Nat Gas water heater valve question-pilot light

redtom

Well-known Member
Years ago, not so long, really, there was an adjustment on the gas valve for "pilot pressure". Since the "protect everyone" days, this feature is gone fron heater gas valves. I have a really weak pilot flame which is blowing out often. I have been through the usual steps. Its NOT the thermo couple, its good. I took all lines to burner off and cleaned them. Cleaned pilot orifice whish is VERY tiny. The valve has a srew in the "on-off" knob for main burner pressure. There is a small soft plug in the side of valve by gas line below red pilot lighting knob. Can I knock this plug out? Whats under it? Is the pilot pressure adjust under it? The tank is ten yrs old but otherwise good. I hate to buy a new one just for this reason.
 
No pilot flame pressure adjustment. My guess it the pilot orifice is dirty. Wash it out with water and blow it out with compressed air.
 
I don't have any idea on how to solve your problem but I just want to give you some up-to-date cost information as you examine your alternatives. Just a week ago I had my 12 year old natural gas 40-gallon water heater replaced by a local plumber and it cost me $800. My old, leaking water heater had a 6-year warranty and my new one also has a 6-year warranty. I hope it lasts 12 years.
 
Not sure how small the orifice is, but maybe a torch tipcleaner would be small enough to clean it, or strip the insulation off some 14 ga stranded copper wire and see if it may fit.
 
Yes, the adjusting screw is under a welch plug on newer appliances. You may want to google any model numbers on the valve, it might have directions available.

Most every tank you see on the curb on trash day has working and usable gas control valves, if you screw anything up, just go hillbilly shopping.

I have had trouble with even good thermocouples failing to keep lit. Ended up being the magnet that holds the gas on was a problem. If you overtighten the thermocouple it can screw things up in there. If that happens, see above about shopping. Call me a packrat if you want but I like to keep a used valve on hand (scavenged from leaking water heaters). If it saves me from running to town to get parts, the space investment is worth it.
 
Is that the core/welch plug I'm seeing on the side of the valve? I'd like to knock it out to see but don't want to wreck a good unit. This valve is unique-slightly in that it uses a left hand thread thermocouple. Its along story if you want to know let me know.
 
(quoted from post at 20:37:15 04/10/13) Is that the core/welch plug I'm seeing on the side of the valve?

I dont know as its hard to say without seeing it. Did you google the valve number? How about the water heater model? Should be some info online. You could always call the company too. If it was mine, I would crack it open faster than an otter opens an oyster...

(quoted from post at 20:37:15 04/10/13) I'd like to knock it out to see but don't want to wreck a good unit.

Its not a good unit, the pilot light flame is too low to work.

(quoted from post at 20:37:15 04/10/13) This valve is unique-slightly in that it uses a left hand thread thermocouple.

Thats not a problem. The problem is all the free replacements will likely be standard thread and wont fit on your tank.
 
Our local hardware store sells an orifice cleaner. It's a small round handle with a kind of a flat two bladed needle that tapers down so small you can't hardly see the point. Just one turn with that thing cleans out the orifice. Two turns and the orifice hole might be too big. Too big means the pilot flame will burn out the thermocouple. I haven't found anything else that goes down that small. A torch tip cleaner doesn't come close to that small. I've never been involved with a natural gas orifice but I assume it's bigger than LP. Jim
 

Never try to clean an orifice anything metal. Lacquer thiner and/or compressed air, or a puff of air from your mouth.
It's too easy to distort the orifice with a piece of metal.

Dusty
 
Can't remember exactly, but a service tech from anoher company and I were talking awhile back and I remember the left hand t-couple thing. Seems it was some idiots better idea. He said somrthing about the manufacturer, if you get ahold of tech and raise alittle heck had retrofit kits to make them normal, I just can't recall all. Maybe yours is one & it would be worth a call. I'll keep thinking & try to remember who I was talking to.
 
Yes, the long story is this is an 03 model and I think one of the first "enclosed" styles. Called a "Flamelock". You could theoretically spill paint thinner on the floor next to it and the fine mesh vent would not allow the fumes in the fire box. The mesh also plugs with dust. I knocked out the glass porthole years ago to give it more air. At that time I found out the T-couple was $80 compared to $20 for RH thread. Now its 2013, and I found that the LH T-couiple is no longer made. and a lawsuit was involved. The remedy is a $100 retrofit of burner to RH. I'm not ready to spend $100 on a 10 yr old heater whose life expect. is 13 yrs. Its not the T-couple thats bad, its a weak small pilot flame. And for the others, as in my original post, I already cleaned the orifice.
 

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