# Honeywell Nightmares.. its getting ugly out there.....



## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

Today we had a rash of fairly new Honeywell gas valves
going out on 3 different brands of water heaters......


We took out a 2014 Smith unit that the customer has repaired twice since it was installed and they were totally through with it...Installed a rheem 50 with the old robert shaw thermostat on it.........

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_XvJ8lR8OC3cGluMkZtY1J5ZmM/view?usp=sharing
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Went to look at a Sears unit a 2013 unit buried behind the washing machine and dryer...... told them we would install a new 40 rheem or they can call Sears and wait on them to come out and fool with it... he told me he would think about it.... 
The cheap ass .landlords handy man --plumber has just died and he about had a fit when I told him it was gonna be 1200 to remove the washing machine and dryer just to get to that peice of junk... I had to climb over both of them just to take this picture

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_XvJ8lR8OC3M3gwTm1lWUNReFE/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_XvJ8lR8OC3TUxSaGtUZEc0OU0/view?usp=sharing
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Got into an American pro line 40 gas installed in a rental hole 2012 and we called the only place in town and they claim after we test the thermopile with a multiimeter if its bad they will give me a new one...under warranty..... 
So all I got to do is drive across town to get the part and hope it brings this piece of junk back to life.....
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_XvJ8lR8OC3NkROZmF1NEhKRzA/view?usp=sharing

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We had a lochinvar last week with a bad control and they did not even have a honeywell control in stock at the supply house..... We tore it out and installed them a Rheem unit....


I am Having fits dealing with all the different models and brands and dealing people expecting us to spend our whole day attempting to repair this junk and expecting us to do it for practically nothing.....This is not gonna happen. 

I am not willing to rig up and interchange and intermix parts on all these brands out there because of the liability it involves.... I have been googling and looking for some sort of a generic repair kit that could be thrown on all these crappy brands that are out there..... 

I suppose if I really wanted to jump through hoops to get someones hot water back on, the *Bradford white Icon valve* and Thermopile maybe could be installed on most of the brands on the market except for the high limit switch....???

has anyone tried to install an Icon Kit on other brands yet??

Just wondering ..... there has to be something you can carry with you that could be installed on all popular brands



..


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## ShtRnsdownhill (Jan 13, 2016)

you gota love new and improved technology....


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## Pacificpipes (Oct 1, 2013)

I've had 4 go bad in the last year


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## dhal22 (Jul 30, 2010)

With that many failures, pay me my rates or see ya!


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## moonapprentice (Aug 23, 2012)

I may be wrong, but I believe the Honeywell valves are made in Mexico


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## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

ShtRnsdownhill said:


> you gota love new and improved technology....



I just frikking love it to death... an old robert shaw thermostat will last literally 35 years without doing anything to it
and these crappy blinking light thermostats last about 2...

I waste my time and effort attempting to get somethign done today and they throw this crap in my path.. 

stupid peices of #%&+#@$ junk..:furious::furious::furious:


so has anyone attempted to install a 
$200 Icon kit on any other brand ???

I am just not gonna even go out and waste my time any longer
unless they send me a picture to my phone so I can see what we
got to deal with.... 

then I will tell them we are gonna shi/can the unit
if its got the honeywell t-stat on it.....


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

The older W/H's had their gas control valve attached to the tank with a brass nipple. It seems to me, and I may be wrong, that the newer gas control valves have a plastic nipple. Again, I might be wrong, but it didn't look like brass. I was looking at the last one I installed and it seemed like a black plastic nipple.


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## Qplumb (Dec 19, 2015)

Tommy plumber said:


> The older W/H's had their gas control valve attached to the tank with a brass nipple. It seems to me, and I may be wrong, that the newer gas control valves have a plastic nipple. Again, I might be wrong, but it didn't look like brass. I was looking at the last one I installed and it seemed like a black plastic nipple.


It's a thermo well, the gas valve can be changed without turning the water off. I haven't had any issues with the bradford white other than one bad thermopile.


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## Debo22 (Feb 15, 2015)

Tommy plumber said:


> The older W/H's had their gas control valve attached to the tank with a brass nipple. It seems to me, and I may be wrong, that the newer gas control valves have a plastic nipple. Again, I might be wrong, but it didn't look like brass. I was looking at the last one I installed and it seemed like a black plastic nipple.


