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DougG 
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Joined: 20 Sep 2009
Location: Mo
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 Topic: Propane water heater quit??
Posted: 20 Jul 2019 at 2:37pm |
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Girl friend has an AO Smith Promax water heater around 10 years old , 40 gallon model and it just quit, propane tank has 40 % in it -when you try to light the pilot light there is no hiss of gas, no smell at all , igniter is sparking but no flame happens where its supposed to , we are going to replace it but Im a fixer and just curious on what happened to it ?
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jaybmiller
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Joined: 12 Sep 2009
Location: Greensville,Ont
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Posted: 20 Jul 2019 at 2:45pm |
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any other propane appliances on the tank you can try to be SURE you have propane ?
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3 D-14s,A-C forklift, B-112
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Dave in PA
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Joined: 13 Sep 2009
Location: Mars/Wexford PA
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Posted: 20 Jul 2019 at 2:51pm |
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Try a new Thermo-coupler, cheap and first place to start. it is the little thin wire looking thing going to the gas valve, and the pilot light/ or maybe a electronic thing now?? I am not sure about the newer stuff, with-out the flames.
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DougG
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Location: Mo
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Posted: 20 Jul 2019 at 3:16pm |
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Everything else works,, I thought about the thermocouple,,, used to live in a trailer and kept them on hand, but that was in the 90,s
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plummerscarin
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Joined: 22 Jun 2015
Location: ia
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Posted: 20 Jul 2019 at 4:24pm |
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Be careful. Propane more hazardous than NG. A coworker spent ten days in the hospital doing what you are doing. That said, is the gas control in the pilot position and held down while you are attempting to light pilot? If I remember correctly that model has a sealed door to the burner chamber and you likely won't hear gas entering. Can you see the spark ? If so the the gas control valve is suspect and would need replaced.
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john(MI)
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Location: SE MI
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Posted: 20 Jul 2019 at 6:49pm |
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Probably the regulator if you ain't getting gas for the pilot.
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D14, D17, 5020, 612H, CASE 446
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Dusty MI
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Joined: 13 Sep 2009
Location: Charlotte, Mi
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Posted: 20 Jul 2019 at 7:20pm |
Check to see if your getting gas to the water heater.
Dusty
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Hubert (Ga)engine7
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Posted: 20 Jul 2019 at 9:07pm |
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Since it has an ignitor does it even have a pilot light or just fire off when the thermostat calls for heat? May be a bad gas valve.
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Just an old country boy saved by the grace of God.
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JW in MO
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Posted: 20 Jul 2019 at 9:23pm |
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The newer ones with the igniter that you have to push each time to make it spark usually have closed chambers so you won't smell any gas. I just had to replace thermocouple on MIL's water heater, dang part had been hanging on the wall in the shop for over 10 years. Had to take the whole burner out to replace it and be very careful with the grommet the thermocouple goes through, it could break apart if you aren't careful but hi-temp silicone will work if you do. Which reminds me, I need to go back there.
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Pat the Plumber CIL
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Joined: 11 Sep 2009
Location: Springfield,Il
Points: 4942
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Posted: 20 Jul 2019 at 10:01pm |
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Is it a power vent model where it has a blower on top and plastic vent pipe ?
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You only need to know 3 things to be a plumber;Crap rolls down hill,Hot is on the left and Don't bite your fingernails
1964 D-17 SIV 3 Pt.WF,1964 D-15 Ser II 3pt.WF ,1960 D-17 SI NF,1956 WD 45 WF.
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Michael V (NM)
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Posted: 20 Jul 2019 at 11:17pm |
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Pat can help...I know from experience....owe him a nice dinner now...he's a good guy....
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DougG
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Posted: 21 Jul 2019 at 8:28am |
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No blower or plastic cap on this one
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steve(ill)
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Location: illinois
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Posted: 21 Jul 2019 at 8:59am |
the blower would be a permissive to startup......... Since no blower you are back to the original... You got SPARK, but no light off..... so you have no GAS..... similar to a tractor at this point......... Most of the gas valves / regulators / will have a button to PUSH to bypass the thermo probe and let a small amount of gas thru the valve... and this starts the pilot light.. PIlot runs until the thermo probe warms up and send signal to the gas valve to STAY OPEN. Do you have a PUSH button for the bypass startup ?
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Like them all, but love the "B"s.
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steve(ill)
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Posted: 21 Jul 2019 at 9:01am |
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another idea... I once worked on one ding similar to what you say... Looked and the gas line was constant run down hill into the gas valve... Piece of rust / crud had fallen down from the sloping line ( even tho it was copper) and got PLUGGED at the gas inlet orifice.
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Like them all, but love the "B"s.
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Fat albert
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Posted: 21 Jul 2019 at 9:47am |
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Unscrew pilot line from valve. Push down pilot button you schould here gas. If you don't it's a gas valve issue.if you. Do its either a dirty pilot office or misaligned igniter. Be careful.
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Coke-in-MN
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Posted: 21 Jul 2019 at 10:51am |
Check thermocouple - they can corrode where they contact workings of the gas valve or also just fail to produce the mini-voltage needed to operate gas valve . Had one on natural gas where the internal wire on coil broke and thermocouple would not turn on rest of valve workings
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DougG
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Posted: 21 Jul 2019 at 4:21pm |
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It has the push down gas valve to ignighte the pilot, no resonse
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Ted J
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Posted: 22 Jul 2019 at 10:18am |
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Yep, first the thermo coupler. Second, since you can't hear gas,,,,,,,,check where the ignition is. I've had spiders build a nest it there and won't allow any gas to come through. Took my air compressor to the line (LOOKOUT!!) There is a SMALL orifice in the line that you don't notice and it sailed across the room, hitting the wall and then what??!! Thank God we had hardwood floors as we found it.
Anyway, blew out the line and saw the spider web (cocoon??) and used a wire to get the rest of that out. That stuff is STICKY! Put it all back together and it's still working fine.
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"Allis-Express"
19?? WC / 1941 C / 1952 CA / 1956 WD45 / 1957 WD45 / 1958 D-17
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