How a Gas Water Heater Works ✔

[@Eliza3424]

God bless you! Thanks for sharing your knowledge. Well done.

[@brandonmckillop3859]

I'm a plumber and I'm very good at it. I'm licensed and I always learn more from your videos. The best techs remain teachable so thanks

[@draindoctor2967]

I love how this guy is extremely knowledgeable, yet also very relatable. He may not have had his equipment in a tiptop condition for the video, but the information he provides and the things that he chooses to overlook gives this video a great sense of "real"ness /organic-ness. i love it.

[@beotheguitarist]

This is like the 3rd time I've watched this video and it's the best explanation of how water heaters work. Best on youtube!

[@JWinder2012]

Great video. I know what you mean about not ever draining the tank. My parents live down off the Gulf of Mexico and have never drained their tank in over 15 years. I live in Las Vegas however, and the water is very bad and has lots of minerals and whatnot in it. If you don't routinely drain your heater here you won't get more than about 5 years out of it. It's wild. Thanks again!

[@rickj6048]

I admire your honesty: You're supposed to check the anode rod, the pressure relief valve, flush yearly, clean the air filter grill, but I never do. Reminds me of myself. If it aint broke it don't need fixin. I'm a firm believer of not messing with things because the manufacturer offers overkill maintenance procedures. Not neglect just common sense.

[@marcobala9284]

This is hands down the best video on gas water heater. Thanks

[@andersonjimmy1691]

Good video. Thanks. I am a fire captain and we routinely get calls for leaking water heaters. It will be a good video to show my newer firefighters.

[@gandalfthegreat5811]

Super helpful! Going to take the burner out tomorrow and clean out debris in hopes that is what is killing the pilot light. Thank you!

[@MarclenChin]

Thank you so much. We just moved into a place that has a gas heater and I didnt know anything about it. Now i do!

[@cyrilasfrenchyaz]

Good video as always, thank you! I flush mine every year and change the anode rode every 2 years or so as I have a water softner and it eats up the anode like crazy. Doing regular maintenance allows to make your water heater last more than 20 years.... my last one was still going after 21 year when I sold the house lol. All the recommendations are in the manual, worth checking.

[@unknownone8479]

My Anode is on way to tight, I'll move the water heater, sucks. I do flush every year. I also have a water softener

[@michellerobinson4291]

Great video. Very comprehensive. Thanks. Water is coming from my Pressure Relief Valve ( I didn't know what it was prior to this video) and I didn't know what was happening. "Do I need to call a plumber asap?" From your video information, I lowered the temp on the heater and it eventually stopped. Since I am unemployed at this time, your video allowed me to understand the basics. Thanks again.

[@WordofAdviceTV]

You're welcome! Glad to hear the video helped!

[@benventura5170]

you been blessed with wisdom by God man I have learnt so much from you thank you for sharing your knowledge GBY

[@jeffspicolli593]

I love it that despite your in depth knowlege of water heaters and the reccommended maintenance that you resisted the urge to virtue signal and admitted that like most guys you have ignored the reccommended servicing.

[@dhirendrasingh7343]

Very helpful video and knowledge sharing. It saved my day today when I had no hot water coming from taps.

[@Bilmor1982]

Hello J!!! I'm soooo grateful with your videos, you are SUCH a great teacher. I've seen many other videos on water heaters and they either over explained or fall short on important terms. You are spot on!!! Gob bless you my brother and thank you for sharing your knowledge with us nech techs!!!

[@JNich-yc6cc]

Great video very informative. I thought it would be funny to mention that according the international residential code not having a drip pan beneath the heater is a code violation.

[@joeboudreault2226]

This was excellent ... and you showed above the burner removal and possible cleaning ... you knew what you were doing ...thank you so much!

[@darrylstevens2556]

Learning alot from your channel. THX!. Seeing your hot water set up you must have a OPEN system & its NOT installed in the garage. No E.T. & your tank is not elevated off the floor. -- A homeowner that is learning to fix my own appliances.

