Need some help with a water heater pilot out and won't re-light

[Knuckle Dragger]

Well ain't that a bitch. I bought a thermopile (no thermocouple on this unit), igniter and pilot assembly and installed it. The pilot will light (and may have been before, I moved the unit to see better today) but won't stay lit. It looks like the control unit at the cost of $150+. I have a call into the plumber I used when I sold my old house but I suspect I'm going to replace the whole unit. I can't see spending a bunch of money on a builder grade unit with internet reviews giving it another couple of years before more issues.

 

[Smokin'Joe]

I have an older Kenmore gas water heater. It was having pilot light issue and still under warranty. - The service tech said there is, for lack of better terminology, an air filter/passage near the pilot that was clogged. evidently there is some air flow thru the area to keep the pilot lit, but once this passage/filter was clogged, the lack of airflow would no longer keep the flame going.

He said this was a fairly common problem on these units ( Kenmore ), not sure if others are similar.


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[Knuckle Dragger]

I have an older Kenmore gas water heater. It was having pilot light issue and still under warranty. - The service tech said there is, for lack of better terminology, an air filter/passage near the pilot that was clogged. evidently there is some air flow thru the area to keep the pilot lit, but once this passage/filter was clogged, the lack of airflow would no longer keep the flame going.

He said this was a fairly common problem on these units ( Kenmore ), not sure if others are similar.


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Yes sir it is, I did check it but thank you.

 

[flint9]

did you check igniter to see if it is bad? just check resistance. if it is the controller/ module and or brain, order one online simple to install.

 

[Knuckle Dragger]

The control box is bad. The good news is I'm just under the 6 year warranty on parts. I called the plumber that I used when I sold my other house. They went above and beyond again. They can't get it until tomorrow evening but "cold" water just doesn't exist in the Arizona summer so the showers aren't too bad.

 

[rscamaro73]

Glad you have a good guy to work with on issues like that.

Plus the fact that you did some homework.