The majority of problems on todays water heaters can be solved with the tightspot vacuum brush.
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- Опубликовано: 16 окт 2024
- For more information visit www.tightspotva... Most waterheater manufactured after 2003 require preventive maintence consisting of keeping the flame arrestor, or sometimes called; screen clean. This procedure will prevent pilot light failure.
I have this exact same W.H. and the pilot lite kept going out, (I really thought the thermocoupler was bad) The directions said make sure flame arrester was clean. but they didn't say how to check it or even where it was. After watching your vid, I cleaned it and now it's working like a champ again!
I must have relite that pilot light 100 times before I found this vid. It's the first time my Procrastination worked in my favor.
Thanks A Million!!!!!
Thank you for this video. I had no idea of what a flame arrestor is. My pilot light kept going out after lighting and cycling through one main burner cycle. Never having cleaned that filter before, I thought I would give it a try. Guess what? That fixed my problem and now my water heater is working like a champ! Thank you kindly.
THANK YOU SOOOO EFFIN MUCH!!!!! my pilot light kept going out and I had a company come out to my home 3 different times in 4 days. they replaced the thermocouple and did a number of things to try to get it fixed. I was even told that i have to get the whole thing (water heater) replaced. it wasnt until i saw this video and did exactly what you did that it lit up and stayed lit. Again thanks so effin much!!!!
I have an A O Smith model:100 50 gallon gas water heater. It's about 10-11 years old. Never had a problem till my wife complained this morning that her shower was warm but not hot. I checked the pilot and sure enough it was out. Tried three times to re-light the pilot but it would go out immediately when releasing the pilot switch. Researched on-line and found out the corderite disc gets full of dust and creates air blockage/heat buildup which triggers a safety measure shutting off pilot. I found your video searching for a cleaning method. It worked flawlessly the first time. Thanks for saving me $$$$$$$ in a service call.
Thank you so much for this video. Nobody else mentioned this. I made a makeshift tool with a toothbrush taped to a backscratcher to clean it off while vacuuming, clicked the switch and it fired right up. Even though my homemade tool worked it is definately going to be easier and more efficient when i get your vacuum attachment. Im absolutely going to purchase this just because you saved my day (also because everybody should have one really).
Dust and buildup on the flame arrestor vent at the bottom of the WH was the problem in my case. I do a fair amount of wood cutting in the garage and the saw dust was the problem. The pilot would light okay and stay on, then the burner would work for about 10 minutes, then shut off prematurely. When it did, the pilot would blow out simultaneously. Cleaning the dust and buildup from the flame arrestor vent and the entire bottom chamber with a vacuum solved the apparent airflow problem.
I used a strong vacuum cleaner and connected the hose to a short piece of pvc sprinkler pipe I rigged up. Duct tape on the joints to account for the mismatch fit up of pipes. At the end I used a 90 degree pvc elbow, but I had to hack saw off some of it to get it to fit in the tight space below the WH. Vacuum all around the chamber removing all dust and hold the end of the PVC elbow up against the underside of the flame arrestor vent to clear all buildup using suction. Voila! zero cost fix
I used a bottle brush about 18-24" long picked it up for $2 worked great for getting in the vents to clean the flame screen
And since I was busy doing that I took the time to pull the burner assembly out which only takes about 10 min, vacuumed the burner off and removed build up on the thermocouple. Seems like my problem went away(Burner would run for about 8 to 10 min then the burner and pilot would shut off). Maintenance I had no idea that needs to be done semi annually, Ty for this video showing this it was perfect.
This just saved me a call too. Didn't know if I needed to replace everything, get a new tank (similar problem a year ago), or go tankless. Thank you!
I too had to improve the vac/brush, but THANK YOU SO MUCH for this upload. Everyone I talked to about my problem kept going on about the effing thermal couple, I was getting frustrated until your video got me sorted out.
THANK YOU!!!
