Posted by Stacy (AZ) on August 09, 2001 at 21:12:12:
I guess I should explain myself? Some people call them “hot water heaters”, when their real name is “water heaters” (really, look it up in the instruction manual). A “hot water heater” would be heating water that’s already hot.
I guess I was the only one that thought it was funny.
Posted by lou miller on August 07, 2001 at 17:20:27:
@hi my name is lou;I just bought a three unit apartment unit and I am having trouble keeping my gas hot water heater pilot light lit would appretiate any input. thank you.
Some thoughts on thermocouples… (long) - Posted by Tom – IN
Posted by Tom – IN on August 08, 2001 at 02:33:28:
Consider the lowly thermocouple before the heating season begins. I keep a separate tool box for working on furnaces and water heaters. One major tool in this box is a box of 18" wooden matches, commonly sold for lighting the fire in a fireplace. If you have a lot of properties, buy one thermocouple of each length. They are only a couple of bucks each, and there’s really no reason to go out to a house on a Friday night and have to wait until Monday to get to the heating supply house to get a thermocouple. Any time you’re having pilot light problems, change the thermocouple. It’s a cheap way of narrowing down the problem. I also carry a cheap VOM, a tubing cutter, a spare kit to make up a pilot tubing, and a set of drill bits for cleaning out the pilot orifice, a #87 is most freqently the right size. Lots of time when the tenant turns off the pilot for the summer, a spider will lay eggs in the pilot line. Pipe dope, teflon tubing, a few 1/2" to 34" bushings. I also carry a Honeywell generic combination gas valve replacement unit for natural gas, 24 V. I like the one where the output bushing is held on with screws. Real handy if you don’t have room to turn it. Of course, this reflects the most common furnaces * I * have in my houses, and may not reflect what you have in yours. Also, a couple of spare thermostats, and a length of thermostat wire, and a collection of jumper cords with alligator clips, from Radio Shack. Another really handy piece of test gear is a 24 V neon test light. A box of 15 Amp slow blo fuses, electrical tape, and who knows what else. A few screwdrivers and an assortment of smaller wrenches for unscrewing the pilot light line and the thermocouple nuts.
If you want a good price on any furnace items or furnaces (New Coleman furnaces for $300) go to usamfg.net.
Had a new A O Smith Heat Water unit put in and … - Posted by Frank Chin
Posted by Frank Chin on August 07, 2001 at 19:33:33:
had this very same problem.
Th company told my plumber who installed it that they had problems with a particular line and had their local rep make the warranty repairs.
The rep installed a heavier thermo coupler and removed the insulation around the inside of the water heater in the area around the pilot light. The man said that the added insulation in some cases reduced air flow causing the pilot light to extinguish.