Thermopile Replacement on a Water Heater

[@tompayne695]

Well done. In 60 years, this is my first thermocouple failure, A O Smith electronic heaters are junk, we have replaced regulator with your help now a 4 YO TC. THANKS.

[@lesliecondon901]

Not even knowing what a thermopile was in the first place, this video was a God send. I played it one step at a time, followed the directions, and moved on to the next step. I got my water heater running again, and saved hundreds of dollars doing it myself with the guidance and clear instructions you gave. Thank you!

[@scottwilliams2094]

This is probably the best-done DIY video I've ever seen. Very comprehensive and thorough in the step-by-step process, but explained simply enough to be accessible to any DIYer. Speeding up through the mundane steps allows us to see the repair process in full and in real-time, yet truncated so we don't have to sit there twiddling our thumbs. Thanks for the great service.

[@PROSDIY]

Thanks for the great feedback! Cheers!

[@rajnanara1213]

I wanted to thank you for this video. I watched it about ten times and it made it easier to do it myself as opposed to hiring a plumber. Very detailed and easy to follow. Thank you!

[@RamiAgonistes]

Hands down one of the most comprehensive and professional DIY videos I've ever seen on KZbin. Excellent job!

[@PROSDIY]

Thanks Rami!

[@juniorjake3818]

I dont mean to be so offtopic but does anybody know of a tool to log back into an instagram account..? I stupidly forgot my login password. I love any tricks you can offer me

[@castielmekhi5063]

@Junior Jake Instablaster ;)

[@juniorjake3818]

@Castiel Mekhi thanks so much for your reply. I found the site through google and I'm trying it out now. I see it takes quite some time so I will get back to you later when my account password hopefully is recovered.

[@juniorjake3818]

@Castiel Mekhi It worked and I now got access to my account again. I'm so happy:D Thanks so much you really help me out !

[@dansherwood1399]

One bit of helpful advice for those who believe they are having a thermopile/couple problem First off though, very well done. Thank you for offering up a complete guide on how to access everything. After I took the burner plate assembly out and was already convinced my thermopile was malfunctioning, I decided to clean it first. It didn't even look that dirty but I cleaned it up, reassembled everything and my pilot would light the burner and give me the single blink on my status light. I saved myself extra steps and a run into town to find the part. Some of you watching this video may want to try to clean your thermopile first and see if that does the trick if you believe you have a failure with the component. You don't have to disemble it to access it to clean it either.

[@DadManDoes]

I'm glad I read your comment. I literally JUST took this all apart and sandpapered off some white deposits from the ignition and figured "why not", I put it back together and it worked !!! I don't even need to buy the $12 part. (Not today anyway, maybe it'll go bad tomorrow) . Thankyou for this comment. Crowd-funded information saved the day.

[@heatherscrazylife9813]

​@@DadManDoes$12!?!??!?!?!! Where do you live! Mine cost me $57 😢

[@DadManDoes]

@@heatherscrazylife9813 Lowe's has a thermocouple for $12. Sucked it was the wrong one. The real one cos me $53.

[@montrellthompson5281]

Cleaned it fired right back up no need for replacement 💪🏾

[@TheEverydayPreacher]

How do you clean it without disassembling it?

[@SSThunDerHawK]

Thank the lord!!! I found my actual hot water tank on here and its the best repair video of em all. You sir rock!

[@rmdelbridge]

One of the best DIY videos I've seen - great lighting with easy to follow directions.

[@joeyv5766]

Straight to the point thank you so much for not wasting my time. Keep up the good work

[@danzillaar4968]

Thank you for the information. I got my burner out and found that the thermopile wire was burnt into because it was installed to close to the burner. Then found out none of the major stores in town have the part in stock, thank god for Amazon and thank you again for a great video. Well done.

[@lisasperry2771]

Perfect walk through, managed to do this as a single mom and save myself who knows how much! Thank you!

[@PROSDIY]

Thanks Lisa! Nice job on your repair!

[@torigonzales3373]

Were can u get this piece at

[@zomni1]

@@torigonzales3373Lowe’s

[@photophreak8]

I thought I was ordering just the thermopile but they sent me the whole lighter assembly. This video helped me tackle the job successfully. I was always afraid to mess with gas but it was really easy. GREAT VIDEO!

