RV Repair: Suburban water heater, suburban water heater, electrode

Question
I have a gas /electic version in my 03 motrohome.  When I turn the gas mode on from the inside switch, the ignitor sparks and I generally hear the flame ignite. However, after this I hear the ignitor continue to spark for several minutes afterwards, even though the flame is burning.  Is this the way it's supposed to respond?

Answer
Bill, The way that they work is that the igniter lights the flame and when the electrode senses the flame it should stop the ignition process and just keep the valve open so it stays on. If when you turn yours on you hear the ignition circuit continuing to try then it sounds to me that either the electrode is not immersed in the flame good enough or the igniter board is getting weak. If it is the board it will eventually get weak enough that it will fail. When this happens and believe me it will I suggest that you put a Dinosaur igniter board in it. They have a 3 year warranty and are in my opinion the best board that you can get. I hope that this helps. Thanks, Bill