"Yargnits" wrote in message
oups.com...
I posted a few days ago about my high gas bills and I still haven't had
any luck tracking the cause. Since my main suspect is the water heater
I contacted AO Smith and asked them how old the water heater was. They
said it was made in 1973 so it's the original one installed in my
house. I also sent them some pics of the water heater and the flame
and they said that the flame looks too big and colorful. They suspect
the gas pressure to be too high and that I should have the gas company
come check it.

It will like pulling teeth to get them to come out so I'd like an
opinion from the knowledgeable people here. Should I just replace the
30 year old water heater or pursue the pressure? It's got a glass tank
so it will probably live for quite a while yet and if it is the
pressure the new water heater will have the same problem. That is
unless they're putting regulators in them now.


This is Turtle.

After 30 years of service i would replace it and not play the hunting trip
pressure game . There is a cotton mesh filter in most of these old gas hot water
tank gas valves and when through the years sulpher builds up in it and the flame
may become flawed and you would think there is a pressure problem.

TURTLE