Suburban 180260 Water Heater Burner Orifice | High Altitude | SW Series

Keep your RV water heater firing cleanly at elevation with the Suburban High-Altitude Burner Orifice (Part 180260) — a precision-machined brass orifice designed specifically for Suburban SW series water heaters operating in thinner air. Available at The RV Surplus.

⭐ Why High-Altitude RVers Need This

Standard sea-level burner orifices deliver too much gas for the oxygen available at elevation. The result:

• Yellow or sooty flame instead of a clean blue burn
• Incomplete combustion — carbon buildup inside the burner tube
• Poor water heating performance — slow recovery, lukewarm water
• Nuisance lockouts on DSI units from poor flame sensing

The high-altitude orifice has a smaller gas flow rate matched to the lower oxygen density at elevation, restoring a clean blue flame and proper water-heater performance where thin air had been causing trouble.

⭐ When to Switch to the High-Altitude Orifice

Suburban generally recommends swapping to a high-altitude orifice when you'll be camping consistently at higher elevations. If your trips cross back and forth from sea level to altitude, consider keeping both the standard and high-altitude orifice on hand and swapping as needed — it's a quick service job, not a permanent conversion.

⭐ Fitment

• Fits all Suburban SW Series RV water heaters
• Examples: SW6D, SW6DE, SW6DEM, SW6DEC, SW10D, SW10DE, SW10DEM and other SW-platform heaters

⚠️ Installation

• SHUT OFF the LP gas supply at the tank before disconnecting any gas fitting
• Turn off the water heater and let it cool completely
• Access the burner tube and remove the existing orifice fitting
• Install the high-altitude orifice, torqued to Suburban's spec — do NOT over-tighten brass fittings
• Leak-test the connection with soapy water after restoring gas before firing the heater
• Fire the heater and verify a clean blue flame with no yellow tips

If you're not comfortable working on LP gas appliances, have a qualified RV technician perform the swap. A leaking gas fitting is a serious safety issue.

⚠️ Return to Standard Orifice When You Descend

Running the high-altitude orifice back at sea level will give you a weak, undersized flame with poor water-heater performance. Swap back to the standard orifice when you return to lower elevations for proper operation.

What's Included

• (1) Suburban high-altitude burner orifice, brass

Manufacturer Warranty

Backed by Suburban Manufacturing's standard parts warranty. Check documentation for full terms.

Specifications

• Brand: Suburban Manufacturing
• Part Number: 180260
• UPC: 765053817066
• Part Type: Burner orifice (high altitude)
• Material: Brass, precision machined
• Application: High-altitude operation
• Fits: Suburban SW Series water heaters (SW6D, SW6DE, SW6DEM, SW6DEC, SW10D, SW10DE, SW10DEM, and others on the SW platform)
• Fuel: LP gas