They call it advanced polymer composite,about 4:45 in they have a 280lb guy standing on it


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## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

Debo22 said:


> They call it advanced polymer composite,about 4:45 in they have a 280lb guy standing on it
> http://youtu.be/Vj5N4aWOOjE




The composite will last the warranty of the tank and it is not advanced...they fail left and right all the time.....

lets wait till they are over 10 years old and see how big of a lard ass they can let stand on one of those valves without it snapping off...:laughing::yes:..


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## Cajunhiker (Dec 14, 2009)

Honeywell must realize they have problems. I don't get why their engineers don't come up with a better design.


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## plumberkc (Jun 23, 2011)

I have installed about 400 of those Honeywell gas valves in the last year and hadn't had a problem with one until this morning. I got a call from a unit I installed 6 months ago and the pilot is still on, just no hot water.


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## ShtRnsdownhill (Jan 13, 2016)

Cajunhiker said:


> Honeywell must realize they have problems. I don't get why their engineers don't come up with a better design.


 first we live in a disposable world...if water heaters lasted for 20 plus years on a regular basis we all would suffer..losing $$ for replacing older ones and the manufacture for not selling new ones..and that goes for many products..
The second issue is no company wants to admit fault in engineering and have to pay to replace parts for free or pay for any damage that may have happened from there bad engineering..( if they just take care of who complains when its under warranty they save a boat load of $$)this runs through every product out there..one of the worse is the auto industry...its the new normal or quality that the public is forced to accept...


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## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

plumberkc said:


> I have installed about 400 of those Honeywell gas valves in the last year and hadn't had a problem with one until this morning. I got a call from a unit I installed 6 months ago and the pilot is still on, just no hot water.



I think the problems start until about after a season or two out... wait for it, wait for it..............

the problem you will now get to experience is the supply houses are not carrying the parts or damn few of them.......

The *Bradford Icon heaters* will at least will give you a complete box with control and thermopile assembly and all the goodies in it and then you have a fighting chance of getting the damn thing repaired fast........ 

The Rheem honeywell units from home depot are not available at the store...they got to be shipped in. 
Same with the Lochinvars too..., whirlpools, ect ect

I was seriously pissed off with the American we tore out when they told me over the phone for me to test the thermopile and if its under warranty its free..... just bring in the thermopile and we will hand you a new one... So When the whole control wont come on and you really dont know what you are dealing with.... It becomes a DAY-KILLER ..


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## plumberkc (Jun 23, 2011)

Honeywell makes the icon valve too. I stock multiple pilot assemblies and gas valves at all times. The only tanks I won't repair are whirlpool & Rheem. 

The icon valve comes apart and you'll have to replace either the gas valve or the circuit board if it's under warranty. 

The Honeywell valve I had today was giving 7 flashes for an error code. I went out there and turned up the temp and the burner kicked on and the error code stopped. 

The Honeywell valve is on the AO, State, Rheem, whirlpool, Reliance, and American tanks. This page below gets about 70 visits per day. 

http://kcwaterheater.com/water-heater-repair/honeywell-gas-control-valve/



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## Debo22 (Feb 15, 2015)

Master Mark said:


> I was seriously pissed off with the American we tore out when they told me over the phone for me to test the thermopile and if its under warranty its free..... just bring in the thermopile and we will hand you a new one... So When the whole control wont come on and you really dont know what you are dealing with.... It becomes a DAY-KILLER ..


If you can get the pilot on you can check the thermopile/pilot generator by setting your volt meter to millivolts and look for close to 750 without a load on it


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## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

Debo22 said:


> If you can get the pilot on you can check the thermopile/pilot generator by setting your volt meter to millivolts and look for close to 750 without a load on it




IF you can get it to come on... that is probably half the battle...
.IF it wont come on then I guess you have to assume or take your best guess what is wrong.....and spend a good part of the day dicking around with it

I like that digital manometer KC has shown in his picture 
I cant remember the last time we had a valve with low pressure to it..
You got a nice web site KC..

I suppose that I am just going to have to go out and buy a couple of honeywell kits to fit the Smith units to stock our trucks and hope they will work on other brands when we run into them.....

if the people dont want to pay the money for the new valves and want to argue with the heater company over their warranty parts, they are just gonna have to go without hot water until Home depot ships them out......... 

I also think I am going to have to get a heavier set of 
channel locks to smack them with...


