hot h2o tank

[heyttown]

I have a 40 gal gas water tank...i think its 13 yrs old or so.. had a flood in basement with all the rains....Yesterday I lit the pilot lt and tank heated up fast...took a hot shower about 3 hrs after I lit pilot lt nice and hot water...Hop in shower tonight after work and first minute was luke warm at best... took fast military shower and went to the basement to figure what happened... pilot lt is out again and this time wont stay lit...It will light with me holding the button down that bleeds the gas line into the tank but as soon as i release the button to turn the dial to on lt goes out... any ideas?

 

[stevenj]

Re: hot h2o tank

water didn't cover gas valve did it? may just need thermocouple replaced and or pilot cleaned if the pilot flame is not impinging on the thermocouple.

 

[heyttown]

Re: hot h2o tank

No the water got high enough to put pilot lt out but not reach the valve...My uncle said the thermocouple may be on its way out and to use a little mapp gas torch, hotter flame and after 5 or 6 attempts it did eventually light, almost like my pilot lt isnt heating the thermocouple enough to get it to fire up... how bad are thermocouples to change? the tank was installed in 95 so i know im on borrowed time but this is the first lick of trouble ive had since 2000 when I bought this house.

 

[mthieme]

Re: hot h2o tank

Yup, thermocouple...$5 item at the local hardware store.
It took three hours to heat up 40 gallons ?????
That does not sound right.

 

[heyttown]

Re: hot h2o tank

No the tank sounded like it ran for 5 minutes or so...but I was busy cleaning up the mess from the flood..I was just using the time frame as an example that it was lit and still making hot water 3 or 4 hrs after I had initially got it lit.

 

[mthieme]

Re: hot h2o tank

Gotchya.

 

[stl]

Re: hot h2o tank

Woke up this morning with no hot water. The pilot will not stay lite just as you described. Bought a thermocouple on the way home from work. Got home and had no idea how to get in there and change it. So I called my buddy who lives a couple of blocks away. He came over and changed it. He disconnected the pilot tube and manifold tube from the gas valve, and the whole burner assembly came right out. Why didn't I think of that. Then you have easy access to the thermocouple, Anyway it took him less than 15 minutes. Really easy I am kind of embarressed that I couldn't figure it out. Oh well I will be able to do it next time.

 

[mthieme]

Re: hot h2o tank

I went through the same thing...never heard of a thermocouple much less knew what it looked like, where it was or how to work on it. But, as you now know, it's a piece of cake.
Did the thermocouple do it for you?

 

[stl]

Re: hot h2o tank

So far it has been working fine. I hope Heyttown can get his going.

 

[stl]

Re: hot h2o tank

We had some flooding in our area last fall. I wasn't affected but my buddy that helped me out said he did about 80 thermocouple changes in that area where the flooding was. So he can do them in his sleep now.

 

[mthieme]

Re: hot h2o tank

I don't understand the correlation between flooding and the thermocouple. But I'm storing in the ol' memory bank for future reference.

 

[heyttown]

Re: hot h2o tank

Knock on wood but I got it lit last night and it has stayed lit....Im planning on replacing it in the near future(sometime this year) and im leaning towards one of the on demand types... we will see. but took a hot long shower tonight...sure beats those 2 minute military showers

 

[mthieme]

Re: hot h2o tank

Glad you got it. Cold showers are no fun.
I've contemplated those on demand types, but fear I don't have the service for it. I've only got a 100 amps coming into the house and everything but the furnace is electric. Lately, I become convinced that just having 200 amp service raises the electric bill too - even if you don't use it.

 

[Edko]

Re: hot h2o tank

Don't give BGE any more great ideas...

 

[mthieme]

Re: hot h2o tank

Ain't that the truth.
Maybe we should have a 'tea party' with there coal barge(s).