Wow. Impressive. I have been having problems with my pilot light and couldn't figure it out. I was going to call a technician soon but gave youtube a look and found this. Cleaned underneath with brush and vacuum. Pilot stays on now. Anyone with pilot light issues should try this.
Thanks for your video! That was exactly the problem I had just now and I followed your video to fix it. Who would have known there is such a thing as a flame arrestor and that it would have caused the pilot light to go out and remain out.
I think this will save me so much trouble and money! I was looking for a video to change thermocouple and popped this video up and it matched my symptoms exactly! thermostat clicking off, pilot staying on than going out after a bit, or all flames going out unless I open the front a bit!
This man is correct. When my flame arrester got plugged the pilot and and the burner would not stay running. Unfortunately, if you have a Richmond/ Rheem water heater, you cannot access the bottom of the flame arrestor -it is totally encapsulated and buried underneath the water heater. When a Richmond/Rheem is plugged (trouble shoot by removing sight glass, if water heater runs without sight glass you are starving for air), the entire unit must be flipped over, disassembled, cleaned.
I have a Sears Miser 9 water heater and am 99% sure a dirty flame arrestor is the problem. I can re-light pilot and also get burner to turn on, but only for a short period of time (5-10 minutes) and then it will turn off. I just ordered the tightspot brush on ebay, ..I'll give a try and keep you posted. Thank you!
Great video, I got water in my basement, enough to make hot water heat stop working. Went to re-light pilot and it re-lite but as soon as the main burner came on it would only stay lite for 10 seconds and go out , also taking the pilot light out with it. To make a long story short, by cleaning the flam arrestor or screen on the bottom side of water tank that must of got plugged from the water it allowed the right amount of air into water heater burn zone and works OK now. So with out this air flow the main burner would not burn correct and not flam up like it should and burn sideways and take out the pilot light. Make sure this area is clear and clean for correct air flow. Great tip did not know it was there.
the new design does allow better drafting.but preventive maintenance (cleaning the flame arrestor) is still required.the reset button on the thermo cut out was also a nice improvement.replacement parts are no longer needed if pilot goes out due to a dirty flame arrestor.
Thank you! Cleaned under neath and "flame arrestor" and it fired right up!
You are the Man, I have that problem and with your video was able to fix it, you just save me at least 50 box, thanks so much for your help.
Howdy,
Even with a small vacuum brush, the flame arrestor was about 1 inch thick, holes were too small for even a toothpick! So, it get's clogged up and there is no way at all to clean it. The new model I have, has a flat steel screen, easily accessible to get to. I love it!! It's a Whirlpool.
Great video, and thanks for the maintenance tip. That was my problem and everything is A-OK now.
I made this vacuum tool myself years ago haha. But I stumbled on this video because I needed to know the wiring orientation of the temperature sensor. I'm not sure if its specific or not but I needed to be positive I didn't get them backwards.
Holy c**** I was gonna call the experts for another $90.... This will surely solve my problem. Very simple, thanks!
Taking sight glass off fixed my problem is hard to clean the bottom with drain pain in the way.
I had this problem,called a heating and plumbing comp,the guy came out stood in front of water heater and told me I needed a new water heater,quoted me 900$ installed,I told him I would think about it,then he charged me 65$ for coming out,and I told him he didn't do anything to get paid for,I told him the least u can do is clean it out a little or flash a light on it for 65$ ,he got a long wirey brush and just rubbed all underneath the water heater,and guess what?the pilot lit stayed on burner went on and stayed on,needless to say I never going to call that comp again and also wrote them good review...if u know what I mean
My thermocouples keep going bad within 1 to 3 months! I just cleaned the flame arrester for the first time in 3 years. Will this do the trick? or is there something else that I should be concerned with?
Thanks ! I do wish they would tell you that when trouble shooting this.
How about, when the water heater tank sits in tray and can't get to the filter at all?
Can't even see it?
IT is super,10 sec. to fix it problem and no cost.Thank you
I have a kenmore gas 40 gallon water heater. Passes gas directly to the manifold thermoplile. Would cleaning the bottom work?