[@condor5635]

Great video overall. Very detailed and included most all of the important items around water heater construction and operation. Thanks for posting. I do think replacing the anode rod (3-5 yrs) and draining the heater every year are important as is testing the overpressurization valve. You seem to blow these items off as not necessary when in fact they help extend the life and safety aspects of the water heater. Thanks!

[@brianaple]

I was surprised he disregarded the anode, draining, and safety valve maintenance as well. The tank manufacture screws in the anode rod and exposes the nut to remove it for a reason. I guess if you were to cut open 100 10 year old tanks you could come to a better conclusion but until someone does that I think you should check it yearly. Some people may never need to replace it but you will not know if you are one of those if you don't check it. Taking it out yearly will also making getting it out a lot easier in 10 years if it then should be replaced. As far as the safety valve goes the warning tag right on the things says it must be opened yearly to make sure it is not stuck.

[@anthonyrenaud5783]

Great video. Now I understand how my water heater works. Thank you.

[@stprk]

Best explanation about the gas water heaters. Thank you for excellent information. Great learning experience.

[@WordofAdviceTV]

Thank you! Glad you found the video useful!

[@wendwag1970]

I concur thanks...

[@marlenesmith6009]

Very educational. Thank you

[@Rivstr]

Nice explanation. I would like to see a video with a gas fitter to point out all the gas installation mistakes.

[@GunnyPhillips]

Great straightforward explanation. Thanks for keeping it honest and simple. I always say those who really know their stuff are the ones who can present it effectively to a novice audience. Thanks so much! You work is appreciated.

[@thinking6307]

Your ARTICULAION is OFF THE CHARTS!! You did not WASTE A WORD !!!! AND....incredibly COMPREHENSIVE!!! Geeezz...AMAZING!!! A Municipal area Junior College could take this video and supplement an HVAC or Electrical Engineering Tech Asociate Degree CURRICULUM...to theirs and their Students GREAT ADVANTAGE. YOU, YOURSELF...should consider an Adjunct Instructors position...at ANY SUCH INSTITUTION. There has been a tiny bit of "nit picking" in the earlier comments....BUT my years of experiences....agree with and support Your Points of View.

[@saeedg59]

Very helpful video to learn the working of gas valve. Thankful for all this.

[@s.collins6864]

Very clear, easy to follow explanations. Great video! Thank you for taking the time to make it!

[@jungtran]

I've been curious about how the hot water system works. Thanks for the video.

[@ThumperX9]

Great video...learned a ton about my gas water heater...

[@boonang4097]

Thank you for taking us through the hot water system. You covered basically all the parts and how they work. You even went into the heart of the system showing how to remove to check the burner. Great video and sharing.

[@WordofAdviceTV]

Thank you! Glad you found helpful! :)

[@mazechaser]

Thank you for this. This is gold, lol. First timer here and just wanted to make sure when turning the valve to A B & C the increase sound of gas was normal? Thank you Thank you Thank you

[@to-tt7fc]

Excellent video. An neighbor is throwing away a brand new looking 40 gal. water heater from Rheem installed in 2016. She explained to me it leaked, the technician came, looked, said it is shot and replaced it. Looks like the one carried at Home Depot, model number XG40T09HE40U0. So surprised it lasts only less than 5 years.

[@Littlebetofeverythng]

I Love The Way YOU Break It Down!!!

[@dennisbrown4966]

thank you for the very good video on the operation of a gas fired hot water heater.

[@GG-qr2mp]

Thank you for your informative channel. I am a contractor but still benefit from your videos. `I noticed on your water heater that you ran copper straight off the top of your water heater. It is recommended to use dielectric unions in situations such as this even though there is an anode rod in the tank since the tank is steel and copper is considerably different in galvanic potential and will sacrifice the higher charged metal, in this case the steel which is your water heater.

[@benjaminwallace4626]

Dielectric unions? My house was built in 01 and I had a new water heater put in 2017, old heater cracked even with draining and anode rods Why the unions if I may ask? Mine doesn’t have them

[@GG-qr2mp]

I’m

[@CallmeLux1077]

As a plumbing apprentice, I love you

[@guoxuxing6407]

awesome video. it's unbelievable how you could deliver so much information so well in one video.

