"The Streets" wrote in message
...
"rick" wrote in message
...
sorry for being so dense -- big box store implies ?? HomeDepot/Lowe's

Right.

I am not a very handy person...would replacing the thermocouple reqire
turning of the gas supply or any other such preventive measure?

Should be sufficient to just turn off the supply to the water heater.

Are these thermocouples one size fits all or would it be specific to my
water heater model?

Home Depot has a "universal" model made by Honeywell that fits nearly
everything. Cost ~$7. The lead length is 36" which maybe/probably is
longer than you need. I usually carefully coil the excess in a circle
with
a
diameter of ~2" or so. Just be careful not to cut or crimp it.

You'll probably need to remove the entire burner assembly to install it.
That means also disconnecting the gas line to the burner and the one for
the pilot light. Once you do that, it should be obvious and easy to
remove
the assembly.

When re-installing, carefully thread all the connections (the 2 gas lines
and
the thermocouple connection) by hand to start with so you avoid any
chance of cross-threading.


He stated that he's not very handy, but you feel comfortable explaining to
him how to remove a burner from a gas-fired appliance?

WOW