Quote:
Originally Posted by OwenTrail
I have a old model 1996 2518 I bought 3 years ago and the hot water heater has never worked. I can't get the pilot to light. Won't allow any gas to get to the pilot light. I don't believe there is a electric option with this old of model? Could it be as simple as a bad anode rod? The stove and furnance work a-okay.
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To get to your original question, I don't think there is any way that the anode rod could prevent the gas from flowing, or the burner from lighting. As the name suggests, the anode rod is a simple metal rod, a few inches long, entirely enclosed
inside the water heater tank. It has no function related to heating in any way. On the other hand, the gas apparatus has a number of parts, all of which are
outside the tank.
The first thing to check is whether the gas valves are on. As I recall, there is a gas valve within the water heater itself. If you can provide the manufacturer name and the model number of your appliance, it will help a lot.
You say that something "won't allow any gas to get to the pilot light." How do you know that no gas is getting there? Are you using the push-and-hold-to-light button that B_and_D described? You have to hold the button down for many seconds, and apply a flame (I recommend a long-snout butane barbecue lighter) for that entire time. Assuming the valves are on, the pilot will eventually light. If it doesn't, you are right - there is no gas getting to the pilot. If it does light, then making it stay on when you release the button is another question. Please let us know what you are finding.
Assuming you can get a flame at the pilot, more than likely the burner mechanism is just rusty-dusty-dirty-spider-webby. Your task will be to disassemble it and clean it up. You'll need to use a soft brush to remove dust and dirt, a wire brush to remove rust, and perhaps other tools to clean things. This is where the diagrams and troubleshooting procedures in the manual will be really helpful. You may find that some metal parts have rusted beyond repair, and must be replaced. Fortunately nothing is really expensive.
If you get back to us with some of this information and results, we will try to continue helping the situation. If the pilot light will light but won't stay on, or if if it stays on but the main burner won't light, we have experts here who can help. In particular, look for posts on the subject from Commodor47. But he needs to know where to start.
Bill