[@soito6371]

Amazing explain to n that gave me the courage to tackle a pilot light that went out and seemed to never relight. Thanks 👍

[@christinachampion3676]

Always very comprehensive. Excellent teacher.

[@jrh11254]

My two Bradford-White water heaters are now 16 years old. I keep waiting for the inevitable to happen. You mentioned a 40 year old water-heater which gives me hope that mine may have a chance to go a lot longer!

[@duanewaite8947]

Proper maintenance is the best way to get best longevity from your water heating unit including testing the pressure SAFETY valve. It’s not a safety feature if it is not working properly and testing it is the ONLY way to ensure safe operation. Watch Myth Busters water heater experiment

[@survivor-z3t]

Very informative video. Very helpful for anyone starting on water heaters

[@BluTwob]

Great video! My American Standard water heater has some kind of matting material under the burner assembly. I haven't seen this in any other videos. Could that be blocking the air intake?

[@sambasmith4656]

One of the best explanation youtube videos I have ever watched. Thank you so much for your sharing.

[@lupedelacruz4152]

Very good video but out in the country where you have your own well I do recommend draining every year my brother-in-law's well pressurized too high and caused the settlement to plug all the filters in the home, dishwasher shower and the sink s thank you thank you thank you very much

[@alexisfelix8624]

Great video, you're a very good teacher, I really learn with your videos. Thanks

[@stephenstiles4387]

Great video...kudos to the camera person .no out of focus situations and your knowledge and instruction of the of the subject was clear and concise. Great job! .. thanks for sharing.

[@WordofAdviceTV]

You're welcome, glad you liked the video! Thank you for watching and commenting! And I agree, the camera person is awesome!! (my wife ;)

[@gaelantone7241]

Your explanation is very clear, understandable more so than the other film clips I have viewed. THANKS!

[@armandoramos1949]

Thank you for the tutorial, have a wonderful day.

[@MrBigmaxxx48]

GREAT JOB EXPLAINING THE DETAILS. THANK YOU!!

[@WordofAdviceTV]

You're welcome! Thank you watching and commenting!

[@felixbenavente568]

perfect way to show how it work...the best

[@kissingbanditt]

Excellent video and explanation of how the gas water heater works....i loved it. I have a question if i may ask. My water out of the tap, specially the hot water looks creamy or rather cloudy per say. Is something in my hot water tank causing that or is there a fix? Thanks alot and thumbs up!!

[@NevzatKeskin]

Thank you so much and you have a great ability to explain. Greetings from Toronto

[@peterlu2762]

This helps. Thank you very much!

[@joeskinwalker7628]

Great video!!! I am having a problem with my HD RHEEM water heater but i think your video might have solved my problem. My water heater has a lit pilot light but the burner will not ignite to main burner to heat the water. From what you said is the thermal pile rod needs to send a signal back to turn on the main burner. That tells me it i replace the thermal pile rod it should solve my problem i hope. I just hope it is not something in the electronic box. I will replace it an see what happens. Thanks for your video. Thumbs up 👍.

[@rongkaizhao7416]

Good overall explanation, with one correction, the thermal couple is not only detecting the heat on the pilot, it also powers the gas valve. There is a small voltage generated when it is heated by the pilot and it will open the gas valve. A current very small, but enough to drive the valve.

[@positiveMind1000]

Thanks so much 🙏 nice clear and easy to understand video. Definitely will watch the ad to help you.

[@Hunter__14]

Very informative brotha, 👏 👌 👍. I now have a better understanding of my water heater tank.....

[@rbilardo47]

Another awesome video. I never took out the gas burner unit before (never needed too) but now if something does go wrong I will know how to take it apart and put it back together safely. All your videos are very helpful and informative. I thank you for sharing all of this with us. God Bless. Oh, one questions: How do you take out the sacrificial rod if it is longer than you have room to the ceiling. Mine is a 40 gal on a 19" high platform along with my heater, heater is 46" tall and that leaves me 33 1/2" to the ceiling. I don't know how long the rod is in a 40 gal unit. It's a State Select model, never heard of this, but I live in Florida, it might be popular here. Thanks for your help, I was going to attempt this last year but was afraid I couldn't get it out, even more so, getting a new one in.

