How to Repair a Gas Home Depot Water Heater
Control Valve
The Home Depot website and YouTube videos can guide you through your gas water heater
replacement. Be prepared, have all the tools and parts you may need at hand before you start repairing your gas
water heater. If your Home Depot/GE water heater is still under warranty, call the 1-800-Home-Depot customer
service to receive repair parts and guidance free. If your GE water heater is
within the first year of warranty, GE/Rheem will help you repair of your GE gas water heater.
Plumbing tools:
Large Pipe wrench
Adjustable wrench
Teflon tape
Screwdrivers
Pliers
Garden Hose
Repairing a
Home Depot Gas Water Heater
1. Close off the gas
water-heater supply line; whether natural gas or propane fuel, at the closest valve possible. If you see no
individual shut-off valve, shut off the gas service at the gas meter or propane tank. If your valve has a small red
handle- turn it 90degrees clockwise to close it. If the valve has a straight brass bar, turn the bar perpendicular
to the gas line to close.
2. Turn the water supply off
entering the right side inlet on top of the water heater. Rotate the valve handle clockwise until it stops. Open
all the hot-water faucets in the house to make sure the water has stopped flowing.
3. Drain the gas water heater
by connecting a hose to the drain valve at the bottom of the tank, and then run the hose outside to safe area
drain. Open the drain valve and wait for the tank to empty.
4. Disconnect the gas service
to the Home Depot gas water heater by loosening the union with pipe wrenches and/or adjustable
wrenches.
5. Unscrew each nut holding
the gas supply, pilot and thermocouple to the bottom side of the gas control valve. A small adjustable crescent
wrench works well for this task.
6. Unscrew the gas control
valve counterclockwise with a large pipe wrench or large pair of slip joint pliers.
7. Inspect the threaded
connection for the control valve. Make sure it is free from damage, rust or debris. If there are threads missing,
consider replacing the water heater.
8. Wrap the threaded end of
the new Home Depot gas control valve with Teflon tape-white or pink. Wrap at least six or seven time in a clockwise
direction with the threads.
9. Screw the new control valve
thermostat into the tank by hand. Secure the valve a large pipe wrench. Make sure the new valve is parallel with
tank in order to line up with the connections underneath.
10. Turn the drain valve off
and remove the drain hose.
11. Turn the water back on and
allow the tank to fill while you finish the valve connections.
12. Attach the pilot tube, gas
supply tube and thermocouple to the new valve.
13. Connect the gas supply line
to the left side of the valve.
14. Turn the gas valve on and
check for gas leaks with soapy water or a leak detection solution.
15. When water is running
freely, from all hot water faucets, close each faucet one at a time.
16. Check for water leaking
around the gas control-valve connection to the tank.
17. Turn the gas control knob
to pilot and press in firmly. Pressing on the electric spark igniter every ten seconds until to the pilots lit.
Continue holding the pilot control in and count to sixty. Slowly release the pilot control
button.
18. Rotate the control knob to
the “On” position.
19. Set the temperature control knob to
the desired heat setting.
20. After an hour, measure the
water temperature coming from several faucets with cooking thermometer. This is the only accurate way to set the
water temperature on your Home Depot gas water heater.
FYI- You may
need to hold the pilot control down and continue pressing the spark igniter before the air escapes through the
small pilot tube.
Caution- Water
hotter than 115 degrees can cause serious bodily injury.
These are general guidelines and crude steps for water heater repair. Always fallow the
manufactures steps and procedures when repairing or replacing any appliance or parts.
Additional Information
The Home Depot:
Maintaining a Water Heater
Water Heater Repair
Instructions: GE Water Heater Repair Instructions
Rheem: Water Heating Solutions for Home Owners
Helpful Links
Home Depot
Water Heater Repair Manuals
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