Water Heater Burner Won't Stay Lit... Sometimes Doesn't Light at All
I've got a natural gas electronic ignition water heater (no pilot light for me to light). There is a big sticker on the hot water heater that says "RUUD" but the manual stuck to the side of it says it is a "PowerVent" Residential Gas Water Heater.
Anyway, I woke up this morning and there was no hot water, so I went to the basement to check out the hot water heater. After unplugging the hot water heater, I opened up the service door and turned the power switch to off and turned the gas knob to off. Then I waited about five minutes, plugged the hot water heater back in, turned the gas knob to on and then turned the switch to the on position.
I left the service door open so I could see the pilot light and the burner. I can hear something click, then I can see the electric arc form to light the pilot light. The pilot light ignites and there is a nice blue flame. Now, sometimes, the pilot light ignites, and then goes out a couple of seconds later without ever igniting the burner. Other times, the pilot light ignites and the burner then also ignites, but then both go out a couple of seconds later.
It doesn't seem to do the same thing twice... meaning sometimes the pilot light ignites, sometimes the pilot light ignites and lights the burner and sometimes the pilot light doesn't ignite at all... but no matter what, what it does do consistently, is any flame that is formed (if one is formed, whether it be by the pilot the burner or both) they all go out seconds after forming.
The vent pipe is unobstructed (I checked) and I also lit a cigarette near the top of the water heater and blew the smoke into vent and watched it immediately disappear.
I've tried the water temperature reset button, without having that make a bit of difference.
Any ideas guys?
