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Hi, I appreciate all opinions and recommendations, both from professionals and DIYers like me. "arcsum68" had the same model boiler and the same problem, so I asked for advice. If I could afford to hire a professional, I would, but this recession has broken me financially. And if I...

Hi, thanks. I'll let you know what happens after I do a few more tests. I read somewhere that to test if the combustion chamber is getting enough air (assuming the flame is blue, not yellow and it's not "wandering" -- which it's not, so it's "OK enough"), you can unscrew the CC door and...

Hi, thanks for the quick reply. I'm not sure what you mean by "I ended up having it warrantied for a newer model" -- does that mean you bought another AO Smith (State) heater? If so, why? Are they built better these days? Did you install it yourself instead of hiring a plumber? How hard...

Hi, Just wondering if it your heater is still working, over a year later? I have the same State HWH heater, and the same problem. I replaced the original 200*C thermocouple/TCO assembly with the SKU part that AO Smith (they took over for State) told me to buy, which I bought here...

Hi, I want to test my 10-year-old State/AO Smith hot water heater's vent vacuum. The smoke test I did with a piece of incense makes me think it's not drawing well enough to prevent overheating the TCO. The burner & pilot keep going out after a short time. Can I use a car carburetor...

> The tape is not holding the vent pipes together: they are screwed together, the tape is just preventing gas from leaking into the garage. But it's A/C duct tape and I think I should replace it with the correct tape, if at all. > I agree that, since this failed the "smoke test", the venting...

Thank you very much for your input.

Lucky guy!

From what I've read, the ceramic Cordite flame arrestor is press-fit into the bottom of the chamber, so it can't be removed. I have vacuumed the top and bottom using a Shop-Vac, and have carefully scrubbed the bottom with a refrigerator-coil brush. I don't want to crack the ceramic by using...

Hi, I specifically asked if a 4" vent is needed for a 50 gallon tank, and the "experts" at AO Smith's Tech Support said that 3" is the correct size venting. If I can't trust them, who can I trust? Thanks for your reply, RH

For anyone who cares, I finally found a video showing a smoke test (at about 3 minutes in): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiA-yuOB1qM Based on this video, my draft & exhaust vent is definitely my problem. The smoke I placed near my draft hood just barely got sucked in. Must be a dead...

Hi, I've been having trouble with my 2004 State Select (now AO Smith) 50 gallon natural gas water heater: the burner works and heats up some water but it -- and the pilot -- shut off after 15 minutes. I have to relight it 3 or 4 times to take a shower. I've tried all of the tests that...

Hi, I just started renting this house last fall. This is the only problem so far, and three plumbers tried to fix this problem back then. No one made a permanent fix. There is almost no wind in my area. The problem occurs when the garage door is open or closed. The outdoor temperature...

Hi, I think you are right. As I said, the smoke test I performed didn't seem to draw smoke very quickly into the exhaust/flue pipe. And I found this 4' single-wall 3" pipe next to the boiler when I moved in last fall. If it were connected to the top of the HWT, it might have been too...

Thanks for all the feedback. So far, I: > replaced the original 200*C TCO/thermocouple assembly with the one that AO Smith said it listed. That is a 180*C "High Altitude" version. They swore it was the right part, so I installed it, even though I was never told what "High Altitude"...

Here are three photos of the "Dr. Seuss" venting I mentioned just now. The first is the draft hood -- no signs of back drafting, right? The second show the two adjustable couplings that lead to the first section of straight vent pipe (which is about 4 feet long). The last shows the...

Hi, I just posted a message asking for a video of a draft hood "smoke test". Then I saw that you suggested that some jurisdictions require a straight vent pipe right above the draft hood; is that to allow an unobstructed flow of hot exhaust to heat up the vent pipe properly? The draft...

Hi, Does anyone know where I can view a video of a "smoke test" to see if my 2004 State Select Hot Water Heater is drafting fast enough? I followed State's (now AO Smith) user manuals, and there IS air being drawn into the draft hood and out my garage roof vent. But it seems like it's...

Hi, Can you tell me if your problem was fixed? I have the same POS model boiler and the same problem. Thanks! RH :confused: