Water Heater Problems

nayther wrote:

SMarquez wrote:

nayther wrote:
can you hear the spark igniter "clicking" when it tries to light?

I'm with Old-Biscuit, seen quite a few boards being replaced.

Year of TH would be helpful

Yes, I can hear the igniter clicking. It will sometimes "backfire" but not light unless I shut it down for a while.

There's definitely an issue with your heater if you're hearing blowback. Check the main burner tube and where the burner injector tube enters the large burner tube. Spiders love to build nests and webs in these tubes and there's not enough pressure to blow them out. A small wire from a wire brush should pass through the actual gas jet, the other tubes are large enough to use a flexible brush or similar.

There's a sensor that senses flame when it "rolls out" of the burner, it's called a roll out sensor! Could be that's what's happening.

DO NOT go poking ANYTHING thur the orifice......EVER!
THat orifice is a METERED hole that controls the required amount of gas flow.
Poking anything even blowing thru it with High Air Pressure can damage it.
NO!
Soak in alcohol and air dry to clean

Burner tube...swap it out with small bottle brush
Make sure the 'flame spreader' (round disc on end of tube) is parallel with end of burner tube

Flame Proving....
That is done via the Spark Electrode
It provides the High Voltage SPark to ignite the gas BUT is also uesd to sense the DC current that is caused by FLame Rectrification so electrode must be engulfed in flame when gas ignites

Spark Electrode GAP for proper spark and flame proving should be 1/8" - 3/16"