Hot Water Heater Help

[iamwiz82]

My 6 year old natural gas HWH is giving me fits. A few weeks ago I set it to 'Vacation' mode as I went out of town on a business trip. When I came back (This past Saturday), I turned the thermostat back and it fired right up, I then left it. From Saturday until yesterday, there were no issues with hot water, I have washed clothes, taken a shower, etc, with no issues.

This morning I went to jump in the shower and I was greeted by an icy shower that made me cry like a little girl. Checked the heater, and the pilot was out. I relit it and it came back on, no issues. I continued to do other things and then heard a small pop and checked the HWH, it was out. I re-lit it and it came on again, but 10 minutes later it turned itself off.

So I came back at lunch to play around and it started up again, no problems. The vent gets warm, so the draft is working, but it still keeps shutting down. I turned off everything other than the pilot and it never went out after 40 minutes.

Thoughts?

 

[nickbits]

What brand? American Water Heater or Whirlpool?

 

[iamwiz82]

Whirlpool

 

[LTC8K6]

Hot Water Heater Help

Why do you need to heat hot water?

 

[edro]

Are you holding the Pilot button down for 30-60sec. after you light it?
You need to keep it held so the burner gets warm enough to keep the flame.

 

[skull]

It sounds like the thermocouple is out. Its peice of metal that sits in the flame from the pilot. It makes sure the flame is lit. If the pilot goes out its what shuts off the gas to the pilot. Sometimes they go bad and shut off the gas to the pilot when there not supposed to.

 

[jaha2000]

It sounds like the thermocouple is out. Its peice of metal that sits in the flame from the pilot. It makes sure the flame is lit. If the pilot goes out its what shuts off the gas to the pilot. Sometimes they go bad and shut off the gas to the pilot when there not supposed to.

This...

 

[Engineer]

It sounds like the thermocouple is out. Its peice of metal that sits in the flame from the pilot. It makes sure the flame is lit. If the pilot goes out its what shuts off the gas to the pilot. Sometimes they go bad and shut off the gas to the pilot when there not supposed to.

This x 2.

 

[iamwiz82]

It sounds like the thermocouple is out. Its peice of metal that sits in the flame from the pilot. It makes sure the flame is lit. If the pilot goes out its what shuts off the gas to the pilot. Sometimes they go bad and shut off the gas to the pilot when there not supposed to.

But wouldn't a bad thermocouple also turn off the pilot if it wasn't heating the water? That was my thought process.

Are you holding the Pilot button down for 30-60sec. after you light it?
You need to keep it held so the burner gets warm enough to keep the flame.

Yes sir. it stays lit after letting go of the reset, as well.

 

[Dirigible]

Why do you need to heat hot water?

I came in this thread to see how long it took for someone to post this. I thought it would be within five posts. Thank you for doing it in post #4!

 

[Engineer]

But wouldn't a bad thermocouple also turn off the pilot if it wasn't heating the water? That was my thought process.



Yes sir. it stays lit after letting go of the reset, as well.

Yes, but the extra heat from heating the water may be fucking with the thermocouple (a bad one) and causing the pilot to go out. Not sure but it's possible that the thermocouple could also cause the entire unit to kick off since it usually controls the gas valve for it all (I'm making assumptions here since that is how a furnace works).

 

[D1gger]

Why do you need to heat hot water?

It should more accurately be called a "cold water heater".

 

[iamwiz82]

MFer!

The thermocouple for this POS is left-handed thread, and it's not available anywhere anymore because of a class action lawsuit. After hunting, I got a number to call to American Water Heater, who made this pile of garbage. I guess the solution is an adapter from left-hand threads to right-hand threads.

 

[Fritzo]

Damn it- people beat me to my smart ass comments

 

[Raizinman]

Being in the HVAC field for over 30 years, my best advice to you is leave the hot water heater alone. Set the thermostat when it is new and LEAVE IT ALONE. It's the people who always want to play with the controls that have the most problems. How much do you think you would have saved from moving the control to vacation mode for a week as opposed to what this new trouble is costing you? Don't forget about all the hidden controls inside your furnace too!

 

[TheSlamma]

Dump the Whirlpool and get Bradford White next round

 

[jaha2000]

Dump the Whirlpool and get Bradford White next round

This...
I installed one when my POS whirlpool took a dump.
That thing is built like a tank, i can attest to that from moving it in and out and that was still with some water in the whirlpool

 

[Possessed Freak]

This...
I installed one when my POS whirlpool took a dump.
That thing is built like a tank, i can attest to that from moving it in and out and that was still with some water in the whirlpool

Well it is a tank... a Hot Water Tank...

 

[akshatp]

MFer!

The thermocouple for this POS is left-handed thread, and it's not available anywhere anymore because of a class action lawsuit. After hunting, I got a number to call to American Water Heater, who made this pile of garbage. I guess the solution is an adapter from left-hand threads to right-hand threads.

I thought you said its a whirlpool? Does AWH make them and then Whirlpool rebrands them and re-sell?

 

[iamwiz82]

I thought you said its a whirlpool? Does AWH make them and then Whirlpool rebrands them and re-sell?

Yes, it's a rebranded AWH. AWH Flameguard = Whirlpool Flamelock.

 

[Number1]

It should more accurately be called a "cold water heater".

Actually it will also heat warm water so let's just call it a water heater, OK?

 

[iamwiz82]

Being in the HVAC field for over 30 years, my best advice to you is leave the hot water heater alone. Set the thermostat when it is new and LEAVE IT ALONE. It's the people who always want to play with the controls that have the most problems. How much do you think you would have saved from moving the control to vacation mode for a week as opposed to what this new trouble is costing you? Don't forget about all the hidden controls inside your furnace too!

So they build a feature into a water heater, but you shouldn't use it because the appliance is total crap and cannot handle it, and I should be ok with that? I would sooner spread the word that I will never by Whirlpool appliances, nor AWH products again.

Sounds like people who have bought GM products for 20 years

 

[Number1]

So they build a feature into a water heater, but you shouldn't use it because the appliance is total crap and cannot handle it, and I should be ok with that? I would sooner spread the word that I will never by Whirlpool appliances, nor AWH products again.

Sounds like people who have bought GM products for 20 years

Agree with the top part.

I love my GMs

 

[nickbits]

Whirlpool

Whirlpool/AWH have from that time have issues. There was a class action lawsuit against them that entitiled owners to get a replacement manifold kit, but that has since expired.

Read this:
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2006/05/whirlpool_water_heater.html

--nick

 

[iamwiz82]

Whirlpool/AWH have from that time have issues. There was a class action lawsuit against them that entitiled owners to get a replacement manifold kit, but that has since expired.

Read this:
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2006/05/whirlpool_water_heater.html

--nick

An update -

I called AWH today, within 5 minutes I have a whole new burner unit, everything from the manifold on, overnighted to me. Hooray. Still crappy I have to do this. :\ Already pulled the old one out. Just waiting on the new.