Gas meter replacement damaged water heater

[LigouriRd]

Is this at all common? (I searched google and here and could not find anything exactly applicable)
My utility recently (& without prior notice, by the way) changed out my natural gas meter. Since I was away from home at the time, they left a note that the meter was locked and to call to have it unlocked. Four days later I got home and got them to turn the gas back on. I managed to get the furnace and stove re-lit but the water heater wont switch from the pilot to the main burner. The pilot will stay lit as long as I hold the button down but it never switches over to the burner. It has a Honeywell electronic gas valve, the problem is either the thermocouple or the valve itself. Regardless, the unit is still under warrantee at only four years old, but replacement parts are a week away. I have a sick toddler and dishes are piling up so I cannot afford to wait that long so I am getting a new water heater tonite.

I was just wondering if this is at all familiar to anyone? I.e. meter install put junk in the line that damaged the value, or are these electronic valves just sensitive. The new one will what I think to be a more standard White Rogers or Robershaw valve that I should be able to get parts for more readily.

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

Ive never seen a water heater damaged by turning off the gas,biggest problem is usually the air that needs to be bled out of gas lines afterwards.

 

[CNGsaves]

Looks like good Kharma if you're getting new hot water heater under warranty because NG meter was changed out.

My bet on meter change is YOU were getting a good deal on NG useage . . . ie the meter was not working properly and monopoly NG provider knew based on prior patterns that they were not billing enough.

Does black pipe steel for hot water heater have proper drip leg ?? If so, I see no correlation with meter change and HWH failure. Just Kharma.

 

[LigouriRd]

Looks like good Kharma if you're getting new hot water heater under warranty because NG meter was changed out...
...Does black pipe steel for hot water heater have proper drip leg ??

Kharma is not on my side since I am having to buy this new heater out of pocket...I may try to get the warrantee parts anyway and fix it as a backup or to sell. The connection does have a drip leg, not sure how proper it is. I had someone mention that at ~6" long it might not be long enough.

 

[platypus20]

my first guess would be the thermocouple, it not uncommon for them to work perfectly up to the gas is shut off, then not recycle, when re-energized.

 

[rlitman]

my first guess would be the thermocouple, it not uncommon for them to work perfectly up to the gas is shut off, then not recycle, when re-energized.

Exactly. Less than $20, and replacement's are readily available and easy to change.

 

[sms1974]

U have a bad thermocouple 6 bucks at Home Depot 10 min to change

 

[plumbstupid]

What brand is the water heater?

With the new FVIR water heaters you cannot just install a standard thermocouple.

AO Smith,State and Kennmore all use a similar thermocouple/pilot assembly
Whirlpool and American have their version and Rudd,Rheem and General electric has their version,

If you have a Whirlpool/American it may be as simple as pushing the thermal reset button on the left side of the burner chamber cover. It will have 2 wires going to it. Then relit the pilot and turn it on.

 

[txst]

I second the air in the line theory. When the meter is removed, a lot of air is introduced. If the water heater is a long way from the meter, it will take some time to bleed it, especially with the small volume of gas used by a pilot.

 

[Mike007]

my first guess would be the thermocouple, it not uncommon for them to work perfectly up to the gas is shut off, then not recycle, when re-energized.

When Im working in someone's home I never shut down the gas unless absolutely necessary for this reason. Every now and then the pilot won't stay lit. Worst case, which happened once, it was the gas valve not the thermocouple.

 

[GuyllFyre]

While they both have been covered here, air in the lines is one possibility and having a "special" sequence for the pilot light is another.
My water heater requires the termocouple to come up to a certain temp, then while pushing and holding the temperature adjustment on the gas valve, move it to the run position.
If I just let it go, the pilot goes back out.

 

[rlitman]

I second the air in the line theory. When the meter is removed, a lot of air is introduced. If the water heater is a long way from the meter, it will take some time to bleed it, especially with the small volume of gas used by a pilot.

If air in the line was the issue, the pilot would go out, even while you're holding the button in. That's not it.

 

[LigouriRd]

What brand is the water heater?

With the new FVIR water heaters you cannot just install a standard thermocouple...If you have a Whirlpool/American it may be as simple as pushing the thermal reset button on the left side of the burner chamber cover. It will have 2 wires going to it. Then relit the pilot and turn it on.

It is a Bradford White Heater with a Honeywell (FVIR) gas control. Like you said it does not have a standard thermocouple, rather a whole pilot assembly

Of which was not in stock anywhere locally.

The air has certainly been purged since I held down the pilot button for over ten minutes. I tried the "special" sequence as well, the pilot button and the run button are the same button. The second you release it to go to run the pilot goes out.

Regardless, I have a new Rhreem water heater installed with a normal gas control. I am thinking of getting trying to get the warrantee parts for the Bradford White to make it usable again...not sure what to do with it at that point though. Also not sure how I would test it without hooking it back up.