Replacing Thermocouple In Gas Water Heater

However if you have a leak if your water heater is older than 8 12 years or you just wish to upgrade and cut your energy expense it is time for a new heater.

Replacing thermocouple in gas water heater.

A flame shield or manifold door that you removed from the heater or water heater. Regular maintenance will extend the life of your water heater and some repairs such as replacing a pressure relief valve or heating element are pretty simple. If yours is getting old this article is also for you. We ll show you how to install your own gas water heater in less than a day.

How to replace a thermopile on a water heater. Diy hot water heater repair. Since almost all major brands of atmospherically vented water heaters have switched from a thermocouple to a t. When your water heater begins to leak you have to replace it fast.

The burner typically sits loosely or under clips in the burning chamber and just slides out. The thermocouple is part of the pilot burner assembly and connects to the gas control valve on the outside of the water heater. Reconnect the end of the thermocouple to the gas control valve where the old thermocouple end was un screwed. If you have a gas water heater with a pilot light that won t stay lit it s probably due to a failed thermocouple.

Even if you don t need a new water heater right now chances are you will within the next few years. The pilot light heats the thermocouple which generates electric current that tells the gas control valve thermostat to continue to feed gas to the burner assembly. In simple terms it s a short piece of tubing that runs from the gas controller to the pilot. A bad thermocouple is the most likely culprit when your whirlpool water heater fails to heat the water in the tank.

Then unfasten the three nuts that hold the thermocouple and the two gas tubes to the valve. The thermocouple is a thermoelectric device that shuts off the gas if the pilot light goes out. By james carey morris carey. The thermocouple is a special sensing tube on gas water heaters that senses when the pilot light has flame and shuts off the gas to the unit when the pilot has been extinguished.

Water heaters tend to last seven to 15 years. You should find that you turn the screw counter clockwise to tighten a right hand threaded connector.