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## sparky (Jan 8, 2014)

Master Mark said:


> :yes::yes::yes::yes::yes::yes:
> I also think I am going to have to get a heavier set of
> channel locks to smack them with...


:laughing::laughing::laughing::laughing::laughing::laughing::


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## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

I just got a call for a water heater repair on a 3 year old Lochinvar gas heater... Supply house is is closed .... no matching parts available...
should be under warranty but its a crap shoot to see if they have parts in stock......I told the customer to call the plumber who originally installed that brand and hope they have it on his truck...............


the last one we tangled with was a day before x-mas and the supply house in this town that sells them did not have the warranty replacement parts on hand..... so we replaced the heater for them instead of no hot water for their company at x-mas..............


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## Qplumb (Dec 19, 2015)

Master Mark said:


> I just got a call for a water heater repair on a 3 year old Lochinvar gas heater... Supply house is is closed .... no matching parts available...
> should be under warranty but its a crap shoot to see if they have parts in stock......I told the customer to call the plumber who originally installed that brand and hope they have it on his truck...............
> 
> 
> the last one we tangled with was a day before x-mas and the supply house in this town that sells them did not have the warranty replacement parts on hand..... so we replaced the heater for them instead of no hot water for their company at x-mas..............


State makes lochinvar & parts may be interchangeable


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## plumbdrum (Nov 30, 2013)

I thought AO Smith made State? Hmmmm


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## Qplumb (Dec 19, 2015)

plumbdrum said:


> I thought AO Smith made State? Hmmmm


State, A.O. Smith, American, Lochinvar, Whirlpool, Kenmore, Reliance and I'm sure a few more are all the same. I'm not sure who bought who or if state and A.O merged but it happned in the early 2000's. I did the warranty work up until 2004 for all their brands.


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## plumbdrum (Nov 30, 2013)

AO Smith owns them all


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## sparky (Jan 8, 2014)

plumbdrum said:


> AO Smith owns them all


All the junk is made in Johnson city Tennessee anyways :yes::laughing::laughing::laughing:


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## plumberkc (Jun 23, 2011)

sparky said:


> All the junk is made in Mexico anyways :yes::laughing::laughing::laughing:


I fixed it.


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## dhal22 (Jul 30, 2010)

sparky said:


> All the junk is made in Johnson city Tennessee anyways :yes::laughing::laughing::laughing:


Isn't State in Ashland Tn? I toured the factory a few years ago just don't remember. Close enough to Nashville that we stayed there overnight.

And their water heaters get many different paint colors and stickers.


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## sparky (Jan 8, 2014)

plumberkc said:


> I fixed it.


Beautiful,thanks so much:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:


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## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

*a brave new world of high costing parts...*

Its a brave new world of high costing parts...

I guess I am gonna have to stock my truck with some of this junk or just start robbing the old parts off leaking heaters with the thermopolie type parts on them... I googled the prices on line 

a common old style theromcoupling cost only 12 bucks.... 
and a sears replacement thermopile cost $ 65 bucks:laughing::laughing:
others were in the 45 dollar range

the control itself is worth about$125 with tax.....

For this cost I think robbing the leaking unit of their old parts is not a bad idea at all as long as they are interchangeable I dont seen a problem with keeping them on my truck for emergencies...''

Now isnt this sweet and precious?? 

So anyone see a problem with scavengeing old thermopiles ???




http://www.searspartsdirect.com/par...clPCY7EAwF4aAQoykV2ljxAxHglIGfo-H-xoCZ-vw_wcB


http://www.supplyhouse.com/Honeywel...p7z5Ctsbu-Y87ahacqrakV_BZFCd1Hu340RoCYibw_wcB

http://eaglesupply.com//products/ho...KfeXqxJlf2QWDOfvCBHc8tzurWy-ZWZrxWBoCdrLw_wcB


http://www.lesman.com/acatalog/Hone...x1n4KGdV8LWX4AINH47-HTTOtLYfRvrHbzhoCQx7w_wcB


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## sparky (Jan 8, 2014)

Master Mark said:


> Its a brave new world of high costing parts...
> 
> I guess I am gonna have to stock my truck with some of this junk or just start robbing the old parts off leaking heaters with the thermopolie type parts on them... I googled the prices on line
> 
> ...


I say do whatever it takes to fix the problem and still make money,as long as the parts work who cares where they come from


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## Debo22 (Feb 15, 2015)

I don't see an issue for temporary repairs. Could be a callback waiting to happen if you leave it in service.


