20 Most Recent American Standard 40 G Natural Gas Water Heater Questions & Answers

Plumber is right.
Problem is not amount of air in attic. Problem is how hot the air is.
Oxygen molecules separate apart in very hot air and pilot light goes out since there is not enough oxygen density to support combustion.
http://waterheatertimer.org/images/Water-heater-in-attic-800.jpg
http://waterheatertimer.org/pdf/Attic-Ventilation-and-Pilot-Outage-in-Gas%20Water-Heaters.pdf

More ventilation is needed.
Plumber is not ventilating expert, and not responsible for attic ventilation that builder failed to install. Plumber should do a survey of location before installation to make sure gasoline vapors are not stored nearby, but summer attic ventilation is gray area until more general-public folks become aware of problem. Hotter summers temperatures will spread that information.

Hire local home center to install roof vents AND soffit vents.
Note: You also need soffit vents.
Remember a vent on the roof is like sucking air out of a coke bottle. The roof vent is no good unless air can also enter the attic from another vent located in the soffit.

Another solution is electric water heater for very hot locations.
Or install solar-assisted water heater.
http://www.hotwater.com/products/residential/cirrex_solar.html

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I would check the metal door on the bottom near the burner, sometimes they come loose and vibrate. If not that then I would suspect the chimney liner inside the tank, I have seen them corrode and start vibrating when the gas is running

1) Get more air to the water heater and see if problem continues.
2) Read the following pdf-s for things that might apply to your situation.
http://waterheatertimer.org/images/Negative-pressure.jpg
http://waterheatertimer.org/pdf/Attic-Ventilation-and-Pilot-Outage-in-Gas%20Water-Heaters.pdf
http://waterheatertimer.org/pdf/Pilot-light-will-not-stay-lit.pdf

3) Read pdfs above first, and then Add a comment with missing information below, for possible do-it-yourself help.
Does this water heater have a blower?
Is gas valve electronic? Or does gas valve have a dial?
If gas valve is electronic, have you checked outlet with circuit analyzer?
Did pilot light work correctly for a while? If so how long?
Where is water heater located? Hot attic? Closet? Garage? Is area dirty and dusty? Has air intake been cleaned?
What color is pilot flame? Clear blue or yellow-or-orange?
Have you inspected inside of combustion chamber for dripping water?

Hi,
Check the the ignition module is getting power... if not find out why not and fix that...

If the module is getting power and you are not getting spark then the module is bad... this is a common problem...
I think you will find that the module is the problem...

heatman101

i think since "tankless" water htrs entered the market...your plumber referring to a standard w/h means a storage tank wtr htr(stores 40 or more gals) ..most popular brands are a o smith rheem bradford white

You'll have to disconnect the water lines from the top to pull the rod up out from within the tank. If you don't have enough clearance above the tank, you'll have to drain the tank, remove the venting and tilt it or lay it down to remove it. The sacrificial rods usually go bad prematurely on well water systems with hard water and causes a sulfur stench in your water. Here's a quick test to try before you do this: Go to the nearest faucet to the water heater and fill a glass full of cold water and another glass full of hot water and smell them. If the hot water is the only glass that smells like rotten eggs, it's most likely coming from your water heater due to your anode rod. Douglas

Yes it can be replaced. This is a temperature/pressure relief valve and is the second most important safety device on your heater. They rarely make racket. Is it leaking? if so yes replace it. Water heaters should have a portion of water drained annually along with operating the relief valve. IF you raise the handle a few times, and it continues to leak, then it should be replaced. If you replace it be sure to replace it with EXACTLY the same temperature and pressure rating that is on it now. Allow the water heater to cool, and drain pressure before removing. If it is rumbling inside, you might have calcium deposits bouncing around in the bottom. Drain some water and see how it looks. (Often if you operate drain, and haven't in a long time it won't reseal)

Usually a polarity problem is fixed by reversing the wires that run to the power supply to the unit.First, shut off the breaker that feeds power to the furnace. Most of the time, there will be one black, and one white Unhook those, switch the wires around, use new wire nuts to wire them back together. Hope this helps.

If it comes on and runs but will not continue to run, I would be looking at the flame detector. If the detector is faulty, doesn't see the flame, the unit things there is no flame and closes the valve.

Tank Water Heaters need to be flushed now and gain to get rid of MINERAL buildup. At the bottom is a water valve where you can attach a hose. Run the hose out doors and then open the valve to allow the water to flow freely. That was easy. When water heats up, especially where the elements or gas flame are close to the heater bottom area, it may crackle or pop, but that is only expansion and contraction which is normal. Just watch to see if any water drips onto the floor which is a sign that the wall has been breached and the heater needs to be replaced.

Based on the limited information you have given, it may be a bad thermostat.

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