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matt832
Apprentice Appliantologist
| Joined: | Tue Apr 4th, 2006 |
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Posted: Wed Apr 23rd, 2008 21:11 |
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I've got a Sears water heater made by State, and it appears the gas valve is bad. Pilot kept going out, replaced the thermocouple and it will light and run for a while then cut out. Seems to be temperature dependent. I keep my water hot but at lower settings the burner seems to stay on. So I suspect a bad over temp sensor in the valve.
Question, this is a basic 40 gallon tank with a 40,000 btu burner. Is there a generic, cheap replacement? Tank is 12 years old, I expect another 8-10 out of it based on past experience. Sears wants $124 for the valve delivered, and State wants more.
Is there any other option to repair this? I usually go for TOL units that are now running $500-$600, so I don't want to replace the whole unit yet. I found similar White-Rodgers valves online from $39-$89.
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RegUS_PatOff
Fellow, Academy of Sublime Masters of Appliantology
| Joined: | Sat Sep 24th, 2005 |
| Location: | Milwaukee, Wisconsin USA |
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Posted: Wed Apr 23rd, 2008 21:20 |
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I'm no expert in this forum, just trying to help.
Do you have the water heater model number ?
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dkpd1581
Master Appliantologist
| Joined: | Sun Dec 17th, 2006 |
| Location: | Atlanta, Georgia USA |
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Posted: Wed Apr 23rd, 2008 22:50 |
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1. Make sure that the thermocouple is in the flame correctly (too much or too little will affect the operation)
2. Clean the pilot light burner head/assembly
3. Make sure that you need a thermocouple and not a thermopile - the valve should tell you how many millivolts are necessary to maintain the pilot valve coil
4. Measure the milivolts present while the pilot is engaged to make sure you have the correct amount
5. Check to see if there is any type of draft or air movement affecting the flame area
6. Look for any unsual occurences on start up of the main burner that may affect the pilot on startup or shut down
7. Run the water and force the tank into a call for heat and check the temperature limits to see if they are in fact breaking control voltage to the circuit and the valve. Replace the tank thermostat or safety as necessary
8. Drain the tank and make sure there is no sediment in the bottom that is insulating the water from the burner and causing an abnormal situation
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matt832
Apprentice Appliantologist
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Posted: Thu Apr 24th, 2008 07:39 |
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It's model 153.338450 I got the replacement thermocouple at Sears and they say it's the reccomended replacement. Since i turned the temp down it seems to stay lit. I use my water in the 150 degree range, now it's in the 120's. No like.....
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applianceman18007260692
Sublime Master of Appliantology
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| Location: | Mobile, Alabama USA |
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Posted: Fri Apr 25th, 2008 15:49 |
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| Get a no2 pencil with a good eraser and remove your thermocouple. Use that eraser to clean out the base of the hole where the thermocouple screws in. This will get rid of corrosive buildup. Then reinstall the thermocouple. Make sure the pilot flame hits the tip of the coppernickle probe for maximum electrical output. Let me know. Last edited on Fri Apr 25th, 2008 15:50 by applianceman18007260692
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matt832
Apprentice Appliantologist
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Posted: Sun Apr 27th, 2008 07:20 |
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Thanks for the tip, I'll try it. I don't hold out too much hope since it seems to be temperature dependent, anything other then low to mid setting causes the gas to cut out.
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Pffester
Apprentice Appliantologist
| Joined: | Sun May 4th, 2008 |
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Posted: Wed May 7th, 2008 01:34 |
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While you have it apart get a can of air (or a tank of Nitrogen) and blow out the pilot tube & pilot. You may have a weak flame caused by dirt or spiders.
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