
I tried specifying a Honeywell Universal, but they say they could not
cross-reference it. O' ell. $150 for the module is what I got
charged. So it was a bit over $230.
Kinda gets me perterbed when I see the price for replacement HWT's
less than $200 at Home Despot. But those ain't direct vent - which is
what I need in my situation; and I imagine in the long run you gotta
believe you get what you pay for, so I guess I gotta live with it and
hope the Bradford White is a dependable model.
Thanks again,
Joe
Deeply Disturbed
Module was bad. And when it has the input voltage applied, the LED is
constantly lit. Thanks for the input though - I shoulda bet to
re-coup the bill. But then I woulda lost, the way I been going this
week.
Hehe, this week was supposed to be a vacation week, with painting and
stuff at the house. I can handle the price of paint and sweat equity,
but this HWT went bad and can you believe that 2 cars had their power
steering lines blow out? Just got the first one back with new
pressure hoses and tie rods and the other one's still out. $400 on
the first one and who knows how much on the other.
Man, I can't WAIT to go back to work next week.
Joe
On Wed, 04 Sep 2002 00:13:30 GMT, "profft" <f.ta...@verizon.net>
wrote:
Deeply Disturbed
I'm sure you'll see what was found out, but I just had to reply to
you, and I think you'll know where and why (to keep up with the
smart-ass attitude in this group). I, personally love it, cuz I'm a
tech too - not HVAC related though....
On Tue, 03 Sep 2002 23:11:33 GMT, Bubba <like...@iname.com> wrote:
>On Tue, 03 Sep 2002 15:05:47 GMT, Deeply Disturbed
><I_Got_...@home.today> wrote:
>
>>OK Guys, your average homoaner here. My HWT is dead. It's a Bradford
>>White Direct vent type. Igniter won't spark. I "think" the igniter
>>is bad. It's a Rockwell SP845 Ignition Control Module.
>>
>If you have no spark ever (as you stated) I would be looking for a
>clogged vent, open limit or draft switch or a bad module.
You know the result.
>>
>>I notice that the Ignitor (Robertshaw SP845) has a green LED on it.
>>When I turn the ON/OFF switch on, the LED lights for 3 seconds then
>>shuts off. Normal? Like mentioned above; I don't make it a habit of
>>poking around here, so I don't know what normal LED lighting is. BUT,
>>the module says IF LIGHT IS FLASHING, REFER TO SERVICE MANUAL. IF
>>GREEN LIGHT IS OFF, CHECK POWER OR REPLACE MODULE. Hmm..... OK,
>>check power.... I can do that. Get the Voltmeter out and make
>>connections and watch as I toggle ON/OFF Switch. Constant 27 volts -
>>the entire time (LED on or off). Got good power in. Hmm. now I'm
>>thinking some more. Sparker - ignitor - cars - racing......nonono, I
>>gotta fix this thing, it's getting ripe over here.... Umm, I check
>>the wire and ignitor for continuity and have no open.
>
>Why did you check all that "power stuff"? If the green light is on you
>dont need to do all that checking. You said the green led came on so
>you dont need to check power. Power is what lit that green led. There
>are no batteries, you know :-)
Well, see this is why I asked the question. Yea, power was there cuz
the LED was lit. But the LED went out after a couple/three seconds.
Did the light go out because there was no more power coming in? THat
s what I wanted to know. Plus, I got all these fancy Fluke meters for
my work, and sometimes I'd rather play with these than do the
Honey-Do's.
>>Sent this problem to alt.home.repair 2 days ago, but got no replies,
>>so I bow down to you all for a little guidance. Let the flames begin
>><g>
>
>Suprise, suprise. No geniuses in alt.home.repair?
OK, here ya go...... hmmmmm, haven't I seen you posting over there?
Or are you only a genius when posting here?
Take care and thanks. And I bet there are a lot more like
me.........mostly in lurk-mode, until posting is almost absolutely
necessary. I prefer it this way myself, I'd rather have people think
of me as an ass, then to start yapping and remove all doubt.
Joe
Bubba
<I_Got_...@home.today> wrote:
>Bubba,
>
>I'm sure you'll see what was found out, but I just had to reply to
>you, and I think you'll know where and why (to keep up with the
>smart-ass attitude in this group). I, personally love it, cuz I'm a
>tech too - not HVAC related though....
Glad I could entertain you.
>>>
>>Suprise, suprise. No geniuses in alt.home.repair?
>
>OK, here ya go...... hmmmmm, haven't I seen you posting over there?
>Or are you only a genius when posting here?
Havent posted there in a while now. Way way too many like you (dont
take offense) over there. Its more than enough to drive someone nuts.
>Take care and thanks. And I bet there are a lot more like
>me.........mostly in lurk-mode, until posting is almost absolutely
>necessary. I prefer it this way myself, I'd rather have people think
>of me as an ass, then to start yapping and remove all doubt.
>
>Joe
Id say thats a safe bet of many in lurk mode. Cant say I think your an
ass. Your just not an hvac tech. Im not a medical doctor either. Big
whoop!
I hope your problem (the module) stays repaired but replacing it with
the same Robertshaw was a mistake. Money down the drain. Should have
gotten the Honeywell.
Take care...
Bubba :-)
oif2...@gmail.com
Scott Lurndal
>No led light on, was working fine yesterday now nothing and I have no clue with this stuff cold showers I guess for now
Stormin Mormon
-
.
Christopher A. Young
learn more about Jesus
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