What are the precise symptoms of a flame arrestor problem vs. a legitimate thermocouple problem? My pilot light goes out the moment I let go of the override button. Since you said the flame arrestor resulted in *eventual* overheating and shut-off, I believe my problem is a faulty thermocouple. Can you please clarify?
there is an installed 2" tall collection pan under water heater, suggest just to bend it out of the way to get to the screen?
I have a 40gal Rudd Ultra Low Nox Pacemaker having same problem but only this one only has vents at the bottom side and they are clean does not have a flame arrestor at bottom
sorry if this has already been asked, but what happens if the viewing glass is broken? Will that cause the FVIR system to stop the flame? I mistakenly broke the glass, and now the gas won't stay on. I understand what an above commenter mentioned as far as legal ramifications, but I'm trying to figure out why my water heater won't work. Thanks....
So do u have to have one of those thingys to clean it out?
Thanks for the video. Fixed my problem without any cost. Was just getting ready to call a plumber.
There are many different ways to clean the flame arrestor.the tightspot vacuum brush was design to ciean the flame arrestor quickly, effectively and without removing the flame arrestor. I recommend only a qualified tech to touch gas connections.There is no need to touch the gas connections are requires any tools. just five minutes and a vacuum cleaner. the tightspot vacuum brush works great on refrigerator coils too.
What if you dont's have a flame arrestor? And are required by code to have pan that blocks access to teh bottom to brush out? My Water heater will not stay lit, but I dont see any flame arrestor or temp sensor as you indicate.
broderp to
what type of water heater do you have. make model year. need more information
If theirs a flood and the pilot light gets wet and does not come back on. Can parts be changed or do i have to buy another gas water heater?
Yvonne. Stewart I suppose you can pull the burner and thermopile unit out, dry them off really good with a blow dryer, put them back in and see if it lights again (before buying replacement parts)
i have a 91 gal hot water gas tank. it has no return flow its set up just like a 44 gal home hot water heater, mine has to supplie hot water to 12 6 1b room apartments and 6 2br apartment, my resedents are complaining they never get hot water. this happens at different times of the day. i have drain the tank there is nothing in side the tank, becouse i have a seal metal opener. so i can see inside. please what the hell is going on.
We bought a new water tank and had it installed by an army vet this past June. We had to fix some of the piping as we had a slight carbon problem. Upon reinstallation, the pilot wont ignite. Our flamer rester is clean, but I noticed that it is wet from water. Could this wetness prevent the pilot from being lit?
Ya, thermocoupler needs to be hot to send a signal and water would cool it down
I moved into an apartment recently and the landlord said the gas water heater was brand new. The hot water runs out in the shower after about three minutes. i tried turning the thermostat up on the water heater and that didnt help. I am assuming if the pilot light was out that would mean I wouldnt be getting any hot water at all. Any suggestions before i have to call my landlord? thanks very much in advance.
Open the gas line all the way.
Thank you so much!. For me, the pilot light would light just fine. It would then either go out by itself if I left the pilot light on for a few minutes or if I turned the thermostat up immediately after getting the pilot lit it would burn itself out in a second or two. The flame would appear to go from being at the burner to slower move towards the bottom of the chamber and then die out like there was no oxygen. This occurred immediately after a flooded basement due to a failed check valve in the sump pump line. I didn't have the vacuum but used a brush the just fit (brush for removing snow from car windshield actually) and inserted it below the water heater and brushed the bottom for a few seconds. After lighting the pilot again the flame took off immediately and I finally have hot water again. Saved me a ton of money. Thanks!
If you have the vents remove them. Inside the flame pan if you have the ceramic' drill inch a 2 inch hole or beat one out of the ceramic. You will never need to clean the flame pan again.
Where can I purchase one of thes tight spot vacuum brush.
