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thetankatwaterheaterrescue.com > Forums > The Tank > New GE Gas Water Heater - Pilot won't stay lit until tank te |
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thetankatwaterheaterrescue.com > Forums > The Tank > New GE Gas Water Heater - Pilot won't stay lit until tank te |
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| New GE Gas Water Heater - Pilot won't stay lit until tank te | Rating: 
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| Posted: Thu Jan 7th, 2010 05:09 pm |
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61st Post |
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AGOM Member 
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That's strange, because I had a plumber who diagnosed that I needed my Combustion Shut Off device replaced. And Rheem sent over a replacement Combustion Shut Off Device Kit under the warranty. What is this, if according to the thread states that this cannot be replaced and a new water heater needs to be installed?
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| Posted: Thu Jan 7th, 2010 08:21 pm |
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62nd Post |
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eleent Member
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Hello: It would be nice if things have changed. In the past, my understanding was that if the little FVIR glass vial broke, you had no choice but to get a new heater. That was not particularly customer or contractor friendly. Yours, Larry
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| Posted: Tue Jan 12th, 2010 03:04 am |
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63rd Post |
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TechSupportGuy Member
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eleent wrote: Hello: It would be nice if things have changed. In the past, my understanding was that if the little FVIR glass vial broke, you had no choice but to get a new heater. That was not particularly customer or contractor friendly. It has changed. Rheem now has Reset Kits available for Thermal Release Device trips. They are free under the warranty. You have to use one of their service techs though. If there isn't a G.E. certified contractor in a certain proximity of your zip code, the heater still gets replaced. Last edited on Tue Jan 12th, 2010 03:06 am by TechSupportGuy |
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| Posted: Tue Jan 12th, 2010 03:16 am |
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64th Post |
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elenano Member
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Thank you for posting this information. I'm putting it, as an update, into the Tanklets, as these threads get lost pretty fast in The Tank as more people post above them. Randy Schuyler
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| Posted: Tue Jan 12th, 2010 03:22 am |
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65th Post |
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TechSupportGuy Member
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elenano wrote: Thank you for posting this information. I'm putting it, as an update, into the Tanklets, as these threads get lost pretty fast in The Tank as more people post above them. Sure thing. FYI, if a TRD trips on a Low Nox unit (California only) the tank still must get replaced. Also, if you're in Canada and your TRD trips you get a new tank as well. Rheem parts take much longer to go Canada and as a result they haven't implemented the new policy. G.E. is still ironing out the kinks, but it's nice to know a tripped tank can (usually) be salvaged now.
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| Posted: Wed May 5th, 2010 06:52 am |
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66th Post |
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FlatBroke Member
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My FVIR broke. It can only be repaired by a certified GE technician. So I figured giving him 200 bucks was worth saving 400-500 on a new water heater. I just wanted him to replace the glass doohicky. That couldn't take more than an hour (service fee is $195 for the first hour) It actually cost me 500 bucks. He diagnosed the problem as being low gas pressure. I am disappointed in GE/Rheem for designing a flammable-vapor-fail-safe mechanism which fails if gas pressure is too LOW. Low gas pressure does not sound dangerous to me... But apparently is can render your water heater useless.
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| Posted: Wed May 5th, 2010 05:41 pm |
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67th Post |
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elenano Member
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Blame the federal government, too, for coming up with weird safety rules that merely protect a handful of foolish people from themselves while costing everybody hundreds of dollars every time they buy a water heater. The FVIR systems have been the bane of the industry for the past eight years. Bradford White, a smaller maker, seems to have come up with a fairly good one, but the others are terribly flawed and have doubtless harmed the reputations of the two biggest manufacturers. Randy Schuyler
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| Posted: Wed Mar 23rd, 2011 03:28 am |
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68th Post |
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longknife58 Member
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I have a GE Smart Model GP40T6A. Last night our heater shut down and I found we had run out of propane. I got all the piolets lit but the water heater. I noticed there is a single use shut-off device there. Who in he world would develop something like that? Is there a reset? Steve Melton Hinkley, Cal Last edited on Wed Mar 23rd, 2011 03:30 am by longknife58 |
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| Posted: Thu Mar 24th, 2011 12:37 am |
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69th Post |
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Ej Member 
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You will need to bleed the gas line then look into the sight glass upwards, your face down on the floor, to see when your pilot lights. It is really hard to see.
