Troubleshoot a Modine Hot Dawg

This time of year many, many people are in the market for a heater. We sell tons of them. Specifically, we sell tons of Modine Hot Dawg heaters. For the most part we never have a problem with them since they are excellent heaters, and everybody is happy.

There are times though, when a problem arises. We (being the amazing company we are) attempt to troubleshoot the problem with our customers. It will usually turn out well for everyone. Sometimes we get folks calling to ask about a heater we did not sell them or that is old or out of warranty. We help with these too, although we are less able to help in these cases than with a Hot Dawg that we sold and is under warranty.

Because of this high sales volume, our most experienced Sales Representatives spend a large amount of time troubleshooting customers’ heater issues. So, we’ve put together this list and the accompanying resources to help you troubleshoot on your own. This list is going to cover the large majority of issues with the Modine Hot Dawg Heater, both natural gas and propane. Also, we’ve attached the error code and wiring diagram sections from the manual for your convenience.

1. Warranty – The warranty on a Hot Dawg is always only going to cover parts; not labor. This is pretty typical for a warranty of any kind. In most cases you will also need to purchase the warranty parts, and upon verification that the defective parts are a warranty issue, the manufacturer will issue a credit.
2. Installation – The first thing we (or anyone for that matter) are going to ask is whether or not you had a certified professional install the heater. If you did, then many times it’s best to just contact that person or company because they will be better equipped to troubleshoot the heater. That way, in the event the problem has something to do with the heater being installed incorrectly (as opposed to mechanical malfunction) it usually won’t cost anything to fix.

If you installed your own heater then it is your responsibility to handle all the details in getting your heater up and running, which may or may not be an inconvenience to you depending on the situation.

1. What is the problem – For the most part, the problem is the same every time; the heater won’t fire. As you might guess, there can be many different things causing that problem. Here is a list of questions we ask to get to the bottom of it:
   1. Does the heater turn on? – Once the heater is hooked up and wired, the best way to tell if it is on is to check the power vent fan. If it’s on then the unit has power and is operating electrically.
   2. Are the electrical and thermostat wired correctly? – If the unit is wired up and should be on but is not, then there is most likely a problem with the wiring or thermostat. Make sure the wires are connected correctly. Also, it’s silly but it happens a lot, make sure the thermostat is set correctly.
   3. What is the gas line pressure? – If the unit wired, the fan is spinning, and the igniter clicking but there is no ignition, then gas pressure is the first place to check. These heaters will not function unless the line pressure for the specific fuel is within a certain range. Keep in mind that you are almost always going to need a professional with the proper tools to do this for you. The line pressure settings are as follows:

                -Natural Gas: 6-8 WC

                -Propane: 12-14 WC

1. Is the switch on the gas valve on the interior of the unit switched to the “On” position? – If the line pressure checks out, it is possible that the switch on the gas valve on the interior of the unit is set to the “OFF” position. It should ship from the factory in the “ON” position, but it does happen that some will get turned off somewhere along the line. Make sure yours is on, keeping in mind you will have to remove the side access panel to check this.
2. Electrical and thermostat are wired and set correctly, fan is spinning, igniter is clicking, gas pressure is good, switch is on…and my heater still won’t work. – Even if everything checks out, there still can be problems. Luckily there is a way to find out what the problem is. With the access panel removed, you should be able to clearly see the control board for the unit. On that board is an LED light. If the unit is operating normally, the LED will be constant green. If there is a problem, it will blink and may be a different color. The blinking and colors are error codes which you can look up either in the manual, or on a sticker located near the control board on the inside of the heater. Keep in mind that the error codes will be different based on the manufacturer of the board in your heater, and to diagnose correctly you need to know which board you are dealing with.

These steps should have brought you to some kind of conclusion as to the problem with any heater installation. If you are still having a problem, feel free to call us or a certified Modine installation professional for further assistance.