[@christopherkirk6493]

Thank you for this! Did this replacement with your video playing, pausing at each step and had the heater fired back up and running within an hour. Great video, well done!

[@jeffreyholmes3261]

Very thorough, I watched both this vid and the gas valve replacement as I am off grid and use l.p.g as a fuel. I tested the components in my Reliant water heater, and apparently it is just the board that is faulty. That board is unavailable, so I purchased an entire gas valve. I figured, as I do with mechanics, If I have one bad set of rings, or a bad valve, it's the entire bottom or top end to ensure that it works until race day. Well done, this will be a cake walk now, and I feel secure about what I am doing. Thank you

[@jcd747]

Great video...saved $100s; hardest part was finding a replacement thermopile in less than a week. Many so-called plumbing professionals wouldn't even touch this relatively easy fix in our area.

[@DianeBilyeu-j7e]

Im 61 and cleaned my old pilot assembly myself and put it back in and it worked! Have a new coming as it is under warranty so this will for now...Thank you!

[@tommienorthcross-el1175]

im 63

[@TheEverydayPreacher]

How did you clean it without disassembling it?

[@norabder1008]

I have to say thank you for your video!!! I ordered a thermopile believing that is why I couldn't get my water heater to work but at the end of your video you explained that you have to continue holding down the pilot button. I couldn't even see the pilot light but just did it anyway and bam! It flashed normal operation then I turned up the heat and bam! it lit up. Thank you for taking the time to make this video!!!

[@charliewatt3218]

From a retired Carpenter to a plumber Great job and video buddie. Thanks for sharing your wisdom.

[@PROSDIY]

Thanks Charlie, I appreciate it. Cheers!

[@jasoncross9857]

You are a lifesaver. That you so much. The world needs more people like you

[@Mafioso629]

Nice bike bro! I started doing mechanics on my motorcycle, then graduated to my prius, now I'm working in home repairs! Thanks for the great video! Wish me luck!

[@tjinytjiny6615]

Excellent video. I changed my thermopile 2 days ago and still wasn’t getting anything. Thanks to your video I realized I had not fully seated the thermopile. I just went back in at 1240 am seated it fully, and it works. THANK YOU! Hot shower coming up tonight!! 🙏🏽

[@amandaheaton9237]

yes sir, i fixed my reliance water heater thanks to this video,i actually only had to clean off probe thingy mabob lol & blow dust out of everything, thanks a bunch bud

[@chokedoutlie]

Just completed this replacement thanks to your video. Thank you very much for taking the time to demonstrate and explain the process perfectly!

[@infidelmeister]

This guys doesn't waste anybody's time! Well done.

[@georgemontoya8494]

I never comment, but had to for your video. Haven't watched more but sure I will. So many videos are so long and not helpful. This video was very helpful fast,to the point and full of info. Thank you very much

[@DadManDoes]

This video juat saved me hundreds of dollars. Also, if you take it apart and the ignition and couple seem fuzzy with white deposit, take some fine sandpaper to it. I did and it worked. I didnt even need to buy the part.

[@salvatoresireci2450]

This is the exact model of what I have and what I needed to get this project done. Much appreciation 👍

[@jeffrobinson4333]

Thank you times a million!!! I’ve been fighting with my flooded hot water tank for three weeks! Between not being able to find the correct parts and not being familiar with the newer breed of water heaters, it’s been frustrating! Thanks to your video, everything’s back to normal. Thanks again!

[@PROSDIY]

Glad the video helped out! Thanks for the positive feedback Jeff!

[@XRAYVIZION3000]

I'm about to change mine out in the morning or next couple of days! This video is exactly what I'll be watching while I do! Thanks!

[@Brandon-eq7hk]

How did it go?

[@cmathis208]

Made my repair so much easier! I appreciate the detailed videos.

[@rennexmachina5272]

Thank you! 👍👍 For the next 24 hours you're my favorite person on this entire planet! 😲 Cheers! 🍻

[@stevehammond7123]

Great DIY video! Simple, thorough and to the point! Thank you very much for posting it! The black plug on mine was stuck tight and wouldn’t budge with up and down wiggling. I hooked my fingernails in the little crevice on each side and pulled outward while jiggling it hard from left to right and it eventually popped out. Came out hard all the way though. Thanks again!