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| Posted: Sat May 28th, 2011 08:43 pm |
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70th Post |
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whitedove1968 Member
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this guy has had the best idea i've heard all day. they just restored the gas to my house and i went to take a shower and low and behold, i had to redress. i've been on the net all day searching the magical part out and how to install it when it get here, because of course being a girl they didn't tell me it's name. i'm very familiar with water heaters, been lighting and installing them a long time. then this idea comes along. i get that it's safety, blah blah...it's like a warning on a toothbrush.... anyhow, when the gasman was here, he also installed a "T" on the regulator because i didn't have one. lit the pilot and burners came on he left. low and behold the water heater went off...well he's already gone... he also did some adjusting outside cause he had to paint some little dial... come to find out that this magical vial can also break from low gas pressure. it will set it off. i spent 45 mins argueing with the gas company to come and adjust the gas pressure (didn't know about the vial yet) and they said it was my unit and nothing to do with them... i am a safety conscience person and can comprehend enough to know NOT to gas my family.. keep the ventilation clear...etc etc... luckily my unit is still under warranty (6 years with 2 left-came with the house i bought). but what about after that? hire a guy to come and spend hours upon hours trying to learn what it ME all day to figure out...it's out there folks!! and then charge me for it...guess what? i'm a single mom. a girl. and if i can figure this out?? so can u! don't be IGNORANT and say that ur family is worth more than $500. then get on ur hands and knees and look inside ur water heater and learn what u need to do...how about taking a class for it...not like ur going to stop using a water heater anytime soon?? u'll use that info for the rest of ur life..who knows? u might teach ur kids about it too.... it's just infuriating!!! i'm dirty and smelly and want a shower!! now i can have one before FedEx shows up maybe some time next week cause it's Memorial Day weekend!
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| Posted: Sat May 28th, 2011 08:45 pm |
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71st Post |
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whitedove1968 Member
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authoritym wrote: EASY FIX FOR COMBUSTION SAFETY DEVICE. response to ur post #22 ...
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| Posted: Sat May 28th, 2011 11:23 pm |
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72nd Post |
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elenano Member
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Yes, well, you'd have to do this alteration yourself because no professional in his right mind would accept the risk. Better to replace the glass vial. At least now it IS possible to replace it, which wasn't the case when #22 posted. I don't know the name, either, but I have a feeling that if you go to Rheem's website and search on FVIR, you might find something. Randy Schuyler
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| Posted: Sun May 29th, 2011 02:12 am |
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73rd Post |
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whitedove1968 Member
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elenano wrote: Yes, well, you'd have to do this alteration yourself because no professional in his right mind would accept the risk. Better to replace the glass vial. At least now it IS possible to replace it, which wasn't the case when #22 posted.I have the part on order with GE. they're FedExing to me. it's memorial day weekend and it'll prob be here on wednesday when i'm in illinois cause i'm picking my daughter with her new baby. what a way to start a visit, right? it's nice to know that at least u have a option that u can use as temporary. i think that warrantying the unit for only 6 years is bogus. most water heaters last 10+ years. so what are we supposed to do about that then?? also most repairmen don't even know that u CAN replace it. like my gasman said, you'll probably have to buy a new water heater if it goes out. wow! what's up with that?? i did find on the net, that they have changed this entire design so that when it does trip, it's going to be like a breaker and u can reset it with a button. but again, if ur not careful about why it was tripped in the first place, u won't clean around the unit and still have the same problem. so again, let's be like our parents and take responsibility for what's ours! clean around the unit. not leave it up to some design flaw and blame the mfg. we've lived without this piece for 60+ years, who y do we need it now? for the same reason there's warnings on toothbrushes and hot cups of coffee. responsibility. i'm all for safety, don't get me wrong. but when they put a part that the common homeowner can't install, THAT'S BOGUS! i can't afford to pay someone to install it. i took a spitbath (look up if u don't know what that means) standing in my shower with water i heated in the sun. i Can live without my water heater because i've been without it for a month and without gas too! but it's still bogus when the gasman messes with the meter outside, drops the gas pressure in ur house, blows out ur water heater, and then tells u it ur fault? yup, that's bogus! and being a girl automatically puts in the "dumb" category when it comes to household repairs! yuppers! i've got the part on order and it comes with directions for installation. but when my 6 years is up and it breaks down and they want $150 for a part that costs about 10 cents. i'm gonna rig it! u better believe it. i have the right too! just like seatbelts! and helmets on motorcycles! it's my choice! i'm not hurting anyone but myself (not a gluten for punishment) but just a freedom of choice fighter. that's what this country's based on. right? anyway, gotta go to work to make that almight dollar. later. good luck. i've learned alot today about this new fangled water heater of mine. it took all day but now i won't get taken advantage of by some smartie pants repairman trying to sell me a new water heater  i have a new granddaughter i can spend that money on!
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| Posted: Sun May 29th, 2011 02:24 am |
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74th Post |
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elenano Member
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Part of the problem here is that up until the federal government mandated the FVIR devices in 2003, water heaters were installed and they just worked. No maintenance, no attention from the owner needed. Now it's a different ballgame and people are going to have to do maintenance on filters and such or have problems. Heat-pump water heaters are coming in strong and if you don't install them the right way and keep the filter clean, they don't work well, if at all. On the plus side, since people will start getting used to that kind of maintenance, then maybe they'll get used to our kind of maintenance, too -- for longevity. As to the warranty length -- you don't think the makers want heaters to last forever, do you? And they certainly don't want to be on the hook forever, either. So they set a warranty period they think is a safe bet and that's that. And that period is not really based on how long they think the FVIR device will last, but how long they think the sacrificial anode to last. They expect the heater to rust out, not malfunction. Anyway, as long as you're here, you could do worse than to read my section, The Basics. Then for a breather, check out the Weingarten Collection or House on Hummingbird Hill. Randy Schuyler Last edited on Sun May 29th, 2011 02:25 am by elenano |
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| Posted: Sat Jun 18th, 2011 07:01 pm |
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75th Post |
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W6CWJ Member
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HOW TO REMOVE THE THERMOCOUPLE ON THE GE/RHEEM LOW NOX HOT WATER HEATER. Ultra Low NOx Service Training FaxBack # 1426 6 Removing the Burner Access Door and Burner Assembly • Pull the burner assembly from the combustion chamber. Any gasket removed from the burner assembly must be replaced with a new gasket. Repairing the Burner Assembly Components • From here, you can: – Replace the thermocouple – Replace the pilot / igniter assembly – Inspect and clean burner surface area CALL 800 431 1549 FOR MORE HELP FROM RHEEM. THEY CAN EMAIL YOU PDF 1426 WITH FULL INSTRUCTIONS AND PHOTOS.
