My burner flame in Kenmore Power Miser 9

VTXdude

VTXdude

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I have uploaded a video of my burner flame to You Tube.....does this flame look normal? If you notice on the right the flame is taller and reaching up...it is hard to see but the flame is actually being drawn up into the flue......is this normal? I would think that the burner flame should be uniform pretty much all the way around.....


What do you guys think?
 
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Yes, I talked to plumber last week and he plans on doing it sometime this week..lot of freezing pipe calls I guess right around New Years Eve...my wife is returning from deployment from over in the sandbox this week so gotta make sure it isn't day she comes home!!

Sorry got off track...but yes still plan on having it done. I'm hoping this is a good plumber (comes highly recommended) and sounds like he knows his stuff...if so I plan on having him replacing copper back to washing machines at some point as it is really ugly and mickey moused...didn't help that original plumber just pulled cold copper pipe down to put on top of new water heater......didn't bother to cut a new piece accordingly...another bullet in my beef with Sears


Yes since day one the burner has been loud and it has always been higher on that one side...like I said the flame is actually being pulled up into the flue...any ideas why something like that might happen? I do recall the second plumber saying something to the effect that the vent pipe was super hot..like he was surprised by it? Wonder if some of the smell getting because flame is going up into flue
 
flue baffle

Redwood said:
kinda weird I wonder if there is something funny with the flue baffle.
Click to expand...
who knows , maybe their aint a flue baffle in this one

or a rodent got down in the baffle , and you have been slowly cooking a squirrell or a rat......



I would loook into that after you change it out...
 
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No there is a baffle ;) And no critters in there

Does it matter in how the baffle is positioned in flue? I have it going from 9oclock to 3oclock is that ok?


When the plumber removed the first water heater he pulled the baffle out ..the bottom part of the baffle was covered in what I guess was soot..and this was on a week old water heater...he said bad water heater...well looks like second one is the same deal ..I wonder if the flames leaping up into the flue chamber contributed to this? Is the flame reaching up because it is looking for air?

I'm just sorta guessing here I guess...It is odd though huh? Gas pressure have anything to do with it?
 
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vtxdude said:
No there is a baffle ;) And no critters in there

Does it matter in how the baffle is positioned in flue? I have it going from 9oclock to 3oclock is that ok?


When the plumber removed the first water heater he pulled the baffle out ..the bottom part of the baffle was covered in what I guess was soot..and this was on a week old water heater...he said bad water heater...well looks like second one is the same deal ..I wonder if the flames leaping up into the flue chamber contributed to this? Is the flame reaching up because it is looking for air?

I'm just sorta guessing here I guess...It is odd though huh? Gas pressure have anything to do with it?
Click to expand...

That is the flame burning on a brand new HWT? If that's the case you have some issues. The burner shouldn't be burning unevenly like that.

Could be:

1. Issue with gas pressure.
2. Lack of primary air into the combustion chamber.
3. Gas pressure is off of what it should be.
4. Plugged up primary air orifaces.

I would check those things 1st.
 
Doherty Plumbing said:
That is the flame burning on a brand new HWT? If that's the case you have some issues. The burner shouldn't be burning unevenly like that.

Could be:

1. Issue with gas pressure.
2. Lack of primary air into the combustion chamber.
3. Gas pressure is off of what it should be.
4. Plugged up primary air orifaces.

I would check those things 1st.
Click to expand...

1)The plumber coming over to install the Bradford White asked me if I had Sears out to check gas pressure..told him I was done with Sears and wanted Bradford White regardless....if issue with gas pressure...who can correct that? Can he or is it something gas company need to take care of? Sounds like he knows what he is taking about

2) This is one of the main reasons I want the BW, I think they have a better primary air intake system as well as Rheem compared to AO Smith made heaters

3) Is this same as 1?

4) Things looks good, I cleaned under it a week or so ago and intake seemed clear of lint etc


I'm hoping that is flame gets where it needs to be that combustion odors take care of itself......