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## dhal22 (Jul 30, 2010)

You guys and this thread cost me a half Sunday. Reading this thread regularly I'm thinking I've never had a bad Honeywell valve, well today a new 50 gal would not stay lit. Bad valve? Don't know but a 30 mile round trip to my shop for another heater and all is good. 

And I need plumbers that will work on weekends.


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## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

dhal22 said:


> You guys and this thread cost me a half Sunday. Reading this thread regularly I'm thinking I've never had a bad Honeywell valve, well today a new 50 gal would not stay lit. Bad valve? Don't know but a 30 mile round trip to my shop for another heater and all is good.
> 
> And I need plumbers that will work on weekends.




So....Did you just warranty out the heater and let the factory figure out what the hell was wrong with it???? 

How new was that heater with the bad honeywell??


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## sparky (Jan 8, 2014)

Master Mark said:


> So....Did you just warranty out the heater and let the factory figure out what the hell was wrong with it????
> 
> How new was that heater with the bad honeywell??


That's what I would do instead of nickel and dimming it out,esp. If heater is under warranty :yes:


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## Chadillac80 (Dec 22, 2012)

Bradford White came out with a universal conversion kit to convert them back to the old style robertshaw/thermocouple. We stopped replacing the Honeywells about a year ago. We convert all of them back now.


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## dhal22 (Jul 30, 2010)

Master Mark said:


> So....Did you just warranty out the heater and let the factory figure out what the hell was wrong with it????
> 
> How new was that heater with the bad honeywell??


Brand new out of the box heater installed today. It's now in my van. I don't have time to figure out the problem. The supply house will take it back I bet. I had a home depot pos fail new out of the box 15 years ago, a Rheem 5 or more years ago so it is rare.


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## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

Chadillac80 said:


> Bradford White came out with a universal conversion kit to convert them back to the old style robertshaw/thermocouple. We stopped replacing the Honeywells about a year ago. We convert all of them back now.


Thanks for that information.. I was not aware of this and I an going to have to ask my supply house about it..

I would rather tear that ICON crap off every one I have to deal with rather than fool around with them... 

is it considered a warranty replacement part ??


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## sparky (Jan 8, 2014)

Chadillac80 said:


> Bradford White came out with a universal conversion kit to convert them back to the old style robertshaw/thermocouple. We stopped replacing the Honeywells about a year ago. We convert all of them back now.


Where do you get them at???


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## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

sparky said:


> Where do you get them at???



I called my supply house today and they are totally clueless about this so they told me to call the local rep for bradford white and ask them....... 

maybe its not available around here or maybe its a case of keeping a lid on this information getting out to the general public fearing a " feeding frenzy" of plumbers wanting free replacement parts... 
or maybe its all horsecrap to begin with...just saying....:blink::blink:...

This would be bad publicity having to admit that their ICON product is junk, with all the professional plumbers lining wanting up to get old style parts ...that is like serious egg on their faces.... :laughing:.

I will call them tomorrow:yes: but I think its gonna be a waste of time


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## sparky (Jan 8, 2014)

Master Mark said:


> I called my supply house today and they are totally clueless about this so they told me to call the local rep for bradford white and ask them.......
> 
> maybe its not available around here or maybe its a case of keeping a lid on this information getting out to the general public fearing a " feeding frenzy" of plumbers wanting free replacement parts...
> or maybe its all horsecrap to begin with...just saying....:blink::blink:...
> ...


Agreeeeee,I asked my supply house if they could get me an old style gas valve for a water heater,they looked at me like I was nuts,said hellll no,no way:laughing:


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## Chadillac80 (Dec 22, 2012)

We can get them from any plumbing supply around here. In fact I needed just a regular round bottom robertshaw without the wires the other day and Ferguson told me they don't carry them anymore that this kit is all they carry. It works on all units. It has the bypass clip for the units without the wires or high limit switch. It has the extension adapter for the short burner tubes. It even comes with a new lighting instruction sticker for the icon swap out. And yes it's a warranty part made by Bradford. It says Bradford White under one of the stickers on the box. We get them in lp or nat..2" shank or 1" shank. I'm in Houston btw.


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## plumberkc (Jun 23, 2011)

Why not just install the Icon? Seems like you guys are going through more trouble to convert it to the old style. 


