The first thing you need to do is shut off the gas to the hot water tank.
Hot water heater gas valve troubleshooting.
Common problems and how to fix them.
Go to the article gas water heater thermocouple issues for information on this common repair.
Shut off the water supply to the water heater if necessary by closing the shutoff valve on the cold water pipe coming into the top of the heater tank.
The gas pilot valve is the piece that supplies fire to the gas.
There should not be a flame up there if the valve is working correctly.
The other less common problem would be the gas valve.
Turn off the water heater for a few minutes and then turn it back on.
Okay but what if you get through each of these steps and still can t figure out what s wrong.
Turn off the gas supply valve to your appliance to test whether your valve is capable of shutting down properly.
Before you can replace your water heater gas valve you need to purchase a new one.
Example tank is a john wood 40 gallo.
Turn off the gas supply by turning the gas pilot control valve to the pilot setting on the water s gas valve.
Shutting off the gas.
Again easy fix quick solution.
A bad gas valve will not allow any gas to go to the burner or pilot light.
If you don t get a spark your system could have an electrode that is bent or carbon grounding.
Before you determine that the gas control valve is faulty check the other components.
For electric hot water heaters start troubleshooting with a quick reset.
Locate the hot surface igniter and look for a spark or glow there.
How to diagnose and repair a faulty atmospherically vented gas fired water heater.
If the pilot isn t the issue then replacing the gas valve should correct the problem.
The last step of the rv water heater troubleshooting process is to turn off the lp system to check for a spark.
The thermocouple is a safety device that stops gas flow when the pilot light goes out.
If the valve is working hot water shouldn t be an issue.
When you see water that appears to be leaking from the bottom of a gas water heater it could be because of condensation try turning up the thermostat a leaking or loose drain valve or the t p valve draining some water through the overflow pipe due to tank overpressurization.
Do not turn off the water unless the water heater s power and gas are turned off.
Gas hot water heater troubleshooting usually leads you to the thermocouple.
It could be the gas pilot valve.
If the valve is the cause then a professional will likely need to repair this.
This is done at the shut off valve that is in the gas line.
The pilot is the most common reason for a lack of hot water.
You may find that getting an exact match to the one you have difficult.