Hot Water Heater Gas Valve Troubleshooting

Common problems and how to fix them.

Hot water heater gas valve troubleshooting.

Sometimes the thermocouple just needs an adjustment so that the tip lines back up with pilot light flame. The first thing you need to do is shut off the gas to the hot water tank. Turn off the gas supply by turning the gas pilot control valve to the pilot setting on the water s gas valve. Locate the hot surface igniter and look for a spark or glow there.

When you see water that appears to be leaking from the bottom of a gas water heater it could be because of condensation try turning up the thermostat a leaking or loose drain valve or the t p valve draining some water through the overflow pipe due to tank overpressurization. Do not turn off the water unless the water heater s power and gas are turned off. There should not be a flame up there if the valve is working correctly. Go to the article gas water heater thermocouple issues for information on this common repair.

The thermocouple is a safety device that stops gas flow when the pilot light goes out. Shut off the water supply to the water heater if necessary by closing the shutoff valve on the cold water pipe coming into the top of the heater tank. How to diagnose and repair a faulty atmospherically vented gas fired water heater. The other less common problem would be the gas valve.

It could be the gas pilot valve. The pilot is the most common reason for a lack of hot water. Set the thermostat or the device s controller slightly above the current room temperature. You may find that getting an exact match to the one you have difficult.

If the pilot isn t the issue then replacing the gas valve should correct the problem. If the valve is the cause then a professional will likely need to repair this. Troubleshooting the gas control valve will help you determine whether the valve is faulty or whether there is a problem with the thermostat heat limiter the pilot or even the gas burner. Example tank is a john wood 40 gallo.

Turn off the gas supply valve to your appliance to test whether your valve is capable of shutting down properly. If the valve is working hot water shouldn t be an issue. Again easy fix quick solution. Okay but what if you get through each of these steps and still can t figure out what s wrong.

Before you determine that the gas control valve is faulty check the other components. A bad gas valve will not allow any gas to go to the burner or pilot light. The gas pilot valve is the piece that supplies fire to the gas. Turn off the water heater for a few minutes and then turn it back on.

Before you can replace your water heater gas valve you need to purchase a new one. Gas hot water heater troubleshooting usually leads you to the thermocouple. Shutting off the gas. For electric hot water heaters start troubleshooting with a quick reset.