On Thursday, September 4, 2014 7:03:14 AM UTC-4, Retirednoguilt wrote:
On 9/4/2014 3:02 AM, Julie Bove wrote:

Oh so annoying! I had called the plumber because it was getting to

where our replacement water heater had to be lit once a day.

Initially we had a new one installed on New Year's Eve, 2009. It

worked for a while but then I had to keep relighting it. At first it

was perhaps every three months, then every week then like every half

an hour.



They never could find out what was wrong with it. They replaced

every part they could and finally just gave us a new one. And it was

fine at first. But the same problems started happening up until now!

I just relight it perhaps 2 hours ago when daughter took a shower and

ran out of hot water. I had gotten to the point of being OCD in

checking it to make sure it was still lit. And it had been the last

time I looked. And even though it is a 50 gallon tank, apparently

when it goes out, the water cools very quickly.



So I relit it, called the plumber because it was getting to where I

had to light it daily. Plumber asked me some questions about it and

I had to go out there to look at it. And it it wasn't lit! So it

went out less than 20 minutes after I lit it. And now it won't light

at all. Grrr... Grrr... Grrr...



I am sick of this. And they can't do anything about it tonight. Guy

said he could come out here but I would have to pay $150 just to get

him out as it would be after hours charges. But he had no clue

whether or not he could do anything about it tonight. So... We

wait.



Only thing I can figure is that it might be the venting. That is the

only thing they didn't check. They did say that the last one wasn't

drafting properly or something like that.



I thought maybe that it had something to do with humidity. We had a

few humid days lately and it seemed to go out when it was humid.

Then the torrential downpour throughout the night last night that

knocked the power out. Amazingly enough the thing stayed lit through

all that.



Any evidence of condensation dripping on pilot light? If in the end you

can't get it to work and have to replace the water heater, get one with

a pilot-less ignition.

We went through this same situation with Julie months ago. Suggestions were
made about checking the venting, how it's vented, any wind blowing into garage
where the WH is located, possible bad thermocouples, ie all the obvious things.
As I recall, the TC had been replaced at least once and the gas control valve
had also been replaced. And I think it happened
with the garage door open or shut, ruling out some sudden gusts blowing into the
garage. I don't recall hearing how or if it was resolved then. But it's kind
of surprising that she would pay for a plumber to come out, again, and still
no one has checked the venting? How about some pics at least of the venting?

IDK exactly how venting could cause this either. Even if the vent were blocked,
the pilot light wouldn't go out. It doesn't even need the vent for the pilot light to remain lit. For it to go out, I would think it would need the
venting to be arranged so that somehow it results in a sudden gust hitting the pilot light. I presume the pilot orifice, tube between the valve and orifice have been carefully checked?

If she can't find someone competent, then the other option is to just bite the
bullet and get a new WH, one that doesn't use a pilot light.