Here is an email I got today:
The pilot to my water heater has shut off for no reason. It won't stay lit, even when I attempt to light it. The type is a Kenmore Mixer 6.Please get back to me asap, and tell me if this is a serious problem or if it is a minor detail that can be fixed at home.Thank you for your time,Fernando D.
Probably because of my post on Fixing a Sears Kenmore Water Softner.
Comments
jake (not verified)
I have seen someone take a
Mon, 2010/09/06 - 16:07I have seen someone take a drill and simply make a bunch of holes through the front of the removable burner plate... the guy turned it into swiss cheese and it worked great...
and he also broke out the looking glass.... as far as scrapeing the bottom of the heater with an ice pick, how are you going to stand on your head and see what you are doing??? Sears sucks a pair of hairy ones
Good luck.
Anonymousstewart (not verified)
water heater pilot light keeps going out
Sat, 2010/05/08 - 08:35I read a lot of angry stories.When new products are replacing the old ones and no one tells them they are different and how to maintain them there will be problems.All 40and 50 gal. water heaters manufacture after 2003 are FVIR water heaters. the new water heaters need preventive maintance or the pilot light WILL fail. DO NOT alter or modify your water heater in any way. Majority of the problems are caused by a dirty flame arrestor. It's not a matter of if it's going to get dirty,it's a matter of WHEN it's going to get dirty. So search on the Internet for the tool to clean your flame arrestor . It's a water heater vacuum brush called tightspotvacuum. It's will do the job without any other tools required.
Anonymous (not verified)
We are having the same
Sun, 2010/05/16 - 01:37We are having the same problem with this product. It is a waste of money, unreliable and has forced us to buy an insurance policy to have it serviced when the pilot goes out. We have had it serviced nearly a dozen times in the 6 years we have owned it.
Anonymous (not verified)
I'm having the same issue
Sun, 2010/05/16 - 13:18I'm having the same issue with the pilot not staying lit but I'm going to try to keep it going for a long as I can by cleaning it off like so many have done repeatedly. This site has really opened my eyes. I'm writing though because I really need to know how to REMOVE THE INNER DOOR on the power miser 6 gas water heater (it has the electric pilot start). Please, can anyone provide a detailed description.
Anonymous (not verified)
Power Miser 6
Thu, 2010/06/03 - 22:09You all rock!! I tried to change out the thermocouple assuming that was the problem. I couldnt find anyway to get it out all the way so I googled the problem more specifically and found this link.
I never found where the filters were but I cleaned it out inside and underneath the best that I could.
Finally managed to get the outside nut back together on the thermal couple and gave it a try.
Hot water is on the way as we speak.. lol or type!!
Thanks for all the good advice for dealing with a cronic pos.
Dan (not verified)
KENNMORE POWERMISER 6
Fri, 2010/06/11 - 15:04Ok here's the simple fix.
1.Turn off your gas.
2. Pry off the little rubber boot going around the main line going into the water heater.
3. Take a screwdriver and gently poke a hole or two through the insulation surrounding the pipe.
4. Turn your gas back on and re-light the pilot according to instructions.
This fix will work as long as your thermocouple and your burner have not been damaged.
From all the posts, I noticed that the pilots are starving for air. It's just me but I'm not going to go in and vaccum out my water heater every couple of weeks or months or whatever. A repairman can't, due to liabilty tell you what I just did. I couldn't keep my heater going longer than 5 minutes without the pilot going out.
The problem with these things is the filter design and placement. I have the feeling that this was a quick fix to make the water heaters comply with the Fed mandate.
Now I think it's just plain old greed on Sear's part to NOT fix it, because of all the service calls they've been receiving.
Sear's used to be a company that had a tremendous reputation for customer satisfaction. Just from looking at the amount of post's here, I'd say that sadly that's not the case anymore. I'm going to write the head honchos at Sear's and give them this link, to this site.
Maybe we can find 1 person who still give's a damn.
I know this is a whole different can of worms, but I see a lot of similarity here with our government..........lol
Anonymous (not verified)
the only reliable fix is to
Wed, 2010/08/18 - 02:48the only reliable fix is to break the glass infront of the pilot which then allow unblocked air flow to the pilot...
the problem that causes the pilot to go out is an easily clogged filter on the bottom of the water heater,,,
breaking the glass would probably void the warranty though and also theoretically increase fire risk if flammable liquids are used right next to it...
but its better than having to relight the pilot everyday
you don't need to break the whole glass.. just about 1/2 of it
Don (not verified)
Try this website:
Thu, 2010/12/23 - 10:35Try this website: www.hotwater101.com. Clink on link on right about filter clean. Also a video on how to clean the filter and flame arrestor.
Anonymous (not verified)
Don - Thank you for the link. It fixed our problem!
Mon, 2014/06/02 - 02:25We have a 7 year old Sears Power Miser 12 Model 153.331444. Two days ago we noticed that the hot water wasn't very hot. It had been a very windy night and I assumed that the pilot went out. I followed the directions on the tank and relight the pilot and set the temperature to the usual setting and thought everything was OK. The next day the same ting happened and today I could not keep the pilot and burner on. Finally not even the pilot would stay lite. Spent about 2 hours searching websites for answers all which lead to the suggestion to replace the pilot light assembly about $67.00 dollars and possibly the gas valve, $110. Others said called the Sears technician but there were too many horror stories about long wait times and wrong parts.
At 10:42 pm I cam across your post and the link to http://www.hotwater101.com/. After reading the very clear and helpful instructions, I grabbed my flashlight and the refrigerator coil cleaning brush and went outside to the closet where the water heater is mounted. I bent the brush at an angle and scrubbed around the bottom as directed for about two minutes. I relight the pilot and set the thermostat and it stayed lit. I tested it by turning down the thermostat until it turned off and then turned it back up and the burner came back on.
Would strongly encourage everyone experience the same problem to try this solution before taking anything apart, replacing parts, or calling out a technician.
jake (not verified)
3 month old power miser
Mon, 2010/09/06 - 16:38had to work on a brand new one because SEARS would not be able to warranty their product for TWO WEEKS!! Did all I could do to it and it seems to be ok, I charged them $125.00 The customer needed hot water and is very pissed at SEARS.... They are junk
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