[@WordofAdviceTV]

Already answered in a different comment ;)

[@ciscokid1223]

Great informational video on water heaters ever

[@maranzj4471]

thank you , your information help me to fix my water heater that i have problem with in 5 days i wasnt having hot water at all . thanks you video now is good save me money,,,

[@WordofAdviceTV]

That's awesome! Glad you were able to get it fixed!

[@patriciaarias7281]

Excellent

[@thebartender2008]

I got the same A.O. SMITH brand, 2006, just got my MN house in spring, yesterday did a flush, just a little bit of debris came out, so got lucky, not sure if it was ever drained. refilled at about 1/4 way then drain again, twice to make sure any crap at the bottom got out, at first had to blow thru my hose a few times to get it to drain. To make a water heater last is a Water Softener. Very informative Video, Thank you

[@shaffer4220]

Absolutely the best educational video I’ve seen. Great job!

[@derekmei6585]

Just an FYI, not sure if someone mentioned it already, but the drain valve you have there is not missing a turning knob. This type works like a ball valve, I believe a quarter turn with a flathead will open or close it. If you try to turn it like a screw, it'll open the valve real fast and you'll get blasted.

[@ronk9830]

You make two good points. I never thought a knob was missing, but the operation of the drain cock did confuse me for a few seconds when I drained mine. Others worked like a spigot, turning left and right to open and close.

[@paulhurley9475]

He showed that on the video where he drained his brother's hot water tank.

[@joeleone6276]

Very informative and clear. Very helpful. Thank you.

[@kirkmillinger6575]

Very informative, I work for Natural Gas company, We don't get trained specifically on the workings of any appliances. To keep liability off us. I try to pass on basic info, Now i have a video to refer people to.

[@WordofAdviceTV]

Thanks Kirk! Glad you found the video useful :)

[@timenavigator9643]

Finding this video was a lifesaver dude! Thank you so much for creating this & for teaching me all of this! 😀

[@WordofAdviceTV]

I'm happy to hear the video helped! Thank you for watching and commenting!

[@seshachary5580]

as always very educative. Thank you regards

[@pinoy2075]

great video and its very helpful i just want to know how the sequence of operation works thank you

[@orusahrudayan1695]

Very good video. Clear explanation without any fillers and very good video. I was able to see the pilot light and inside the chamber. BTW can you tell us where can we get such a flash light?

[@jolldoes1515]

You would make a great teacher you are clear and strait on point .

[@michaelgoodman6840]

This was great! I'm having a problem where I get just 5 minutes of hot water out of a fairly new Richmond Gas Water Heater. The dip tube was replaced and my inexperienced plumber has no idea what else can cause this problem that went from intermittent to constant. Note that it is 75 gallons, that it vents out the roof and we use standard, modern faucets. I'm at a loss! Can you help?

[@Usmankhan-ib7eg]

Marvellous, Excellent Described, bro this is the first video regarding Geyser I have seen with scientific explainition

[@WordofAdviceTV]

I'm happy to hear the video was great! Thank you for leaving a comment!

[@VMac-eg7fb]

Great knowledge, excellent teaching.

[@maryduplessis4395]

Great video and thank you for explaining every detail.

[@rozlin313]

Excellent job explaining. Thank you!

[@beotheguitarist]

Excellent video young guy! I've watched many videos on gas water heaters, but you went into detail with the whole entire thing and I appreciate that!

[@WordofAdviceTV]

Thank you! Glad to hear the video was good! :)

[@MuhammadShohaibHassan]

That really was a great and comprehensive introduction of how Gas water heater works. I am actually here to find out some way to automate my Gas water heater. I currently need to light it On and Off everytime, I need to use the hot water. By anyway, Can you guide me to correct direction. I am in need of a module, which contains a electric spark module, a electrically controlled thermostat, which can be operated by a software and a remote connection like a Wifi or Bluetooth controlled device. Please guide me in the right direction.

