A O Smith Pro Max

[Bratton]

Wondering if this is a Thermocoupler problem. Pilot lite was out. Shut everything off. relit pilot and burner came on. next day pilot lite out again. relit the pilot and burner came on again. once up to temp, burner shuts down and pilot lite also. Maybe just clean coupler with compressed air?

[RegUS_PatOff]

model number ?

[Bratton]

Where do I find the model #? Has #'s all over ?

[RegUS_PatOff]

Model number . . . . Serial number:

[Budget Appliance Repair]

Probably one of the new style ones that need periodic maintenance unlike older ones that you only needed to occassionally replace a thermocouple.

If yours has a sealed burner chamber with the little glass window to see the burner and a red push button to ignite pilot then yours is one of the new style.

Here's a website with an very useful tool to clean out the air inlet and flammable vapor flash bearer area on these water heaters.

http://www.tightspotvacuum.com/

The site has a video showing where you need to clean which is almost impossible without this tool if you haven't done the need periodic maintenance to keep this area clean.

If you had read the installation manual that came with this water heater it would have had instruction to make sure this area is cleaned on a regular basis, (like every 3 months or so I believe).

Also there should be a black plastic screen called a LDO, (Lint/Dust/Oil), screen covering the air intake area at the bottom of the water heater. It's unbelievable how many of these I find that the screen has never been installed.

[Bratton]

Model # is FVR 40 100

[RegUS_PatOff]

FVR 40 parts list

PSD1210.pdf

[Budget Appliance Repair]

You have the type of water heater that I was describing in my answer to you.

Part ref#11 is the LDO, (Lint/Dust/Oil), Screen. If you have the water heater in a flood catch pan it can make it very difficult if not impossible to clean it out depending on how close the water heater is to the edge of the flood pan.

[Bratton]

Thank you Master Guru's. Cleaning the breather screen and then the bottom of the heater cured the problem. Many thanks!