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## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

Chadillac80 said:


> We can get them from any plumbing supply around here. In fact I needed just a regular round bottom robertshaw without the wires the other day and Ferguson told me they don't carry them anymore that this kit is all they carry. It works on all units. It has the bypass clip for the units without the wires or high limit switch. It has the extension adapter for the short burner tubes. It even comes with a new lighting instruction sticker for the icon swap out. And yes it's a warranty part made by Bradford. It says Bradford White under one of the stickers on the box. We get them in lp or nat..2" shank or 1" shank. I'm in Houston btw.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

plumberkc said:


> Why not just install the Icon? Seems like you guys are going through more trouble to convert it to the old style.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



If you could see the stack of Icon valves I got sitting around that we have dealt with since this stupid change-over in 2010......

personally I think that the Icon is a step up from the common honeywell you see on all the other brands out there.. but they are still a pain in the ass.

I will post a picture tonight


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## ShtRnsdownhill (Jan 13, 2016)

Chadillac80 said:


> We can get them from any plumbing supply around here. In fact I needed just a regular round bottom robertshaw without the wires the other day and Ferguson told me they don't carry them anymore that this kit is all they carry. It works on all units. It has the bypass clip for the units without the wires or high limit switch. It has the extension adapter for the short burner tubes. It even comes with a new lighting instruction sticker for the icon swap out. And yes it's a warranty part made by Bradford. It says Bradford White under one of the stickers on the box. We get them in lp or nat..2" shank or 1" shank. I'm in Houston btw.
> View attachment 78081
> View attachment 78089
> 
> ...


I like your protective footwear for water heater installation......:laughing:


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## Chadillac80 (Dec 22, 2012)

No it doesn't work on the State or whirlpool units mainly because of the pilot assembly and burner assembly. Those units have much larger pilot tubes. We still carry the icon for them but those are few and far between.


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## Chadillac80 (Dec 22, 2012)

plumberkc said:


> Why not just install the Icon? Seems like you guys are going through more trouble to convert it to the old style.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


We did that for a while but when your recalled out 2 weeks later after just replacing a Honeywell it gets pretty frustrating. I've had multiple units go out quickly after installing a brand new icon valve. Your frustrated and the homeowner is even more frustrated as if you don't know what your doing. After installing this kit we never here back from them. Its no more work than changing the icon itself.


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## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

Chadillac80 said:


> We did that for a while but when your recalled out 2 weeks later after just replacing a Honeywell it gets pretty frustrating. I've had multiple units go out quickly after installing a brand new icon valve. Your frustrated and the homeowner is even more frustrated as if you don't know what your doing. After installing this kit we never here back from them. Its no more work than changing the icon itself.



Thanks for this information.....I talked to my bradford white rep and he could not understand why in the world I would want one of these..... they think that the ICON valve has been handed down to us peons by Moses or something...

The numbers were legit on that box so the looked it up and they have to ship them in special order.... I bought 3 at $155 each.


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## sparky (Jan 8, 2014)

Master Mark said:


> Thanks for this information.....I talked to my bradford white rep and he could not understand why in the world I would want one of these..... they think that the ICON valve has been handed down to us peons by Moses or something...
> 
> The numbers were legit on that box so the looked it up and they have to ship them in special order.... I bought 3 at $155 each.


Dang,time you add Mark up and labor might as well just change heater out????but I gonna order one or two of these valves


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## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

Chadillac80 said:


> No it doesn't work on the State or whirlpool units mainly because of the pilot assembly and burner assembly. Those units have much larger pilot tubes. *We still carry the icon for them but those are few and far between*.





It sounds like you are saying that you have installed the Icon on the state and whirlpool heaters????

so am I reading this wrong..???



The parts dont matter to me how much they cost because I would be using them to change out ICON units still under warranty and I would just get a credit for the unit which is upwards of 200 dollars...

if the unit is out of warranty then they are gonna squeal big time....


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## sparky (Jan 8, 2014)

ShtRnsdownhill said:


> I like your protective footwear for water heater installation......:laughing:


He needs my steel toe flip flops :laughing::laughing::laughing::yes:


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## Chadillac80 (Dec 22, 2012)

Master Mark said:


> It sounds like you are saying that you have installed the Icon on the state and whirlpool heaters???? so am I reading this wrong..??? The parts dont matter to me how much they cost because I would be using them to change out ICON units still under warranty and I would just get a credit for the unit which is upwards of 200 dollars... if the unit is out of warranty then they are gonna squeal big time....