[@jerryfaustinos3397]

Very good and informative presentation! Thanks

[@valeriysamarskiy6283]

Well done! Next time, please compare heat pump water heater and gas heater and their lifespan and other details, concerning all around gas etc.?

[@NorthPaddle]

Helpful video for the newbie, but I will offer a little extra info on inspecting or replacing the anode rod. All rods have a 1 and 1/16th hex head so you'll need a big socket. Second: nearly all will require a cheater bar on the wrench to get it loose as they come very tightly installed. Third: Wrap the threads with Teflon tape to avoid leaks since that tank is under pressure.

[@jedad09]

Great description, well presented and demonstrated. Thank you !

[@ErsinGokay]

Awesome video my man amazing job, thank you for your time and effort for putting this together to educate home owners or whomever has interest in this area. Very informative, absolutely great job on the tutorial. Thank you once again.

[@Hallicrafters88]

Great Video Thank you for making this very knowledgeable video

[@HuongTChu]

I loved this video! Thanks so much. I have a question though, how come you don't have a drain pan to catch leaks? They make water alarms that can let you know if something is wrong.

[@WordofAdviceTV]

Those are great to have! But many water heaters don't have a drain pan because they are located next to a floor drain so even if there is a leak it is very unlikely to cause any damage.

[@PoeLemic]

Thank you for explaining this. I wish you'd explain many more things like this.

[@castercyrus9076]

very nice video, very informative. thank you so much..

[@ep411]

Very good video, thanks for this!

[@dalejacaway4881]

You're right that's more than I ever wanted to know. But thank you for the information

[@WordofAdviceTV]

Lol, thank you for watching! :)

[@prjawahar5879]

That was such an awesome video tutorial. Thanks a ton

[@eddieortiz3706]

You're awesome I've never installed a water heater before but I'm about to in a few days this video was very helpful and thank you so much for your time, One more thing I would love to know where you bought that flashlight?

[@WordofAdviceTV]

Glad to hear you found the video helpful! Good luck with the water heater install! I got the flashlight on Amazon, there's a bunch of different brands: amzn.to/41yNaN2

[@dfigueroa903]

Thank you for the video, great one.... I was talking with my fiance when I heard a sound in the boiler room and saw water coming out he baffle ( Middle part) I tuned off the gas valve and checked the furnce area and saw it was completely dirty( lol) rust and it looks like the outer tank is leaky ... Come to find out the tank is over 20 years old... Never been clean... New water heater.... Thank u for the video... Ooo. What do you think??????

[@WordofAdviceTV]

Like you said, likely a leaking tank. Sorry to hear about your loss. They say average life is about 15 years so it did well for you. Hopefully the new one will outlast the old! :)

[@crownlaurus2610]

Really helpful video. Awesome, thank you!!

[@jyao5409]

Thanks for the explanation.

[@davidgald3072]

Okay here I go, this guy is really super knowledgeable and I watch his videos all the time. He's definitely is good However he has something wrong on the vending of the water heater. The water heater has a 90 degree elbow above the draft diverter cap at the top of the water heater called a draft diverter it diverts gases up the flu. It is there to cause a draft of air it will only produce heat out the draft diverter if the vent is blocked or you have too many elbows or 90s. it can only have 45° angles not a 90° elbow. This is why those caps are melted the hot gases are coming out of the draft diverter and heating up those caps. Producing carbon monoxide in the home . The draft diverter is functional all the time and is not there just in case the vent gets blocked Hopefully that makes sense...

[@boomertsm]

Excellent vid. You did a great job on explaining everything.

[@lizap16]

This was really helpful! We bought our house about a year ago and have gas hot water. One thing I’m still confused about- should the flame be a little one like at the end of the video, or a ring around the burner like on the stove? I’ve seen photos/ videos of each.

[@WordofAdviceTV]

The little flame stays on all the time if you have a water heater like mine. It's called the pilot light. But the big burner or the big flame only comes on when the water in the heater cools off and needs to be reheated again. Once it heats the water back up, the big flame goes out once again and only the little flame stays on. The purpose of the pilot light is simply to light the big burner when the water needs to be heated. Hope that makes sense!

