kenmore w/h

michael_4

Hello all,

Client has no hot water. I was doing the diagnostics yesterday and found no mVDC.

When going to replace the t-couple I noticed a small disc. The factory cut the t-couple and soldered the disc in between. Is this disc a resistor or fusible link?

I have been transferred a least 4 times on the phone with SEARS. I did not want to replace it with a regular t-couple and have an issue with the water heater.

Thanks for the help.

-Michael

Timco

My opinion is that if you have any question as to which T-couple will work you should talk to sears / kenmore directly, or download the manual for that WH on line and read up. It is always in everyone's best interest to follow the mfg's instructions. Unless you installed it, no way of knowing if the t-couple that was there when you got there was correct to begin with.

Tim

Unknown

That is a fusible link and

must be replaced by a like thermocouple. In some cases it requires a complete replacement of the burner depends on the model of water heater. This is an FVIR water heater and they have been known to develop very high combustion chamber temperatures resulting in the fusible link failing prematurely. I would persever with Sears to get an answer as to their protocol on these heaters. Some of these thermocouples on different units also have left hand threads to keep us from putting in a standard thermocouple.

rich pickering

Make sure that the screen on the bottom is CLEAN. Three in the last month with plugged screens.

Glenn Harrison_2

Not exactly a fusible link,

but an automatic reset limit switch.

If it helps, Kenmore is the same thing as State and A.O. Smith.

That disc is supposed to auto reset when the burner compartment cools down, so obviously it has failed. Now on the flip side, it had to have opened for a reason. The two most likely reasons being that the black air inlet screen that is located on the front bottom of the water heater is plugged with dirt/debris, and/or the flame retardant disc located immediately under the burner is plugged, which is a problem I am seeing more often.

If the black screen is plugged just pull it out and run some water through it and allow to dry. However, if the flame retardant disc is plugged, you will need some compressed air or nitrogen, a hose, and a blow gun and have to blow the debris out of the disc from the burner compartment down and then thoroughly vacuum out the air compartment under the flame retardant disc (easier said than done).

Now as far as the thermocouple goes, at a minimum you will have to replace the pilot assembly with thermocouple as one piece, due to the way the mounting is designed. Sears/Kenmore may require you to replace the entire burner assembly.

If you go to Sears.com you can find a link for ordering parts, enter the model number of the heater, and find a parts breakdown, which should then list whether you can get just the pilot w/ thermocouple, or the entire burner. Then of course you will have the part numbers and can order them either on line or using parts central 800 number.

Now if you stop and think about it, by the time you clean this thing, find the part(s), order them, charge for them and your time, you probably will be better off just replacing the thing even if it is just a few years old.

I have worked on many of these A.O.Smith/State/Kenmore heaters and hate there design, and nobody around here is stocking parts. The few times I have had to replace the pilot/thermocouple I had to have the supply house break open a new water heater and pull the pilo/thermocouple, and then go back and reinstall when the supplier got the part in. Of course the parts were still under warranty so it made it more worthwhile.

just my 2¢ worth based on my experiences (mostly bad).

Unknown

Glenn, I have been getting

very high flue gas temperatures with some of these FVIR water heaters. Some net temps of 580 to 600 degrees. I have talked with Jim Davis and he confirms that he also is finding this to be true. In all cases these high temps did not appear to be the result of any plugged air inlet screen or flame retardent screen but just normal operating temperatures. In several of the cases of these high temps the small disc on the thermocouple was damaged and had to be replaced (a new burner assembly as no parts available at supply house).

The venting was fine on these and they all had good draft when running. I feel it is just a part of the actual design that causes them to run very hot. Type B vent by the way maximum sustained temp is 550 degrees so this is not good.

Glenn Harrison_2

Interesting, Tim

I will have to test one the next time I come across one.

As I said above, have had several where the pilot will go out, and can be relit with no problem, then goes out again after a short period of time of the burner being lit.

I then blow out the flame disc with about 75 p.s.i. of nitrogen and a blow gun while vacuuming out the air compartment, and then re-light the pilot and it stays lit. The best part is on almost every one of these I have done this to the black screen was either clean or slightly dirty.