[Mike63]

I didn’t see a forum to discuss water heater problems. So I’m going to post my situation here.

I have a Whirlpool water heater, Model # FG1H4040T3NOV. The problem I’m experiencing is that it won’t stay lit. The pilot on its own will stay lit, but within only seconds of turning it to the on position on the valve it shuts off. The burner comes on for about 5 seconds then you hear a click in the regulator valve and it shuts of and the pilot goes out.

When the problem first accrued I was able to relight the pilot and the burner stayed lit for about ten minutes. After a few times it would only stay lit for about five minutes and then only two minutes. Now it shuts down immediately.

At first I thought it was the thermo coupler, so I bought one. Unfortunately when I went to install it I discovered that the replacement had right hand threads and this unit has left hand threads. I was told that Whirlpool made a few models that use left hand thread thermo couplers and it appears that no one has them in stock.

One person I talked to seems to think it’s the valve that is defective. Tomorrow I plan on replacing the valve to one that will accept right hand threaded couplers and put in a new coupler as well.

I’m wondering if the burner is somehow extinguishing the pilot flame. Unfortunately the manifold and burner assembly is enclosed, and the only way you can see inside while it’s operating is to look through a small spy hole so it’s very difficult to tell if the pilot is going out and shutting it down, or if the valve is shutting it down and thereby shutting off the pilot.

Any suggestions are welcome.

HELP, I’m getting too old to take cold showers.