Stuart RV Repair diagnoses and fixes RV water heaters on-site across Stuart, FL and Martin County. Suburban, Atwood, gas, electric, tankless. RVIA certified techs with parts on the truck for same-day service.
Stuart RV Repair fixes RV water heaters on-site throughout Martin County. Thermocouple swaps, igniter board replacements, anode rod service, heating element installs, and full unit replacements. $95-350 depending on the repair. We come to you in Stuart, FL and surrounding areas. Call 772-280-3915. Need other RV plumbing work? We do that too.
Your RV water heater is a compact unit crammed into a small exterior compartment and exposed to South Florida's heat, humidity, and salt air year-round. Whether you've got a 6-gallon Suburban or a 10-gallon Atwood, these things work hard and break down in predictable ways. The good news? Most failures are fixable on-site in under 90 minutes.
The most common call we get in Stuart and Palm City is "my pilot won't stay lit." That's almost always a bad thermocouple, which is a pencil-sized sensor that sits in the pilot flame and signals the gas valve to stay open. When it fails, the gas valve clicks shut within seconds of letting go of the igniter button. A $95-140 fix, and we carry these on every truck.
Electric-side failures are just as common. The 120V heating element burns out over time, especially if the tank ran dry at any point. And then there's the anode rod, the most neglected part of any RV water heater. This sacrificial magnesium rod is designed to corrode so the tank doesn't. Skip it for two years in Martin County's hard water, and you'll be looking at a rusted-through tank that can't be patched.
Bad thermocouple, nine times out of ten. This sensor tells the gas valve the flame is present. When it goes bad, the valve closes and the pilot dies within seconds. Quick fix at $95-140. We carry thermocouples for all Suburban and Atwood models on the truck.
The DSI (direct spark ignition) board or electrode is failing. You'll hear the igniter clicking but no flame catches. Could also be a clogged burner tube from spider webs or mud daubers, which is incredibly common in Florida. We clean the tube and test the board to find the root cause.
Either the 120V heating element has burned out, the high-limit switch tripped, or the relay on the control board failed. If the element ran dry even once (empty tank with power on), it's toast. Element swap runs $110-165 and takes about 30-45 minutes on-site.
That sulfur smell comes from bacteria reacting with the anode rod in the tank. Martin County's well water and the Treasure Coast's mineral content make this worse. Flushing the tank and replacing the anode rod ($65-95) usually solves it. We also recommend sanitizing the fresh water system while we're there.
Could be a loose drain plug, a failed pressure relief valve, or a corroded tank. If the tank itself is leaking, that usually means the anode rod was neglected too long and the tank wall is eaten through. We'll inspect it and tell you straight whether it's a repair or a replacement.
On gas units, partial thermocouple failure or a weak gas valve can reduce flame output. On electric, a failing element heats slow and can't keep up. On dual-fuel units running both, if neither side alone produces hot water, we check the mixing valve and the bypass valve near the tank. Sometimes it's as simple as a bypass left partially open from winterization.
Each brand has its own quirks, part numbers, and common failure points. Here's what we work on most across Stuart and Martin County.
Suburban is the most common RV water heater brand we see. The SW6DE (6-gallon) and SW10DE (10-gallon) are in the majority of travel trailers and fifth wheels on the Treasure Coast. These are dual-fuel units with pilot-style ignition on gas and a screw-in element on electric. According to Suburban's specs, anode rods should be checked annually. We see most owners skip this until the tank starts smelling.
Atwood (now Dometic) water heaters use an aluminum tank instead of steel, so there's no anode rod to replace. The trade-off? Aluminum tanks are more prone to pinhole leaks over time, and the DSI ignition boards on these units have a higher failure rate than Suburban in our experience. We stock igniter boards and gas valves for the G6A and GC6AA series.
Tankless on-demand water heaters are showing up in more new RVs. The Girard GSWH-2 is the one we see most. These don't have a tank to corrode, but the heat exchanger can scale up in hard water areas like Martin County. Flow sensor failures and ignition faults are the common issues. We service these on-site, though parts availability is tighter than Suburban or Atwood.
