Water Heaters - Water Heater Issue (Whirlpool)

Hi all,

I've read nightmarish stories about Whirlpool FlameLock water heaters. What can I say? I had just driven home from Mexico to find a rusted out water heater had flooded my home. It was a sunday and Lowe's was open. :wall:

I've done the standard repairs on this sucker over the last 3 years: thermocouple after thermocouple after thermocouple.

At one point last week, it started going out every single day, multiple times. I replaced the thermocouple, and it started going downhill. I figured the new one was bad too, so i went back and got the EXACT, OEM PREBENT THERMOCOUPLE. I put it in, and it lit up. After a few seconds, it died.

If you were to re-light it, the burner stays lit for 30-45 seconds at a time, then dies. From there, relights degrade into 20, 15, and down to maybe 6 seconds. I've tried throttling gas, clearing airways and combustion chamber. I even went and replaced the thermostat/valve on the front tonight, making my carpal tunnel flare up from wrenching the @#$@#$ onto the tank. I re-connected everything, it lit up like a charm, AND DID THE SAME THING. It sounds like some mechanism is clicking the gas off from somewhere in the innards of the heater.

More information:

* I've made sure the thermocouple is seated

* I've made sure the pilot tube is obstruction free, blowing into it.

* I've blown into the man gas burner hose, and it's unobstructed as well.

* Believing that it was somehow related to lack of oxygen in the combustion chamber, I've also attempted to leave the burner unit 'unscrewed' just a little to let some air in and see if it affected performance. NADA. (Yeah, stupid I know)

I'm at the end of my rope. I'm a network analyst and all I know about this stuff is self taught (thanks google!! :coffee: ) or from shoulder-surfing as my dad's plumber friend showed me the ropes of minor repair work.

I've also done a search on this forum for pertinent information. I found some people with similar situations, but thought I'd ask if there was any different information for Whirlpool FlameLocks. ARE they as bad as I've read? I know if you search for anything long enough on the net you'll find it...


thanks!

Is the thermocouple in contact with the pilot flame (not just near it)?
Is the flame arrester clean? They can clog easily.
Do not overtighten thermocouple at gas control.

Good luck and let us know how it's going.

Is the thermocouple in contact with the pilot flame (not just near it)?
Is the flame arrester clean? They can clog easily.
Do not overtighten thermocouple at gas control.

Good luck and let us know how it's going.

Yes, it's in contact. The pilot stays lit indefinitely. It's just when i start the burner eveything's shutting down on me.

I didn't overtighten the thermocouple, but I'll check the flam arrester one more time. I wiped it off and made sure there wasn't any scale or anything stuck in it.

Thanks!

This seems to be a problem lots of people are having. Possible defect?

Arrestor plate becomes plugged with lint and causes the burner flame to "float" out. This has become quite a problem. And in your case maybe water. Do you have any way to blow air thru the arrestor plate?
Also did you replace tcouple exactly as the directions state? By that I mean with the bend in it and laying as shown. I guess you already found out it is not your standard tcouple.
I just reread your post and am confused. Did you replace the water heater? It definetly appears to be lack of combustion air.

One other possible cause that I didn't see mentioned:

As stated, the thermocouple needs to be installed just right. Built into the thermocouple is a thermal cut off (the fatter part of the thermocouple). If it's too close to the main burner it will shut down.

Additional causes ot the thermal cut off tripping is inadiquate combustion air or a blocked vent.

These WH use a thermocouple with left hand threads. I assume you have been getting the proper one, else how did you screw it in.

For a network admin, you've proven fairly handy around the house ... the failures to ignite, or remain lit, aren't your fault.

Just a quarter turn past hand-tightened ... right?

Cleaned the combustion chamber ... right?

The problem is, at minimum, a failed design, intended to leave even more room in Lowe's profit margin for these 40 gallon cold water storage tanks. And, although the manufacturer claims the constant failures are related only to the thermocouple, and now suggests consumers clean that chamber once every three months rather than annually? They're all out of regulators, too ... yeah, that's the one: Fails to make proper contact with the thermocouple, or misaligns w/ it and causes it to bend/crimp/bind/fail <-- in the first heating cycle, no less ~'-\

Sure smells like a bad gas leak to this offended consumer.

Speaking of being an offended consumer? You do realize their are many complaints (http://www.consumeraffairs.com/homeowners/whirlpool_water_heaters.html), most especially about this specific issue, and on this specific hot water tank.

And, that they *think* they can void your warranty, just because you've done *exactly* what they said to do.

Monday, I'll be buying my parents yet another brand new hot water tank ... suggest you replace yours, too. I'll be expecting Lowe's to reimburse me for all costs incurred, including the three failed thermocouples and the replacement regulator.

Did I mention that this new tank is only a year or so old?

pfft ... sure hope you're gettin' used to takin' cold showers, 'cause consumers are sure takin' a bath on this one.