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Anthony Payne Posted on Dec 22, 2017
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Hello, I was hired to fix a gas water heater. After changing the parts several times, even installed a brand new water heater and it wouldn't work either, the pilot would take hold but never fired up to heat the tank. Then I noticed that the furnace had been running non-stop for two days. So I traced the gas lines to make sure both appliances were on the same line. Then, for lack of choices, I thought maybe there was a problem with the furnace so I checked out the digital thermostat, it was in order and set to 72°, just not getting above 67°. I decided to try shutting the furnace off to see if the water heater would start, and it did. Next I had to test my theory by turning the furnace back on and as soon as it kicked on, it robbed the gas from the water heater. The pilot stayed on the whole time so it feels to me like the furnace isn't regulating it's gas intake properly and is somehow dropping the gas pressure to the water heater. The fact that the furnace runs nonstop when on leads me to think there is a part, maybe the regulator, that's unable to discern then amount of gas flow required so it's going full bore into the furnace. This issue has driven me nuts today! Any thoughts as to if I'm right or maybe a different problem? Thanks for any insight into my nightmare!

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Brad Brown

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  • Heating & Co... Master 19,187 Answers
  • Posted on Dec 22, 2017
Brad Brown
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You need a manometer to check the pressure of the gas at the appliance and it should be SEVEN inches of WATER COLUMN. Be extremely careful with this and keep in mind that new water heaters have an anti explosion feature and that feature will put the pilot light out if there is a hazard of explosion in the room with the water heater. You need to make sure that there is no obstructive debris in the line of the screen at the water heater / furnace. The gas pressure on the outside of the house before the meter and the regulator could be anywhere from 50 to 90 PSI and that is the gas companies responsibility. I would call them first and have them check THEIR SIDE of the problem including THEIR REGULATOR.

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  • Expert 37 Answers
  • Posted on Dec 22, 2017
Bill Lambrinos
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Also check to see if your vent is block or broken. Temporarily leave vent off but be sure the have a well vented air flow. Try lighting it again if it works fix the vent and connect it before returning it to service. Make sure that the vent is connected and unobstructed

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5 Related Answers

Anonymous

  • 2 Answers
  • Posted on Feb 03, 2009

SOURCE: pilot will stay lit but will go out when unit is turned to low

is the pressure regulator right for the type of gas your using...? i had the same problem.i found out that my regulator was for both lp and nat.gas.i also found out there is a small nylon pin underneath the brass cap on top of the regulator.i unscrewed the cap and the fitting was set for lp.and i was using nat. gas.i just pulled the nylon pin out,flipped it around and replaced the cap...works fine now.if your regulator is like mine the nylon pin is maked LP on one end and NAT. on the other.might be worth a try

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Bill Hackett

  • 383 Answers
  • Posted on Apr 20, 2009

SOURCE: Fuel pressure regulator isn't opening

garxmx3: 1st, the fuel pressure regulator operates off of engine vacuum. The engine must be running to create vacuum and without it, the fuel pressure regulator essentually is restricting the return to fuel to the fuel tank, but the fuel injectors have all the fuel they could possibly need. The fuel pressure during initial start if ther is no vacuum, is 45-50 PSI which will create a rich condition consequently there would be no need for starting fluid or any other out side fuel source to influence the starting of the motor.
NOW>>>>> Lets see if we can sort the problem out>
If the engine ran alright on starting fluid, this would suggest that the mechanical aspect, meaning, the chain is probably on there correctly because if it's off, it won't run well at all or it will bend valves! Just to make sure, you could run a compression test. At cranking speed with the throttle wide open you should have at least 130 PSI or more. What you are looking for is no more than a 10% difference between the highest and lowest readings. If you have more than that, you will have problems which will be contingent based on the findings. If you have big differences, tell me what they are and I can take an educated guess at what happened or what the problem is. IF the valve timing is correct, we will move on to other things you need to check OK?
"False AIR" is a common problem with no starts and hard starts when a cylinder head has been pulled and put back on.
All air which enters the motor MUST pass through the air mass sensor. It is metered air so the ECM has a means of, with the input of a few other things, controlling the pulse width of the injectors.
The large hose which the air mass sensor is attached to and goes to the throttle body, after they get old, are prone to splitting and/or tearing. Look carefully at it to make sure that there are no splits or places where unmetered air can get in between the air mass sensor and the throttle body. This includes any and all hoses which attach to tthe manifold and/or the intake in any way shape or form.
Check the pcv hose and valve. Some of those hoses get so soft that they almost turn to gum. If you pulled the injectors, make sure that you had put the tip seals back.
If it ran, in theory, the distributor should have been in correctly. Check and make sure that the wire going to the distributor did not get damaged from anything chaffing or pinching them.
Look closely at the coil and it's connection to make sure nothing has come loose.
Some of these EFI harnesses had an independant ground wire coming out of the harness which had to be bolted to the intake manifod. Check yours and make sure yours is secure if you have one coming out of your harness.
You want to know if the injectors are operating? One way, get a screw driver with a long shaft, or something similar which you can place the tip on to the body of the injector. You want to have you ear against the other end of the shaft. If the injector is operationg, you will hear a sharp ticking when the engine is being cranked or if the engine is running. Sometimes it is easier to pull the plugs and spin the engine with the plugs out, to listen to the injectors, because there is less noise when you don't have the resistance of the cylinders working against you. At the same time, the ignition is what pulses the injectors. Pull the coil wire out from the distributor and hold it close to a ground while cranking the engine. You should have a sharp visible spark. If you don't have a spark, you won't have injector pulse.
Coming off your positive battery cable at the positive terminal, is a connector where smaller wire hook into it. Make sure thse have good solid clean connections. They corrode there and can kill the circuits which relate to the ECM.
OH! pull the spark plugs and look at them to see what color they are. See if they look like they have been run rich or lean.
Rich is very dark black almost a fluffy black soot, if the engine was fireing. If you try to spin it over befor you do anything and you pull the plug out and they are wet and smell of gas. that is a story by it self.
I have given you a lot of avenues to explore. Check these out and if they lead to blind alleys, get back to me and I'll continue to see what I can do for you.

Anonymous

  • 75 Answers
  • Posted on Nov 08, 2009

SOURCE: pilot lites; but, as soon as I turn on gas flame

sounds like your thermacouplar is going out and needs replaced. Sometimes these will act like they are working fine , but when the pilot stays on for awhile and later goes out it is a sure sign that it is bad

Paul Carew

  • 3808 Answers
  • Posted on Nov 30, 2010

SOURCE: I have a Glo-Warm "DESA GWRP16" LP wall heater.

sound like the reg is locking up turn off gas then turn on very slow see if you get gas flow , if not then you could try new reg

deriuduo

  • 26 Answers
  • Posted on Dec 09, 2010

SOURCE: pilot light won't stay lit. Brand new new water

there could be a small blockage in the pilot light gas nozzle which just need cleaning

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