chapter two, hot water heaters on the blink
Just for ----- and giggles I decided to call the richmond warranty line today to see if my water heaters were still covered by any warranty. Of course they run you through some trouble shooting steps. Both of my heaters are covered but this is what is strange. I felt they both had the same problem, or at least they both acted alike. On water heater number 1 that I replaced on labor day, they advised to remove the burner assembly and with a flash light, look inside the chamber and see if the fuse is blown. Because there was no glass around it and it basically looked like a steel tube about the size of the thermo couple, they said it was a blown thermo fuse and advised me to take the heater back to where I purchased it for a replacement. Before I take it back for replacement I have to call an 800 number tomorrow for instructions. The combustion chamber was basically spotless. They advised the fuse blows when there is combustible fumes around the heater, paint, human gas, etc.. Thinking they may know what they are talking about I said nothing like that has been going on in that room but since both heaters suffered the same symptoms, maybe there is something going on I don't know about. Sooooooooo. I said, by the way I have another hot water heater right next to that one that won't light with the same symptoms. They opened another claim for me, I gave them the serial number and they said do the same thing, remove the burner assembly, look at the fuse and call us back and tell us what it looks like. So I do as they say. I removed the burner door, assembly and find a totally different picture. The entire combustion chamber is jammed with rusty deposits, like the inside of the tank has fallen onto the burner. But, after vacuuming out the chamber, I tell them the fuse looks the same, no glass and not firmly in the holder. This time the guy says " it's a blown thermo control valve, we'll send you a new one out tomorrow! I'm kind of taken back, thinking this is different solution, how do I replace that? He says they'll be a list of contractors in the mailing. So now my questions have changed a little.
First, is replacing a thermo control valve something your normal half a---ed handyman can do.
Second, why does one water heater have substantial debris in it when the other one is clean? The one with the debris is a closed system, it heats my basement floor. The transfer fluid is RV antifreeze. Why would that tank drop all that debris onto the burner?
Any help would be appreciated. Obviously I now wish I would've called the help line before I went out and bought a new hot water heater although I know they weren't available on labor day weekend.
Thanks.