Call 772-280-3915 or request an estimate online. Tell us what's happening: pilot won't stay lit, no hot water on electric, leaking tank, rotten egg smell. If you know the brand and model, share that too. We'll schedule you same or next day.
Our tech opens the exterior compartment, tests the gas valve, thermocouple, igniter circuit, element continuity, and checks the tank and anode rod. Written estimate before any work starts. Most water heater diagnostics take 15-20 minutes.
We carry thermocouples, igniter boards, heating elements, anode rods, gas valves, and replacement units on the truck. Most repairs finish in 45-90 minutes. Even a full water heater swap is done on-site in 2-3 hours. One trip, hot water restored.
| Repair Type | Price Range | Typical Time |
|---|---|---|
| Thermocouple replacement | $95-140 | 30 min |
| Igniter board / DSI module | $130-195 | 45-60 min |
| Anode rod service | $65-95 | 20 min |
| Heating element replacement | $110-165 | 30-45 min |
| Gas valve replacement | $145-220 | 45-60 min |
| High-limit switch / ECO reset | $65-110 | 20 min |
| Full water heater replacement | $275-350 | 2-3 hrs |
Water heater quit on us at the campground near Jonathan Dickinson. Pilot kept going out. Tech came out next morning, diagnosed a bad thermocouple, and had it replaced in about 30 minutes. Hot showers that night. Exactly the kind of fast, no-nonsense service we needed.
Horrible sulfur smell from our hot water for months. We tried flushing the tank ourselves but it came back every time. Stuart RV Repair replaced the anode rod and properly sanitized the whole system. Smell has been gone for three months now. Should've called them first.
Our Atwood had a corroded tank. The tech was upfront about it and said patching wasn't an option. He had a replacement unit on the truck and swapped the whole thing out in about two and a half hours. Fair price, clean install, and he even showed me where the anode rod goes so I could maintain it myself.
Most RV water heater repairs in Stuart run $95-350. A thermocouple swap is $95-140. Igniter board replacement costs $130-195. Anode rod service is $65-95. Element replacement runs $110-165. A full water heater replacement is $275-350 installed. You'll get a written quote before work starts.
Almost always a bad thermocouple. This sensor sits in the pilot flame and tells the gas valve it's safe to stay open. When it fails, the gas valve shuts off and the pilot goes out seconds after you release the button. Replacement costs $95-140 and takes about 30 minutes at your site.
Yes. Most RV water heaters in Martin County are dual-fuel units that run on LP gas, 120V electric, or both simultaneously. We repair the gas side (thermocouple, gas valve, burner tube) and the electric side (heating element, relay board, high-limit switch) on all Suburban and Atwood models.
Once a year or at the start of each season. The anode rod is a sacrificial magnesium rod that corrodes so your tank doesn't. In Martin County's hard water, these rods deteriorate faster than average. If yours is more than half eaten away, it's overdue. We charge $65-95 for the swap and it takes about 20 minutes.
Depends on the repair. Thermocouple swaps take about 30 minutes. Igniter boards are 45-60 minutes. Element replacements run 30-45 minutes. A full unit replacement is the biggest job at 2-3 hours, but we do it entirely on-site. Most repairs are done in a single visit.
If the leak is from the drain plug or a fitting, that's a quick fix at $65-110. But if the tank wall is corroded through from a neglected anode rod, patching won't hold. You'll need a full replacement at that point. We'll inspect it and give you the honest answer on whether it's worth repairing or replacing.
We handle all RV plumbing repairs across Martin County. Toilets, leak detection, shower fixes, pipe repairs, and emergency calls. Multiple issues? We'll take care of everything in one service visit.
We cover Martin County and surrounding areas for all RV water heater repairs. Stuart, Palm City, Jensen Beach, Hobe Sound, and beyond.
Call us or request a free estimate. We'll send a tech with the right parts, same or next day. Thermocouple swaps, element replacements, full unit installs. All done at your campground or driveway.