Craftmaster waterheater

[Patricio]

Where may one find a lefthanded thread thermocoupler?   I have a waterheater that burns then shuts off,  Thermocoupler goes to 16mv when tested with a lighter.   Piolet lights & heater burns intermittantly.   Fresh air vent is clean, flashlight shines thru good.

[RegUS_PatOff]

Craftmaster waterheater

model number ?

[Patricio]

FG1F3030S3N0V

[RegUS_PatOff]

FG1F3030S3N0V

American Standard / Whirlpool

 

note:

NG assembly # 11 is different than the LP assembly # 12

 

from another blog:

Nov 29, 2008

They make a adapter you can buy at lowes to switch the thread pattern for thermocouples.

Guest Apr 21, 2009
I have the same problem with my thermocouple and Lowe''s does not have the part needed to convert the left handed thermocouple.
I have owned this water heater for only 5 years.

Guest Mar 26, 2009
Lowes did not have the left handed threads.

Nov 19, 2009
I had the same problem. My local Lowes store carries the converter kits
(to change from left-hand thread to right-hand thread on the thermocouple)
free of charge.
However, my Lowes was out of stock on them and directed me to contact Whirlpool.
Whirlpool has the kits also at no charge, but you do have to pay for shipping and handling.

May 03, 2009
You can buy the control valve assy (right next to the thermocoupler on the shelf at lowes) its about $54.
It has the correct threads for the new thermocoupler threads,
An adapter will not work because the thermocoupler will not be able to close the switch to keep the pilot on if you extend the distance between the coupler fitting and the controller.
I had the same problem when my thermocoupler died again and they stopped selling the whirpool brand coupler.

Dec 15, 2009
Scott is correct, but they will ship you the entire housing and a converter (still free of charge) and they no longer charge shipping and handling if it is still in warranty.

Dec 29, 2012
I'll add that i was able to get a payment authorization number from Whirlpool (877-817-6750) to allow me to go to my local Lowes and pick up the part.
Less simple that it sounds. Eight calls to Cesspool and three trips to Lowes ...and then the four trips to hardware stores before i was convinced the left hand thermocouple no longer exists.
Holiday weekend, would have been 5 days to get to me from Whizpool.
FYI-Whirlpool called it a conversion kit, The Whirlpool box at Lowes was marked enhancment kit.
$35 if you need to by it.
A bargan.
If only I had known at the beginning.
 

[Budget Appliance Repair]

Just because the flash light shines thru doesn't mean it's clean.

 

If this is a style that has the carbonite/ceramic disk with the hundreds of little holes they can easily get partially plugged if they are not maintained, (will usually start seeing problems at the 3 to 6 year point depending on dust/dirt/animal hair conditions around the water heater - much sooner if the LDO (lint/dust/oil) screen has been left off like I find on so many of these, people don't read the instructions and have no idea what it is or where it goes and just leaves it off allowing all the dust sucked in to plug the carbonite disk).

 

If the pilot lights and stays burning after letting up on the gas valve knob and only goes out after you fire up the water heater you can be almost 98% of the time sure it just needs a cleaning.

 

It is very hard to find anything to get in the small openings at the bottom to do a good cleaning, they make a special vacuum attachment just for this job and it work perfect. http://www.tightspotvacuum.com/ includes a good YouTube video showing cleaning the water heater, check it out - if the water heater you are working on looks like the one in the pictures this will probably get you fixed up without replacing any parts.

 

I've had one or two of these that were so bad, even after cleaning with the brush on a good shop vac it still wouldn't work correctly because it had gone so long without the LDO screen and no cleaning.   On those I've had to pull the burner assembly and flush water down thru the top side while vacuuming with the brush from the bottom.