[@dansherwood1399]

Same with mine, I was worried I was going to break the thing while taking it off.

[@beginagainben6276]

Dude thank you. Just did this at 7am. Your explanation and video was super helpful.

[@crazycutty]

Thank you so very much! After watching your video and following your instructions, I was able to replace the thermopile and fix my problem and avoid costly repairman charges. THANKS!!!!

[@PROSDIY]

Glad the video was helpful! Cheers!

[@lion91355]

Great video my friend Very helpful in repairing water heater You have a pleasant voice and patience while explaining steps delicately 👏👏🙏🙏🙏

[@skinnypup1]

Best diy video ever. no nonsense, excellent information, and instruction. big thumbs up here.

[@PROSDIY]

Thanks for the positive feedback! Cheers!

[@ar2691]

I liked the way you explained and showed what you are talking about. Thank you.

[@rhihodag9873]

So, so helpful! Perfect process for replacing the thermopile. Short - Sweet - To the Point! Thank you very much for this vid!

[@marchepburn3775]

Awesome. To the point video!

[@simpsonforge6411]

Best "how to" video I've ever seen

[@MichaelCarducciMagic]

Great video. This is the gold standard for how-to videos. Getting a plumber out on a Saturday would have cost $500 all in, we did this in an hour + $40 part thanks to your explanation. I owe you a beer or something!

[@dansherwood1399]

My wife and teenage daughter were without hot water for the evening and my wife wanted me to call someone the next moring. I am so glad to have found this video. Not only am I always wanting to save money but I told my wife it's embarrassing to call someone in to do something that I probably should be doing myself.

[@wildmanmark12]

I got the pilot lit but the burner will not fire up. According to the status light it shows the thermopile has low voltage. Does that mean it does to replaced or should I trouble shoot something else first

[@thewaterheaterfactory]

You nailed it! One thing though , I recommend removing the wiring harness from the circuit board with needle nose pliers , rocking it back and forth is risky and loosens connectors up needlessly. Otherwise Great video same process on most burner assembly's too!

[@joespradlin2441]

One of the best KZbin instructional videos I've ever watched. Great step by step instructions that can be easily followed by a novice or experienced DIYer. Thanks

[@PROSDIY]

Thanks for the positive feedback Joe! I'm always looking to improve on the videos, and comments like yours help me know I'm going in the right direction. Take care!

[@joespradlin2441]

It was definitely my thermopile. My pilot would light but immediately go out & when I tested it there was low voltage. My status light wouldn't blink either. Now the pilot lights, but the burner won't light & I get 5 flashes (temp sensor failure). Any advice?

[@joespradlin2441]

Am I correct that the thermal switch & temp sensor are not the same component? The button on my therma switch does not need to be reset & I'm not even sure where the temp sensor is.

[@PROSDIY]

That's correct they're two different components. The thermal switch is resettable and is the device attached to the combustion chamber door with 2 wires attached. The temperature sensor is part of the gas control valve that protrudes into the water heater and contacts the water. That's extremely unfortunate, because you most likely will have to replace the gas control valve to fix this issue. You can try turning the gas control knob to off, wait 30 minutes, and try relighting again. Sometimes this works, but in my experience 5 flashes usually means replacing the gas control valve.

[@joespradlin2441]

Unfortunately I had already figured that out. Luckily I had order the GCV along w/ the thermopile. The crumby thing is that I just replaced that stupid thing last yr when the old one cracked. I do appreciate you following up. Keep up the great videos. They're all super helpful.

[@tonywall540]

You said hooked the shorter wire to the left side but what if mine is up up and down ones on top of ones on bottom the video is very helpful but I'm still wondering if I put the shorter wire on top or bottom

[@halraines9]

I think this is one of the best DIY videos I've ever seen. Thanks for your help. I'm generally not a DIY w' plumbing/water heater items. This video is straightforward and feels doable. I will do this.

[@PROSDIY]

Awesome! Good luck on your repair!

[@KelikakuCoutin]

"... make sure to use the correct size wrench ..." as the video shows the repairman using an adjustable end wrench being used! Thanks for the content. Keep up the good work. בס'ד

[@ferdinand0541]

Excellent tutorial. There are other good ones, but this is the best. Thank you.

