# Bradford White high temp limit switch



## Chuck Kiser

OK, in the interest of 'Full Disclosure' I am a GC. My training is as a carpenter, but I did a 2 year plumbing apprenticeship about 25 years ago. Don't shoot me for a dumb question!

I helped a friend by fixing his Bradford White water heater. A 40 gallon natural gas unit. It turned out that the high temperature limit switch that is flush mounted to the combustion chamber access door was bad. I replaced it and everything is working as it should. So far, so good.

My dumb question is: what is it there for? Why monitor the heat in the combustion chamber? Won't the T-stat turn off the burner. Is it a redundant safety feature in case the T-stat fails? Do all water heaters have this feature, just mounted out of sight?

This is just to satisfy my personal curiosity. 

TIA Guys.


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## OldSchool

Chuck Kiser said:


> OK, in the interest of 'Full Disclosure' I am a GC. My training is as a carpenter, but I did a 2 year plumbing apprenticeship about 25 years ago. Don't shoot me for a dumb question!
> 
> I helped a friend by fixing his Bradford White water heater. A 40 gallon natural gas unit. It turned out that the high temperature limit switch that is flush mounted to the combustion chamber access door was bad. I replaced it and everything is working as it should. So far, so good.
> 
> My dumb question is: what is it there for? Why monitor the heat in the combustion chamber? Won't the T-stat turn off the burner. Is it a redundant safety feature in case the T-stat fails? Do all water heaters have this feature, just mounted out of sight?
> 
> This is just to satisfy my personal curiosity.
> 
> TIA Guys.


Good luck with that

I almost got tarred and feather for just pointing the last guy in the right direction

Sent from my portable office....yes I am at work


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## okcplum

OldSchool said:


> Good luck with that
> 
> I almost got tarred and feather for just pointing the last guy in the right direction
> 
> Sent from my portable office....yes I am at work


Don't you do it old school....

Don't even mention its a oxygen sensor.


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## Mississippiplum

See that sensor should be connected to yur tesla plate it detects magnetic interference.

sent from the jobsite porta-potty


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## okcplum

Mp you forgot the fresnal lense. Omg.....


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## rocksteady

In all honesty, if you are going to be doing plumbing now-a-days you need to know about the new water heaters. This is basic stuff and exists for a reason. It's not redundant, it's a safety feature and you need to know why it's there and what it does. Would your GC insurance cover you if you caused an explosion at your buddies house?









Paul


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## RealCraftsMan




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## Chuck Kiser

rocksteady said:


> In all honesty, if you are going to be doing plumbing now-a-days you need to know about the new water heaters. This is basic stuff and exists for a reason. It's not redundant, it's a safety feature and you need to know why it's there and what it does. Would your GC insurance cover you if you caused an explosion at your buddies house?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Paul


Thanks for part of an answer Paul. I am not trying to take work from another tradesmen. I was merely helping a friend. This was not a difficult fix to perform safely. I just want to know what purpose it serves. I have a 2 year old water heater in my own home and I don't see that feature on that model.

So the question remains, tradesman to tradesman, why on some makes and models and not on others. :detective:


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## RealCraftsMan

Chuck Kiser said:


> Thanks for part of an answer Paul. I am not trying to take work from another tradesmen. I was merely helping a friend. This was not a difficult fix to perform safely. I just want to know what purpose it serves. I have a 2 year old water heater in my own home and I don't see that feature on that model.
> 
> So the question remains, tradesman to tradesman, why on some makes and models and not on others. :detective:


You are not a tradesman, you're a GC. Stop helping your friend and have him call a licensed plumber before you kill someone.


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## Chuck Kiser

RealCraftsMan said:


> You are not a tradesman, you're a GC. Stop helping your friend and have him call a licensed plumber before you kill someone.


Let me say this one more time. I am a trained carpenter who became a GC. I have many years in the trades. If we were on a job site, on a break, you would have no problem giving me a straight answer. Just as I would answer any question you asked of me about my trade. But because you cannot see me you assume I'm not qualified to ask the question or to understand your answer?

Is this what the trades have become? If so, all of us are in a world of hurt.


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## plbgbiz

If we were on a job site the GC would be paying us to give you a straight answer.


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## plbgbiz

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