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| Posted: Sat Jun 18th, 2011 09:09 pm |
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76th Post |
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Ej Member
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In most cases you will need to disassemble the burner to even get it out. At this point a complete gasket kit is needed. Also if your orange rubber plug is brittle you will need this also. The thermocouple is different from your average thermocouple having armor that extends to the exit point.
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| Posted: Sat Aug 6th, 2011 11:59 pm |
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77th Post |
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Junkeo Member
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Thanks all! Helped me in the right direction for troubleshooting this annoying problem. One thing I did not see mentioned, and which turned out to be my problem, was the silly piezo-electric lighter device. Went through many troubleshooting steps and finally found it was as simple as going the old-fashioned route of lighting the thing manually with a match. So, maybe this will help someone else. My Troubleshooting Steps: -Piezo-electric igniter working? Probably Can't see inside well enough to see if there is a spark or not. It's probably fine, what ever goes wrong with those? -Can I hear gas flowing into the pilot when I hold down the Pilot Plunger? NO -Can I smell gas when I hold down the Pilot Plunger? NO -Water heater set for correct type of gas (propane or natural)? YES The house is only a couple years old, maybe it's been set wrong all this time and burned something out - I don't know. -Gas Supply okay? YES gas stove lights and burns fine -Maybe just gas in the line to the stove? NO observed outside gas meter needle moving while stove was burning, and not moving when stove was off. -Thermocouple okay? DOESN'T MATTER Bad Thermocouple would keep pilot from staying lit, but not from lighting in the first place. -"Single Use Gas Shutoff Device" tripped? PROBABLY NOT Well, first, do I have one of those? Oh, there's the two wires, yes I do have one of those. Are there broken bits of glass in the burner chamber of the hot water heater? No there are not. So likely the Device has not been tripped. -Pilot Supply Orifice Plugged? WELL.. How the heck do I check the Pilot Supply Orifice? Oh, there are instructions printed on the hot water heater. I have to remove the whole burner assembly to check that! Dang. How the heck do I do that? Ah ha... open this door, oh! There is a gasket here that moves out of the way! HEY!! NOW I can see inside the burner chamber easily!! -Piezo-Electric lighter working? NO -Try lighting it manually with a match? YES That's not going to work, I can't hear or smell any gas coming in. HOLY HECK!! It Worked!! Good luck all. Hopefully you'll get as lucky as I did. Last edited on Sun Aug 7th, 2011 12:03 am by Junkeo |
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| Posted: Mon Sep 5th, 2011 07:31 pm |
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78th Post |
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PL28 Member
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Hi everyone, this forum been helpful but unfortunately I was not able to troubleshoot my problem and was wondering if anyone can offer any advice or comments: I have a GE Ultra low NOx manf in 2009. Model number is PG48T09AXK00. The problem is the pizeo-electric sparks works and I was able to get a pilot light on while depressing the Gas Control knob on the "pilot" tab. However when I let go of the control knob (while holding down for over a min) the pilot will go out right away. After several tries, the pilot repeatedly goes out when the knob is released. I've seen on these forums that people had replace thermocouples and stuff, but the whole enclosure with the little glass window makes it intimidating to change. thanks in advance
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| Posted: Mon Sep 5th, 2011 09:43 pm |
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79th Post |
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elenano Member
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Is there any chance the FVIR system was activated or that the heater received a hard knock? If the FVIR was triggered, nothing you did would make any difference. Randy Schuyler
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| Posted: Tue Sep 6th, 2011 12:41 am |
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80th Post |
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Ej Member
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Most likely your thermocoupler is bad. Call Rheem and have them send you a thermocoupler. It is a special armored thermocoupler to hold up to the infra-red heat. Do not take the burner apart to remove it. This step is not needed and I can't tell you how many times I was handed junk and asked to put it back together. To get comfortable with doing this yourself unscrew the four screws holding the front door on. They might be torx heads. Use the right tool. Once the screws are out gently pull on the door. It will come out about 4 inches or so then stop. It will not come out any further. You will be able to see the thermocouple on the left side now. The gasket shouldn't stick but be careful not to tear it. Once you get your new thermocoupler come back here and I can walk you through a simple change out.
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