[@larrybryant331]

This is just what I was looking for. You explained this procedure excellent and to the point. Well done sir...

[@PROSDIY]

Thanks Larry!

[@Rextrent]

This is shockingly to the point. I almost didn't know what to think, but quickly just paid attention and started looking for tools so I could get on with it. Exactly what was needed. The quite old unit I am working on has four hex head screws to remove, and I removed the gas tube at the lower entry, which had two tiny 1/4" hex heads holding it to the Thermopile. The upper brass reducer bushing was not budging and not a good idea, as it looks kind of melted together, it's old, but the two screws below were a cinch. They would have been for someone else, Fingers just can't keep up with my usual tempo, and going all slo-poke grandpa doesn't appeal. Plus a non-hygenic cellar floor w/ glass bottle shards for ground cover, samples of intimidating dirt flakes, misc. nastiness, and a pervading stench that motivated quickness and a prophetic vision promising a world w/o it as soon as reasonably possible. Gratitude makes a necessary appearance, starring in "You don't know what you've got until it's gone". The sick reality of it is that I could acclimate to stink, and it would have happened for so many people before plumbing, I'm guessing. Can't admit to reading history passages concerning stench from many sources back in the day. Shakespeare likely mentioned it in some cool Shakespeare fashion using an olde smart reference which kept the audience feeling dignified in the middle of a shared common confession of everyday humble vulnerability. NIce Video! Thank you.

[@chrisk.6849]

Nice video. I’m a service plumber couldn’t explain it better myself

[@PROSDIY]

Thanks Chris!

[@medicbabe2ID]

Thank you x a million. Comprehensive and intuitive video. Helped me fix my problem, saved me a lot of money and time, and added to my knowledge base. Aces.

[@murrayvt]

How lucky am I, the water heater in your video is the exact same model as mine. So this made it extremely easy to follow because everything is the same. Awesome video, even though it's 4 years old it is still super useful. Thank you.

[@thefudfarm]

Where did you buy the part ? I went to Home Depot and they don’t have this one.

[@timgoudy662]

Great video. Used for reference and took about 20 minutes to replace the thermopile.

[@PROSDIY]

Nice job on your repair! Cheers!

[@bobboley5501]

Fine, fine job. This should be the standard for how to vids. If it's not too much trouble, could you make one of these for everything?

[@PROSDIY]

:) Thanks Bob!

[@drock5108]

Yup I just replaced mine and watched this video step by step !👏🏼great video! U get a 👍🏻!

[@jeffreyplumber1975]

correct size wrenches : vise grips channelocks or crescent wrench LOL good video couldnt resist !

[@jeancarpenter6828]

This is an awesome detailed video , I got the new part on but now I don't get power to my Honeywell control panel . Can you tell me what I could have done wrong

[@edwardnorton7463]

Excellent video! Gave me the confidence to tackle my own water heater repair.

[@caseymcfarland6646]

Great video, my.buddy is.Hvac an directed me.to this video. As my inlaws went out.. Had the.job complete in about 15 min

[@christopherlong9324]

Thank you very much for all your expertise and for making this video.

[@jeremywhite1062]

Great video, thanks for the step by step, water heater went out over the weekend while I got a dislocated rib and this Corona virus going on. Found one place in town this morning that had entire pilot assembly in stock, got it installed and a hot shower after was great

[@PROSDIY]

Thanks Jeremy. Nice job on your repair! Wishing you a speedy recovery. Take care.

[@jeremywhite1062]

@@PROSDIY thanks it went out Saturday night, immediately everyone told me thermocouple was bad, raced to lowes and barely got it before they closed, only to get home and find mine takes a thermopile instead and no one in town carries those, luckily one place had the entire pilot assembly

[@PROSDIY]

Glad you were able to source the part. It's becoming harder and harder to get parts with the whole COVID-19 thing happening. I currently have to phone my distributor for parts and they pick the order. Then the order is left outside for a scheduled time for pickup. Amazon has become more and more my friend lol. Stay safe

[@Lorenzoa79]

@1:36 .....one day later on what I thought was a 30 minute job. I still can't get the screw out. I hate when this happens. I've tried screw extractor and everything. Looking at the video you are screwing clockwise to take the screw out. I thought righty tighty and lefty loosey. I need any tips to get this screw out.

