CharlieG
New Member
Hi Folks,
I have a 25 year old gas water heater. Before you say "replace it" (which I AM considering, read these details:
As far as I know, there have been NO problems with it until now (except, of course, when I tried to fix what wasn't broke -- last summer I realized that the tank hadn't been drained for, at least, many years, so I drained it and, until very recently, had a dripping draincock [I think sediment must have been preventing full closure, so I kept messing with it by opening and closing until it now has not dripped for weeks]). I've owned the house for six years, my brother-in-law owned it for the previous twelve, and the folks he bought it from reported no trouble since it was installed by the gas company in 1979-80. It's a 40 gallon tank and has proved adequate for a two-person household with occasional guests.
About a month ago the pilot light went out for apparently no reason. It relit without a problem but, after a heating cycle, it was out again. This kept repeating. I replaced the thermocouple. No affect. I began messing around with the temp settings and discovered that the pilot remains lit if the pointer is on the next to highest setting (it has been on the highest setting for YEARS). The lower setting seems adequate to me, but my wife says she has to be more careful about hot water usage and is afraid of running out if our habits remain the same (don't say "change your habits" -- our therm usage, including our gas furnace, averaged over a year's time, is only about 1.3 per day).
This sounds to me like a control/thermostat problem. Any opinion from the plumbers out there?
If it is the control/thermostat, is it replaceable? --by an experienced DIYer? Some of you are probably thinking that I'm crazy to try to extend the life of such an old heater, but having read and heard about the multiude of problems with newer water heaters and their reduced lifespans, I wonder!
The heater is an A. O. Smith Energy Saver 5, model # FSG 40 920, BTU/hr input - 32,500, Rec. Cap. 32.8 US Gal/hr.
Comments, please, about my assessments and availability of parts if applicable.
Your input is much appreciated.
I have a 25 year old gas water heater. Before you say "replace it" (which I AM considering, read these details:
As far as I know, there have been NO problems with it until now (except, of course, when I tried to fix what wasn't broke -- last summer I realized that the tank hadn't been drained for, at least, many years, so I drained it and, until very recently, had a dripping draincock [I think sediment must have been preventing full closure, so I kept messing with it by opening and closing until it now has not dripped for weeks]). I've owned the house for six years, my brother-in-law owned it for the previous twelve, and the folks he bought it from reported no trouble since it was installed by the gas company in 1979-80. It's a 40 gallon tank and has proved adequate for a two-person household with occasional guests.
About a month ago the pilot light went out for apparently no reason. It relit without a problem but, after a heating cycle, it was out again. This kept repeating. I replaced the thermocouple. No affect. I began messing around with the temp settings and discovered that the pilot remains lit if the pointer is on the next to highest setting (it has been on the highest setting for YEARS). The lower setting seems adequate to me, but my wife says she has to be more careful about hot water usage and is afraid of running out if our habits remain the same (don't say "change your habits" -- our therm usage, including our gas furnace, averaged over a year's time, is only about 1.3 per day).
This sounds to me like a control/thermostat problem. Any opinion from the plumbers out there?
If it is the control/thermostat, is it replaceable? --by an experienced DIYer? Some of you are probably thinking that I'm crazy to try to extend the life of such an old heater, but having read and heard about the multiude of problems with newer water heaters and their reduced lifespans, I wonder!
The heater is an A. O. Smith Energy Saver 5, model # FSG 40 920, BTU/hr input - 32,500, Rec. Cap. 32.8 US Gal/hr.
Comments, please, about my assessments and availability of parts if applicable.
Your input is much appreciated.