 Yes we still replace the icon valve on the State and Whirlpool units because there is no other option at this time. We just don't replace near as many.


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## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

Chadillac80 said:


> Yes we still replace the icon valve on the State and Whirlpool units because there is no other option at this time. We just don't replace near as many.




I just left a house with a Whirlpool water heater with the honeywell gas valve installed on it... The sump pump failed and its about 6 inches deep in the basement... I threw in a new sump pump and this afternoon I am going back to fight the battle with the heater......

If I cant dry it out and make it fire with my hand held wirsbo heater, 
I am gonna take your advice and try an Icon on that heater and see if
it will work for me.......


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## plumberkc (Jun 23, 2011)

I've had good luck with the Honeywell. This is a gas valve off a Rheem i repaired earlier today. There is not a single parts supplier with the Rheem gas valve here in KC so I had to make an extra trip and have it shipped out.


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## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

plumberkc said:


> View attachment 78321
> 
> 
> I've had good luck with the Honeywell. This is a gas valve off a Rheem i repaired earlier today. There is not a single parts supplier with the Rheem gas valve here in KC so I had to make an extra trip and have it shipped out.



that Bule valve is no big problem at all, I have switched them out with the common Robert Shaw thermostat that rheem has on most of their units... they are interchangeable except for the sparkey thingy on it can be a problem to adapt to...



I got lucky today....the whirlpool unit that drowned out came right back on after it sat and dried out for about 2 hours..... 

I was very happy indeed


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## sparky (Jan 8, 2014)

Master Mark said:


> that Bule valve is no big problem at all, I have switched them out with the common Robert Shaw thermostat that rheem has on most of their units... they are interchangeable except for the sparkey thingy on it can be a problem to adapt to...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I think I would have sold them a new water heater after the flood:yes::yes:


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## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

sparky said:


> I think I would have sold them a new water heater after the flood:yes::yes:



It was only about 5 inches deep in the place ..
.I dont think he would have gone fo rit..


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## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

sparky said:


> I think I would have sold them a new water heater after the flood:yes::yes:



It was only about 5 inches deep in the place ..
.I dont think he would have gone fo r it..


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## sparky (Jan 8, 2014)

Master Mark said:


> It was only about 5 inches deep in the place ..
> .I dont think he would have gone fo r it..


I would have been leery leaving that heater in there after it had been submerged,but hey if it works ok then it's good


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## 5onthefloor (Sep 13, 2017)

Bumping this thread. Company I work for installs AO, State, and BW in all their new homes. I've had gcv fails on all three. Some have failed 3 or more times. We are starting to convert the BW's back to White Rodgers control valve. State and AO will only let put Honeywell back in. I had never seen so many fail until I started with this company but it's bc that is what they install.

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## panther (Oct 27, 2010)

I've changed a lot of the Honeywell controls. I typically install Bradfords and I've had three of them go bad on me. One didn't work right out of the box. Thinking about switching to the Rheem pro units precisely because of the Robert Shaw controls. Very reliable.


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## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

panther said:


> I've changed a lot of the Honeywell controls. I typically install Bradfords and I've had three of them go bad on me. One didn't work right out of the box. Thinking about switching to the Rheem pro units precisely because of the Robert Shaw controls. Very reliable.


We switched back to Rheem in 2010 because of this ICON issue and we have been very happy with that old style Shaw valve .... 

But we are STILL going out about once a week and doing warranty work on ICON valves .. I keep 2 kits on my truck because it always seems to fall on a Satruday when the supply houses are closed...


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## 5onthefloor (Sep 13, 2017)

Here is one I was at yesterday
Turns out heater is out of warranty. Homeowner on fence about full replacement or repair 









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## 5onthefloor (Sep 13, 2017)

And this was today. I think I mentioned it before but I'll say it again. The company I work for has a habit of sending different techs to same address. First tech went out, then today I get the paperwork to replace gcv. Fun times! Turns out the plastic housing of the Honeywell had cracked but it had been their second gcv. The one I put in today makes three and hopefully the last. I had to drain the heater bc the homeowner was watching otherwise I would have hydrolocked it.









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## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

I see you got wise and installed the old style tried and true valve 
on that heater instead of the ICON piece of junk...


chances are this will probably take care of all of the issues they are having...


