Nice feature..........

Goose · Jan 20, 2016

Had to have our water heater replaced yesterday. I'm capable of replacing a water heater, but with the old one leaking, light snow falling, and county business to attend to, I hadn't much choice but to simply call a local plumber.

The new one, as was the old , is propane fired. The new one (Rheem) has a remote sparker to light the pilot, with the button for the sparker on the control valve. I was impressed. On our old heater, (17 years old) the few times I had to relight the pilot you had to lie on the floor, put something about 10" long with a flame on the end through a 3/4" hole, hope a draft through the hole didn't blow your flame out, and try to find the pilot in the middle of the burner. Swearing seemed to help a lot.

That feature with the sparker has probably been around for years, I just didn't have occasion to meet up with it before.

rrlund · Jan 20, 2016

Sounds like a combination water heater and gas grille. lol

ditchwitch · Jan 20, 2016

LOL, i have always pondered if swearing actually helps. And the conclusion i come up with it actually does ....

Charlie M · Jan 20, 2016

Its been on furnaces for a long time now. Don't know why they took so long to put it on water heaters. Furnaces have electric and gas water heaters don't so probably someone had to find a way around that.

Ultradog MN · Jan 20, 2016

Yeah, that is a nice feature.
And when our nanny state legislators mandated all water heaters be so equipped it added about $150 to the price of a new one.
It also made the simple task of changing a thermocouple a 1 hour job instead of the 20 minutes it took before.

mj · Jan 20, 2016

Yeah AND not having a standing pilot light allows the heat chamber to cool off so much that they develop cracks much sooner than the old, always burning pilots did. I replaced my 40 year-old gas furnace in January, 2015 and it was not cracked and was still working fine [b:828ccda75d]BUT[/b:828ccda75d] I replaced it anyway because it was [b:828ccda75d]40 years old![/b:828ccda75d] Probably should have kept it 'cause the new one probably won't go much past the 5 year warranty!

Andy Martin · Jan 20, 2016

I really believe swearing does help: you have to lose your cool, and get hot before the adrenaline really kicks in and you then are able to do your best. I've tried swearing before I get pi$$ed, and that just does not do it.

Married2Allis · Jan 20, 2016

17 years is a good run for a water heater.

JF in MI · Jan 20, 2016

You know something? I have to agree with you there. I find that after I swear a blue streak, on a job or in traffic (with the
windows closed) I seem to feel more satisfied, relaxed and calm. I think its excellent therapy.

ss55 · Jan 20, 2016

I've blown out my flame by cussing before I got the pilot lit. Now I just hold my breath until the pilot is lit.

tn terry t · Jan 20, 2016

that igniter has been around a bunch of years on water heaters just depended on witch model heater you bought. base model verses higher end models

Two Dogs · Jan 20, 2016

You will be unimpressed when the sparker dies. TDF

db4600 · Jan 20, 2016

Hope no legislators are reading. They'll alot a few million to do a study on that theory.

tn terry t · Jan 20, 2016

(reply to post at 12 :49:59 01/20/16)

f it has the push button igniter it has a standing pilot

Moonlite37 · Jan 20, 2016

Better hope the preacher does not hear you or the one dollar may not be enuf!

Leroy · Jan 20, 2016

Ours was 29 years and still going when we got rid of it. Added a new utility room and put new one in there then tore out the old bathroom the heater was in. That way had a heater hooked up all the time.

T in NE · Jan 20, 2016

I found my Coleman propane torch worked well for lighting the pilot.

L.Fure · Jan 20, 2016

(quoted from post at 16:45:37 01/20/16) LOL, i have always pondered if swearing actually helps. And the conclusion i come up with it actually does ....

I was visiting a Russian orthodox monastery some time ago. There was a young monk mowing along the driveway with an old push mower. The engine kept quitting on him, and it took quite a few pulls to get it restarted. After a while the mower refused to start. The monk was getting pretty exasperated and sweaty. He bowed his head, did the sign of the cross, and stood in prayer for a minute or two. When he was done praying he gave the starter rope one pull and the engine started right up. Never quit on him all the time I was there.

Ian Beale · Jan 21, 2016

Goose

After our experience with solar hot water (theoretically sound but practically imperfect) we tapped local experience and went with a Rinnai on-demand lpg one. This does not use a pilot light. Needs a mains connection which runs the ignition.

Downside is no power no hot water.

ss55 · Jan 21, 2016

Plugged fuel cap vent on the mower?

JML755 · Jan 21, 2016

My 30 yr old furnace has a "sparker". Been running great, no problems. The 10 yr old furnace in a 2nd house I bought quit just before Christmas. I found that it had a "glow" igniter: Resistive element. It broke in 2 pieces. Only a $16 part, 5 minutes to change but concerned me that I could buy the "original" for $15 or an "upgraded" one for $1 more. Then last week, my daughter's furnace in her rental flat quit. Landlord changed the "glow plug". Sounds like a real design problem to me so anyone with one of them on their Carrier or Bryant might want to buy one in advance and keep it by the furnace.

Nice feature..........

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