Water Heater Pilot Still Wont Light.

 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
Old 04-05-2007, 06:05 PM   #1
Member
 
johnjamesalaska's Avatar
 
Trade: Hanger taper finisher painter
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 51

Water Heater Pilot Still Wont Light.


Hello all,

My pilot light went out so of course I tried to relight it. Flame comes on but it wont stay lit. SoOo I changed my thermo coupler with no change. SoOo I shut the water off and I drained my tank (I thought), by hooking up to the hose connection. It drained with decent flow for a couple of hours. There was a small bit coming still coming out but it was a very small trickle. When I pulled the thermostat off, it made a glug glug sound and water came out sOoo I quickly threw the new one in and now it wont even flame. Its a whirlpool. All the replacement parts are identical. What besides buying a whirlpool two years ago and not getting proffessional to repair it , did I do wrong?

Thanks for any help.

johnjamesalaska is offline  
Warning: The topics covered on this site include activities in which there exists the potential for serious injury or death. ContractorTalk.com DOES NOT guarantee the accuracy or completeness of any information contained on this site. Always use proper safety precaution and reference reliable outside sources before attempting any construction or remodeling task!

Old 04-05-2007, 06:17 PM   #2
DGR,IABD
 
mdshunk's Avatar
 
Trade: Electrical; Commercial and Residential Service
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Central PA
Posts: 9,680

Re: Water Heater Pilot Still Wont Light.


Don't suppose the tank is dripping on the pilot assembly, is it?
mdshunk is offline  
Old 04-05-2007, 08:22 PM   #3
Member
 
johnjamesalaska's Avatar
 
Trade: Hanger taper finisher painter
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 51

Re: Water Heater Pilot Still Wont Light.


nope..dry as a bone.
johnjamesalaska is offline  
Old 04-05-2007, 08:33 PM   #4
Member
 
Ishmael's Avatar
 
Trade: Plumbing
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 37

Re: Water Heater Pilot Still Wont Light.


Something obstructing the exhaust vent terminal?
Ishmael is offline  
Old 04-05-2007, 08:59 PM   #5
Member
 
johnjamesalaska's Avatar
 
Trade: Hanger taper finisher painter
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 51

Re: Water Heater Pilot Still Wont Light.


Well.. I m not sure of what an exhaust vent terminal is, but , if its that pipe coming out of the top it seems fine.
johnjamesalaska is offline  
Old 04-05-2007, 09:17 PM   #6
Pro Plumber
 
Ron The Plumber's Avatar
 
Trade: Plumber
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 2,779

Re: Water Heater Pilot Still Wont Light.


Thermstat controller going bad? Maybe
Ron The Plumber is offline  
Old 04-05-2007, 11:07 PM   #7
Pro
 
JamesNLA's Avatar
 
Trade: Plumbing & Electrical
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: SoCal
Posts: 1,195

Re: Water Heater Pilot Still Wont Light.


pipe dope get in the way?
JamesNLA is offline  
Old 04-06-2007, 12:06 AM   #8
Pro
 
fireguy's Avatar
 
Trade: Fire Suppression Equipment Sales & Service
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 387

Re: Water Heater Pilot Still Wont Light.


Common mistakes, rember I have never changed a thermocouple in a water heater, just commercial gas stoves. These are in no particular order
1. using pipe dope on threads that screw into the safety valve
2. kinking the capillary tube
3. Need 1/3 of the end of the tube in the flame.
4. end of tube glowing red, indicates tube too close to flame.
5. bad safety valve.
6. plugged gas tube or pilot
7. Bad connection between nut and safte valve. Loosen and tighten again.

fireguy
fireguy is offline  
Old 04-06-2007, 01:22 PM   #9
Pro
 
POOLMANinCT's Avatar
 
Trade: Swimming Pool Contractor
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 2,165

Re: Water Heater Pilot Still Wont Light.


check continuity of safety harness? limits etc?

a redundant high limit is part of pilot circuit on some models
POOLMANinCT is offline  
Old 04-06-2007, 09:17 PM   #10
Plumber
 
gmp's Avatar
 
Trade: Plumbing
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: NorCal
Posts: 39

Re: Water Heater Pilot Still Wont Light.


Is pilot flame blue and strong? Is the flame impinging on the tip of the thermocouple about 3/8 of an inch?
gmp is offline  
Old 04-07-2007, 04:09 PM   #11
Pro
 
POOLMANinCT's Avatar
 
Trade: Swimming Pool Contractor
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 2,165

Re: Water Heater Pilot Still Wont Light.


call a guy
__________________
......Less with the jaw & More with the paw.....
POOLMANinCT is offline  
Old 04-16-2007, 11:45 PM   #12
Pro
 
Terrence's Avatar
 
Trade: painting and carpentry
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Maplewood, NJ
Posts: 186

Re: Water Heater Pilot Still Wont Light.


This might seem like "DUH" advice, but...

Turn the controller knob to the off position
Wait 5 minutes, and smell around for gas
Turn the controller to the pilot position
Get your match ready
Hold the controller in the down position, and light the flame
COMTINUE to hold the controller knob/button down while you count out 75 seconds and release...

Hope it helps..
g'luck
Terrence is offline  


Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Gas water heater with timer on it? rhinoguy Plumbing 1 06-10-2010 11:11 AM
GAS WATER HEATER - pilot always going out. jman116 Plumbing 2 04-20-2007 01:22 PM
Is it safe to drink water from Hot water Heater? robertc65 Plumbing 14 02-04-2007 12:11 PM
Water heater Help tzzzz216 Plumbing 10 11-22-2006 03:30 PM
Water Heater Venting rakes9720 HVAC 4 01-25-2006 07:28 PM

Join Now... It's Fast and FREE!

Privacy Badge
I am a professional contractor
I am a DIY Homeowner
ContractorTalk.com is for
PROFESSIONAL CONTRACTORS ONLY!

At ContractorTalk.com we cater exlusivly to professional contractors who make their living as a contractor. Knowing that many homeowners and DIYers are looking for a community to call home, we've created www.DIYChatroom.com DIY Chatroom is full of helpful advices and perfect for DIY homeowners.

Redirecing in 10 seconds
No Thanks
terms of service

Already Have an Account?