Help with a water heater

You have to keep re-lighting the pilot? If so, sounds like it could be a bad or dirty/corroded thermocouple. If so, cheap part and easy DYI fix. Sometimes just cleaning the tip of the thermocouple with a wire “toothbrush” or sandpaper will fix the problem but if you have to take the thermocouple out to clean it, you might as well replace it. Just check YouTube videos on this.
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Is it a whirlpool? I had this issue as well and had to purchase a kit to replace the thermocouple assembly. It was a new design because the old design had been recalled (due to the issue you described). There is a 1-800 number on the side you call. There are so many flavors of this kit, so it’s hard to figure out which one you need without their help. It was about $50.

How is the make up air in your attic? Could be a problem with the air quality or venting.

If you replaced the thermocouple a couple years ago it’s likely another issue. If you have ridge vent in the attic it’s hard to believe you have a venting issue, but I suppose that’s possible. As an aside, last Aug I placed a thermometer in the attic (ridge vent, pretty well ventilated) to see how hot it got and temp approached 130 by 3 pm. No water heater issues.

By chance does the water heater have Honeywell gas valve? If so there are lot of problems with those. Father has a water heater with a Honeywell gas valve and the pilot constantly goes out. I tried troubleshooting shooting for him and came across the issue with those valves, problem in the circuit board in the gas valve as I recall. Wasn’t a simple fix to it as I recall.

It IS a Honeywell gas valve. That was another potential problem the guy at the plumbing store mentioned, the circuit board. Is that something I could DIY or should I just call an electrician? I know nothing of circuits and things like that.

Like I mentioned earlier, if there is a 1-800 on the unit, call it and tell them what’s happening and that you need the kit to fix this. If it’s the recalled one, you might get it for free. At the minimum you’ll get the right replacement part at a reasonable price.

Yes, recommend doing what CoolHand suggests. I went back and checked and it was Nov of last year when discussing this with my father and I did some homework on it. But I’ve forgotten many of the details.

If I recall, one of the complaints stated if even if the gas valve was replaced, Honeywell had not fixed the fundamental issue with that circuit board and so there was no guarantee that a replacement gas valve was going to fix the problem. I would hope that’s changed

Fixing the board is something more along the lines of a “computer tech” or electronics guy. I watched a video of a homeowner that had that background re-soldering certain circuits on the board to fix the problem, and others who watched the videos doing the same and saying it fixed the problem for them.

Hopefully they will send you a new and improved board that will fix the problem. Now that it’s fresh on my mind I’ll check with my father, I think he still has issues with this, but the plumber who installed the unit is a family friend so he just drops by a relights it for him when needed.

It’s not giving me a code. The pilot goes out, and when I go up to re-light it, I just press the little button to “reset” it. The pilot lights and starts reheating the water. Eventually the pilot goes back out for whatever reason and I repeat the above process.

Thanks dude