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## 5onthefloor (Sep 13, 2017)

Master Mark said:


> I see you got wise and installed the old style tried and true valve
> on that heater instead of the ICON piece of junk...
> 
> 
> chances are this will probably take care of all of the issues they are having...


Yah all our BW water heaters get the good ol valve

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## The Dane (Feb 19, 2015)

I just heard today that a heater I installed 2 months ago with the Honeywell valve has been heating up too much and the maintenance guy has already lowered the temp setting 2 times. Sounds like we will have to replace it.

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## 5onthefloor (Sep 13, 2017)

Just did another today on a 50gal State. 

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## sparky (Jan 8, 2014)

> ji





Master Mark said:


> We switched back to Rheem in 2010 because of this ICON issue and we have been very happy with that old style Shaw valve ....
> 
> But we are STILL going out about once a week and doing warranty work on ICON valves .. I keep 2 kits on my truck because it always seems to fall on a Satruday when the supply houses are closed...


That’s a mistake you are making right there mark,make them people wait two days without hot water then go to supply house on Monday and they will be more than happy to shell out the bucks to get them hot water,I always make people wait for hot water and stopped up drains,it seems to change their tight as attitude real quick :laughing::whistling2:lolololololol


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## plumberkc (Jun 23, 2011)

I’m starting to see more and more AO Smith tanks have gas valve & pilot issues. 


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## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

plumberkc said:


> I’m starting to see more and more AO Smith tanks have gas valve & pilot issues.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk




Have not seen you much here lately.... What kind of junk are they throwing together on the Smiths---- Whirlpools these days...??..

I know they have the same air intake screens on the bottom of them like the whilrpools and have they now gone to a thermopile type system>??? 

I think the only reason the smiths were fairly reliable for years was the special odd thermocoupling that they had on them and the robert shaw valve.... they never were a problem

If that has all changed , and you got the pretty blinking lights and thermopile system on the units, then it is gonna be a whole new ballgame for that brand.. It makes them no different than the whirlpool units...


stock up on some parts cause you are gonna need them...:yes::yes:


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## 5onthefloor (Sep 13, 2017)

Just had another one today. BW almost out of the warranty. I might be the one to go out there tomorrow or not...









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## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

5onthefloor said:


> Just had another one today. BW almost out of the warranty. I might be the one to go out there tomorrow or not...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I love when they install those heaters deep in a pan so you cant hardly get
a grip on the bottom screws and get them loose.. almost need a small socket wrench to work on the unit..... We normally like to install those units on bricks to keep the unit out of the flood zone if the t+p valve leaks into the pan and suffocates the air intake on the bottom of the unit 

good luck and have fun


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## 5onthefloor (Sep 13, 2017)

Master Mark said:


> I love when they install those heaters deep in a pan so you cant hardly get
> a grip on the bottom screws and get them loose.. almost need a small socket wrench to work on the unit..... We normally like to install those units on bricks to keep the unit out of the flood zone if the t+p valve leaks into the pan and suffocates the air intake on the bottom of the unit
> 
> good luck and have fun


Sometimes they are on bricks but mostly not
And yeah those bottom screws are a PITA to remove. I actually do use a ratcheting wrench. If I get it I'll post pix tomorrow

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## 5onthefloor (Sep 13, 2017)

So I did get the BW gcv change out. 
I'll let the photos do the splaining....










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## dknowles97 (10 mo ago)

ShtRnsdownhill said:


> first we live in a disposable world...if water heaters lasted for 20 plus years on a regular basis we all would suffer..losing $$ for replacing older ones and the manufacture for not selling new ones..and that goes for many products..
> The second issue is no company wants to admit fault in engineering and have to pay to replace parts for free or pay for any damage that may have happened from there bad engineering..( if they just take care of who complains when its under warranty they save a boat load of $$)this runs through every product out there..one of the worse is the auto industry...its the new normal or quality that the public is forced to accept...


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## dknowles97 (10 mo ago)

you can thank the Dumb Fed Gov for this mess


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## Blue2 (12 mo ago)

dknowles97 said:


> you can thank the Dumb Fed Gov for this mess


Yeah man it’s crazy politicians always say I’m gonna do this and that and get peoples support then all of a sudden they don’t do their introduction post and follow forum rules. Bonkers if you ask me


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## MACPLUMB777 (Jun 18, 2008)

dknowles97 said:


> you can thank the Dumb Fed Gov for this mess


WHO ARE YOU ? AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING ON MY FORUM ?


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