Original message
| Gilson
 |  "Hot Water Heater"
, posted Thu 11 Aug 20:27  
I hope I can post a question regarding hot water heaters. I have a problem with an AO Smith high efficincy hot water gas heater. The pilot light keeps going out on me, but at random times. The pilot can go out one day after the next, then not go out for almost 2 weeks. This is a new unit, that has never gone longer than 2 weeks without an outage. I hired a plumber who told me it is pulling"good" draft, but I don't think he tested this with any kind of meter or tool. Can anyone make a suggestion?
Matt
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Replies:
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| rustymike
| "Re(1):Hot Water Heater" , posted Wed 17 Aug 18:19
Odds are you don't have enough gas pressure to the pilot burner.
Get a good gas service tech who has an incline monometer that can measure pressure in inches of water column. Guys that do air pressure tests on homes will also have them.
This way you can do an actual test of the gas pressure to the pilot burner to see if the burner is getting enough gas pressure and then make your pressure adjustment to the pilot burner, otherwise you may need to clean out the pilot burner orifice or install an new one.
Call the manufacter again and ask them to send you a new pilot burner oriface, in case you need it.
No matter how idiot proof you make something better idiots will always try and screw around with it!
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| beginner
| "Re(1):Hot Water Heater" , posted Fri 12 Aug 18:43
Check the thermocouple if it is a standing pilot.
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| | gilson
| "Re(2):Hot Water Heater" , posted Fri 12 Aug 19:03
I questioned AO Smith about that as this is a new tank. The rep told me it would be a consitant outage if it were the thermo couple. The rep said, with the small pilot of these efficient tanks, venting is very important. I don't know if he is being totally upfront with me.
Matt
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| | beginner
| "Re(3):Hot Water Heater" , posted Sat 13 Aug 07:45
The thermocouple costs you only about $5 from HD. Replace it and see the result.
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