[@scottmullins6464]

Thank you so much for the helpful video. I followed it step-by-step and was able to change out the thermopile on my water heater and fix it myself. The save me several hundred dollars thank you

[@PROSDIY]

Thanks for the positive feedback Scott! Nice job on your repair!

[@ctdieselnut]

My thermal breaker kept popping causing the light not to flash even after the pilot was lit. Ended up being the exhaust stack had a mouse nest in the end blocking the draft enough to trip the thermal switch. I had turned off gas to the house for a week for something unrelated, enough time for them to block the pipe. Thanks for the vid, I needed to know the name of the thermal switch to even search what to do. Thumbs up! I hope maybe this post helps someone else in diagnosis of there non blinking light.

[@billybob7145]

Very helpful and professionally presented. Much thanks!

[@rosemarynord525]

Can I purchase a Thermopile at a home improvement store? i will also need to watrch this several times and then watch it while I'm working on it, pausing along the way!

[@ignaciogutierrez6729]

Thank you for making a very detailed video, highly appreciated 👏🏼

[@morningstar7645]

Thank you for very well done video. Wish I have watched it prior to wasting 3 hours

[@janetebert-powell8527]

I hope you still rcv these. I'm determined to repair my water tank. So I watched your previous video, when you were at 3:15 mark, if the button is out, on the thermopile, push the button in until it clicks, my button is white, it was out, I pushed it in, it didn't click actually it won't move at all but in able to pull it out, push it a little, I was praying that was the reason my pilot keeps going out but I I think it when it reaches a temp it shuts off, so I noticed the filter around the bottom was nasty, so I took it off and washed it. I guess I don't know what I'm asking lol, I think this video spelled it out for me, I appreciate you videos, you should do this for a living ! Nice bike BTW, thank you. I'll attempt to finish up in the morning. Started too late. I wanted to make sure I came on here to thank you for your help.

[@clintonmcclure3079]

Thank you for helping me fix my water heater!!

[@PHPEvents4]

Quick question, what kind of thermopile did you replace it with? I’m looking to buy the part so i can replace

[@josephfnieto8481]

Thanks much appreciated. I have my backflo testing lic and repair but know nothing about water heaters until now peace from Califas

[@lilchickdi]

Thank you so much for this super informative video. You help me fix my water heater and save time and money!

[@PROSDIY]

Thanks Crystal! Glad the video was helpful.

[@davidlyons7238]

Excellent video. This was the same as the Aosmith I worked on yesterday. Now I know what to do if I have to deal with it again. Thanks.

[@alfonsosterling133]

Thank you for the very informative video I just completed my repair and I am so lucky to get this done with your guidance because the warranty was up..😀👍

[@PROSDIY]

Hi Alfonso Sterling, I'm glad the video was helpful. Nice job on your repair! Take care!

[@haroldm2441]

Thank you for this video, you made it look so easy. I appreciate you.

[@mrtwister9002]

So, pipe dope is not needed for the fittings that are installed in the water heater thermostat, correct?

[@jamiramsey783]

Great video with no excess babble. Very informative, clear and to the point.

[@PROSDIY]

Thank you Jami!

[@peterbminett7579]

Need to change out the thermopile on my gas fireplace. This is the closest I could get to what I really wanted - that conclusion comes after watching a couple of other thermopile related videos. This gives me a good idea of what to watch for as I disassemble what I've got, and how the parts fit together, come apart and go back to together. Quite useful. Thanks

[@PROSDIY]

Thanks Peter, I hope your project went well. It can be very frustrating working with fireplaces as there's not much room to work. Fireplace thermopiles are a little bit different, but serve the same purpose. They are usually held in place by a threaded connection into the pilot assembly. They also have a spade terminal connection at the end of the wires. Thanks for the comment! Take care!

[@sylee2113]

Thank you for the video. Question why would this part fail and if it does what happens. I have 2 flashing light stating thermopile low.

