Can Thermopile be replaced on AO Smith water heater?

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4lane

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I have an LP water heater by AO Smith (GCV 40 301). The thermopile needs to be replaced; how can I tell if I need to buy the entire burner assembly or if I can just replace the thermopile?

Thanks!
 
how old is the heater, what are the symptoms, the thermocouple would be the least expensive to replace
It's 4yrs old, but is in a weekend house so I turn it off/on each time I'm there. Now it takes a long time primed w/ the pilot lit before it will take off. Often the pilot will go out during priming. A couple times it has given the double blinking light "Thermopile voltage low".
 
before you blame the thermopile make sure that the flame height is correct and that the flame and thermopile still align. All the on-off lighting may have bumped it so it no longer sits in the flame correctly.
 
I will check the voltage of the thermopile before buying anything. Where can I go to understand how the flame/thermopile should be aligned? Also, do the piezoelectric’s get worn from use and not generate a big enough spark maybe?
 
it should be in the flame
and because of this, they tend to get dirty with carbon build up
pull it out, clean it. reinsert it. making sure it is fully inside the flame

and try it one again time more

Thank you, I will start with this.

If the thermopile needs replacing, is it possible to replace it without buying a complete burner assembly on this AO Smith GCV 40 301 unit?
 
Also to answer the OP question: Yes, those piezos go bad. I have snagged a handful of them from replaced units and restored useability quite a few times for customers.
 

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