Can't be good with that flame darting up the flue like that
 
vtxdude said:
1)The plumber coming over to install the Bradford White asked me if I had Sears out to check gas pressure..told him I was done with Sears and wanted Bradford White regardless....if issue with gas pressure...who can correct that? Can he or is it something gas company need to take care of? Sounds like he knows what he is taking about

2) This is one of the main reasons I want the BW, I think they have a better primary air intake system as well as Rheem compared to AO Smith made heaters

3) Is this same as 1?

4) Things looks good, I cleaned under it a week or so ago and intake seemed clear of lint etc


I'm hoping that is flame gets where it needs to be that combustion odors take care of itself......


Can't be good with that flame darting up the flue like that
Click to expand...

Lol yes 3 was the same as #1 sorry :P I'm tired.
 
I'm still betting either the gas valve or the burner is plugged up, because of using copper for the gas line.

John
 
johnjh2o1 said:
I'm still betting either the gas valve or the burner is plugged up, because of using copper for the gas line.

John
Click to expand...



Could be..it has probably been on there since 1983 when place was built. So even for the Water heater only being hooked up for a little more than a month it could be plugged? Has burned this way since day one.


When I have the Bradford White installed it will either be black iron or he said he could use the flexible stainless?
 
Doherty Plumbing said:
You guys must have some real nasty gas down there! We use copper piping for gas lines up here all the time and it's not even considered an issue... in fact it's quite often the preferred method!
Click to expand...


Next time you replace a heater remove the copper gas line tap it on the floor and see if you get the same blue colored flakes out of it that we do. I also would like to know if it is just in are area.

John
 
johnjh2o1 said:
Next time you replace a heater remove the copper gas line tap it on the floor and see if you get the same blue colored flakes out of it that we do. I also would like to know if it is just in are area.

John
Click to expand...


I'll have the plumber do that when he swaps out my piping this week
 
johnjh2o1 said:
Next time you replace a heater remove the copper gas line tap it on the floor and see if you get the same blue colored flakes out of it that we do. I also would like to know if it is just in are area.

John
Click to expand...

I have never noticed any flaking but then again I have never really looked for it.

But next time I will check for it to see what I find.
 
have a drip leg installed

when you get the heater installed, have a
drip leg installed on the inlet of the gas valve on the
new heater...

this tee with a nipple and cap on the end should
catch all the crap that ever goes through that line..

it dont cost anything to do and its code in many
areas of the country....and a good practice.


 
Yep will do Mark...noticed my gas line for furnace has one but not dryer....stainless steel connection.......flexible...fwiw the copper line is very thin and it does have the drip leg wonder if it being smaller diameter than the iron pipe changes gas pressure? If it is a gas pressure issue is anything plumber can do to fix it?



Ok spoke to plumber tonight..tomorrow is the big swap out lol He will come by in morning to size job up and then got to FW Webb to get heater...Kenmore will go into my garage until I can convince Sears to come pick it up...good luck huh?

Well I intend to really fight them to take it back, 2 bad heaters as far as I'm concerned.....2 very shoddy installation attempts and the second plumber could have killed us due to his unique venting with foil tape...I could run into an issue because I gave up on them but was not gonna have Sears try for a third time and waste more of my time...never again...an independent plumber from here on out for sure


Hope I am making the right move!
 
vtxdude said:
Yep will do Mark...noticed my gas line for furnace has one but not dryer....stainless steel connection.......flexible...fwiw the copper line is very thin and it does have the drip leg wonder if it being smaller diameter than the iron pipe changes gas pressure? If it is a gas pressure issue is anything plumber can do to fix it?+
Click to expand...

Copper gas lines are smaller then natural gas lines because they have smoother surfaces and there for less friction loss across a given length at the same flow rates.

I don't know how it works down there but up here in Canada you need to be a ticketed gas fitter. And a gas ticket is separate from a plumbing ticket.
 
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