Before and after
What the customer called about
A rental home in Collinsville had a gas water heater that would not stay lit.
What our plumber found
Our crew tested the water heater and found the gas control valve was faulty. The valve was still under its own warranty. While we were there we also noted that the temperature and pressure relief valve was not working, the hot and cold supply nipples on top of the tank were corroded, and there was sediment buildup from hard water.
How we fixed it
We drained the water heater down and disconnected the burner assembly to remove the gas control valve, picked up the replacement valve, then installed it, reconnected the burner and tested for function and leaks. The heater still would not stay lit, so we scheduled a return trip to replace the burner assembly too.
What this means for your home
The lesson we took from this one: Michael's rule now is that every time we change a gas control valve, we change the burner assembly with it. When a tank shows corrosion and sediment like this one, we will also tell you honestly when it is getting close to replacement.
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Straight Answers
What causes a gas water heater to not stay lit?
On this job it was a faulty gas control valve. We test the gas control valve when a water heater isn't heating.
Is a gas control valve covered by warranty?
Often. On this job the gas control valve was still under its own warranty, so the part was covered.
Do you replace the burner assembly with the gas control valve?
Yes. Our practice now is to change the burner assembly every time we change a gas control valve.
