[Shop-talk] water heater troubleshooting

[Larry Spector]

Is it one of the super high efficiency models that uses a powered
exhaust vent? If so- make sure that the vent fan is working correctly.
If it's not, you'll get the same symptoms you've described. In my
case, the exhaust vent is plugged into a GFCI. When the GFCI tripped
for some reason, the fan quit and the burner wouldn't fire even though
the pilot was fine.



On Sun, Aug 24, 2008 at 6:47 AM,  <scott.hall at comcast.net> wrote:
> the pilot stays lit, and the heater can't be any older than the 1990s, when the house was built.  and you have to hold down the button to light the pilot.  it's in the garage, but nowhere near a dryer vent.  this thing is starting to get into "screw it, I'll just buy a new one" territory--the water system has been flaky since we bought the house.  guess I'll attack the thermostat box.
>
>
>  -------------- Original message ----------------------
> From: "Randall" <tr3driver at ca.rr.com>
>>
>> Guess it depends on how your valve is designed.  Although I have seen gas
>> burners where the thermocouple didn't also disable the pilot light; I was
>> under the impression that US law had not allowed that for oh, 50 years or
>> so.  On every water heater I've ever owned, if the thermocouple fails, the
>> pilot won't stay lit either.
>>
>> If you have to push and hold a button to light the pilot, the pilot is
>> controlled by the thermocouple.  Which would mean the problem lies
>> elsewhere.
>>
>> My water heater is right next to the dryer vent ... a long-standing leak in
>> the vent eventually blew enough lint into the heater burner to clog it up.