Well, the new one I have doesn't give me any problems at all. The flame arrestor is a different design and very easy to access. I was sooooo sick and tired of dealing with Sears "dummy" parts dept. They thought I was scamming them, coming in for a new burner assembly every month. The only place that had them was a 50 minute drive from my home. The new flame arrestor is a steel LARGE hole screen, not like the ceramic one I had with literally pin holes that a toothpick would not fit into.
Dave
dirty flame sensor? Same thing as a flame arrestor?
flame sensor are used if you don't have a standing pilot(thermocouple)
all air for combustion must come thru the flame arrestor for safety reasons. you need to fix the broken glass problem first. without make, model, year it's hard to find problem. need more information.
No, there is barely enough room to get two fingers near it. The arrestor is about 1 inch thick and the holes are smaller than a tooth pick. They really screwed the pooch on this design. Hard to explain, but when you take the burner assembly out, the whole left is very tight. I was able to tape a tooth brush to a coat hanger to try and get in there, no luck. I am really happy with the Whirlpool I just purchased, no problems yet, knock on wood! LOL
never remove sight glass from water heater. this could lead to all sorts of legal problems if there is a fire. if you have a water heater that you cannot access from the bottom,you can clean the flame arrestor by removing the burner assembley. once the burner assemble is removed, look inside and see if the metal plate has fallen down on top of the flame arrestor(screen).if so, you need to call the manufacture to get the required parts to reset the metal plate off the flame arrestor.blow clean.
Sounds simple, i will give it a try...THX!
Thanks for the help - good vid.
Why is the gas water heater sealed?
Worked great! thank you
thats got to be it,i cleaned flue got new control vale and anew burner assembly still it cuts off in about 6 min.will let ya know it this works ,
Gonna let us know or what? Ive been waiting 3 years for your response! I need to know if I should try it
very very helpful!! thank you
Very clear video. very helpful...
Unfortunately.most all water heaters have the same design/flaw. I replaced a whirlpool with a A.O. Smith. In two days, I had problems. We are all being ripped off.
I have a electronic air cleaner,brand name Honeywell. I can't fine how to drain the condense pan?? Please help anybody :)
there are many types of gas water heaters . some have reset buttons . some reset themselves when they cool down. some have thermopyles instead of thermocouple. need more information. make model year.
air cannot pass thru water . wait till it dries. you may have to remove any residue left behind.
Great video, but needs better title for searching. Maybe "Water heater short cycles"
I just ripped the gaskets all out, broke that peak screen out, and pulled the burner out 1/4 inch. Yolo
thank you got it
What about a gunked up thermocouple?
Use sandpaper
The water tank shown in this video is a piece of cake compared to the Kenmore Power Miser. The flame arrestor is located underneath the burner assembly, once you remove that, which is easy, you can barely get your first few fingers in there to barely touch the flame arrestor. I've used wire brushes connected to coat hangers, etc. It is round with very small holes, impossible to clean. I have bought over 10 burners, Sears and Kenmore refuse to admit the problem. Don't buy Kenmore or Sears!
Couldn't you just remove the whole burner assembly and vacuum from the top? I put a spill pan under mine and Now cant access it from the bottom.
It didnt work...replaced the heater after two years.
Put Duck AC filters (buy from Walmart, other stores) over the vents. Clean the filters when dirty. Problem solved.
useless vacuum attachment if you have a drip pan under your tank! now what?
Henry Winkler?
perfect who knows something that simple causes so many damn problems hahaha
new water heaters dont last!
This is possibly the worst designed water heater I have ever seen. This guy talks about the vacuum attachment as though it were standard equipment with every water heater. I hope this wasn't designed in the US as what it says about our engineering capabilities is pretty awful if it was.
phone# 18002287904 call they can help you.
Don't buy a Rheems gas hot water heater = Piece Of Shit
+Patrick McCarron i agree Rheem sucks, and call tech support and you are made to sound like a fool
I got rid of the stupid vial that explodes if somebody farts in the wrong direction while walking pass the hot water heater in the hallway. I just pried it open with a paper clip piece. Also need to make certain you have a good supply of fresh air enter the bottom and vent directly out the top to atmosphere.