[@jjs211u]

The ring is the burner that heat up the water. The little one is the pilot without it heating the thermal couple the gas valve won’t open to let the burner on.

[@TedToal_TedToal]

What I really want to know is exactly how the thermostat works. There seems to be a lot of inaccurate information out there about the use of thermocouples, thermistors, and thermopiles within the thermostat. The best I’ve gleened so far is: A) A thermocouple is a device consisting of two different metals in contact with one another, which create a very small voltage (a few millivolts) when one side is hotter than the other side. The maximum current with a short circuit across the terminals is only a few milliamps, and the maximum power it can provide is only a few microwatts. B) A thermopile is a bunch of thermocouples connected in series or parallel, boosting the output voltage or current, and boosting the output power. C) The gas valve for the pilot light is a tiny electrically-operated valve that can be actuated by the minute power of a thermocouple, only a few microwatts. When you hold down the button for igniting the pilot, this forces open the valve. After the pilot light is lit (either with a match or piezoelectric igniter) and is on for a few seconds, it heats the thermocouple, which begins producing power, which is used to actuate the valve so it will stay open when you release the button. If the flame goes out, the thermocouple cools and its output power decays rapidly, closing the pilot valve so unlit gas doesn’t leak out. D) The temperature sensor and main gas valve are what I have found the least reliable information about. There is a copper tube that sticks out of the thermostat through a hole in the tank into the water. It apparently contains within it a smaller tube that contains a gas (nitrogen? air? Let’s call it nitrogen to keep from using the term “gas” for more than one thing), or it conducts heat to a chamber containing the nitrogen. As the water temperature changes, it changes the temperature of the nitrogen. That in turn changes the PRESSURE of the nitrogen (look up the ideal gas law if you aren’t familiar with the PV=nRT equation). The nitrogen pressure opens and closes the main gas valve. As the water cools, the nitrogen pressure drops, eventually getting low enough that the main gas valve opens. The pressure at which this happens is adjusted by the temperature setting dial on the thermostat. But what keeps the gas from flowing if the pilot light isn’t lit? I’m guessing that the heat from the pilot light not only activates the thermocouple but also opens a valve through which the gas must flow to reach the main burner, perhaps doing this by causing a bimetalic plate to bend and alter the valve position. But if that’s the case, why not use that same valve to provide the gas flow to the pilot light, instead of the thermocouple complexity? Maybe that is in fact how it works. But a thermocouple is probably still used to achieve the emergency shutoff described below. E) A thermistor is an electrical component made of a material whose resistance changes with temperature. There are two types. A positive type increases resistance with increasing temperature, while a negative type decreases resistance. F) Also inside the tube that sticks into the water from the thermostat is a thermistor. Its purpose is to activate an emergency shutoff if the water gets extremely hot. This is not normally expected to ever happen. If it does, often thermostats cannot be taken out of the emergency shutoff state and instead must be replaced. I haven’t been able to find out how the thermistor is able to activate an emergency shutoff. Being electrical in nature, I would think it would have to do with the thermocouple and its voltage output. Let me hazard a guess. Suppose it is a negative type thermistor, and at normal temperatures its resistance is high enough to block the thermocouple voltage from being useful. Say that the thermocouple output passes through the thermistor to another tiny gas valve like the pilot light valve. Further suppose that, were this valve to open, the gas flowing through it would create a pressure against a moveable rod, causing it to slide outwards away from the gas pressure, and slide across a channel through which the main gas flows, blocking its flow. If the water temperature gets extremely high, the thermistor resistance drops low enough that the thermocouple voltage opens the valve, forcing the rod to slide and block the gas flow. That might work. Although, one can imagine a purely mechanical emergency shutoff, again using a bimetallic substance, this time having its flexure move that rod to block gas flow. In either case, it would seem necessary to arrange that sliding rod to trip suddeny rather than move slowly to block the gas flow. If anybody can point me to a detailed and accurate source if information about how a hot water heater gas thermostat actually works, that would be great!

[@savini8234]

Wow thanks

[@brianmedley8617]

Thanks for the video... how can I check to be sure my water heater has water in it?