[@PROSDIY]

Hi Sy Lee, A thermopile can wear over time and start to produce lower and lower voltage. If the voltage drops enough the pilot flame will go out, causing the gas control to shut down, then no hot water. Low voltage can be caused by a few things: 1) Thermopile requires replacement (most common issue) 2) Pilot flame is weak or the thermopile is not positioned in the pilot flame correctly. 3) Damaged or loose thermopile wiring. 4) Soot buildup on the thermopile. Usually caused by lack of combustion air. You can test the voltage of the thermopile with a multimeter: kzbin.info/www/bejne/o6XFn2Z8qbKkea8. Acceptable range for most water heaters is around 400 mV for an open circuit test. A healthy thermopile usually produces anywhere from 650-850 mV. Replacement Parts: Thermopile: 100112328 amzn.to/2D8QTs8 Thermopile Assembly: 100112330 (Best Value) amzn.to/2RISkBI Most water heaters take the standard thermopile listed above, but please check your water heaters manual to verify the correct part number. Thanks for the questions!

[@sylee2113]

PROS DIY thank you for the detail info. !

[@robstone3002]

Excellent video. Very clear and perfectly paced.

[@PROSDIY]

Thanks Rob!

[@kylebond7583]

My igniter and gas line are the only things on the Burner assembly, is there another location for the thermopile??

[@jafettrejo2777]

Is there any way you can make a video about how to replace the pilot itself. Mines got bitten off

[@ignaciogutierrez6729]

Thank you for making a very detailed video, highly appreciated..

[@sh2697]

it is hard to just buy the thermopile without the kit, can I hard wire the red and white back to the plug?

[@jerrymaushard3835]

replace pilot assembly. pilot works but no flashing light or main burner won’t light. Is the gas valve next?

[@codyd.blanchard2647]

Are thermopiles universal or do I need to look up the specific serial number for mine?

[@dntlss]

Hey, i had a question, im doing this right now and when i pulled the burner assembly out that black gasket came off in places,its all together and its still in decent shape but i would like to reattach it to that piece of sheet metal, a few years ago i was working on my furnace and i bought some bad to the bone red rtv thats supposed to be high heat,you think it would be ok to just barely place some of that and reattach the black gasket to the burner assembly? you can see that big square gasket real good at 1:08 in your video, thank you much for your time.

[@golf-freq]

This is an EXCELLENT instructional video -- thanks!

[@PROSDIY]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@jeremybrandelik4109]

On mine, I can get as far as lighting the pilot flame, but the light never starts blinking. What do you think might be the issue here?

[@isayyo6857]

I bought a whole new thermopile assembly.. the problem is the there’s no thermoswitch on the water heater but the thermopile assembly come with wires for the thermoswitch.. do I need a different thermopile or is there a way I can still the one I have

[@jasminemeichsner186]

Wonderful video. I have a AO Smith water heater that matched your video. I went in and replaced the thermopile successfully without getting stuck. My first ever water heater repair! Your video was a great instruction, with identifying the different steps and also displaying them clearly. Thank you. Mild criticisms: ** you say "use the right sized wrench on the brass gas bolts" when the video shows a crescent wrench. However, I didn't have the wrench for the larger sized brass bolt on the main gas line and my crescent wrench did work very well. ** I struggled getting the clip off the "pilot light assembly" and didn't get how the person in the video did his. ** In other videos, they show ways of checking for gas leaks, maybe include this info in future videos.

[@billgyrotech]

I have a similar gas valve type on my propane water heater. Do you know why I am unable to turn down the temperature? No matter where I set the dial the water is at least 135 degrees Fahrenheit.

[@jp040759]

Thanx. Looks these things are easy to repair. From other videos that I have seen the Honeywell control valve sucks. Lots of videos out there that explain how to reset the controller from a VERY common 4 flash error code. View them before you waste money on buying a new control valve.

[@barryngo1950]

Great video learned all that I needed through you presentation! Thanks a bunch!

[@Ryanchacon903]

My husband is so confuse I’m not sure if all water heaters are the same but we have a brand Ford white and it has a Thermopile how do we go about changing that?our main problem is that it turns on but won’t stay on could changing this fix the problem??

[@dennisl4961]

I have not done much research, but is this thermophile what i need if i dont see an ignition from the glass see through?

[@beckyturner5873]

is there a specific part number for a propane thermopile?

[@rafa714ocrr]

Whats the length of the thermo pile?

[@bobslagle1821]

a numbered replacement parts list for the replacement parts would be nice..