Maybe it's back....

So one of the plumbers called me on my home (landline) phone while I was out.

When I called him back, he apologized - he had had an opening, but took another call since I wasn't home. He asked me what I tried and I explained. He said, "I may be able to help you" and had me call him on my cell phone so I could go to the heater and do what he said.

Yup. There was a tiny, secret override switch - a little white button on a thing where some wires led in to the sparker unit. Then I got a flame. Success! I was very happy and anticipated a hot shower.....


then went back to look. BIG angry orange flame instead of small happy blue flame. I kind of freaked out (big flame bad!) and shut it all down. Panicked, called the main office but they'd left for the day. Called back the same plumber on his cell. He assured me: these things have so many failsafes that it will shut down before anything bad happens, go turn it back on.

So I did. I just now heard the thing gurgle which is a normal water-heating noise so I am hopeful but I am also definitely scheduling a checkup for the thing this week.

Okay, the flame looks more like a normal "I'm heating the water" flame now. I guess the bluer flame is just the pilot? Now I remember an orangish glow when the water is heating. Oh well. (I just have visions of that Mythbusters episode where they tried to turn a hot water tank into a rocket and I guess they failed, but still I worry as there's just an average household wall between the spot where the heater is and the place I lay my head at night. (And anyway, the screen on the thing probably needs cleaning if the cut-out switch tripped; that means there's something blocking the air intake. I'd do it myself but I don't know how to put it back together.

At least I don't think I need a new water heater yet.

It SEEMS back to normal now (the heating cycle is done and the flame has gone back to small and blue) so I'm hopeful but yeah, ready for this kind of junk to be done.


 ETA: Hair has been washed and shower taken, load of sheets put in on "hot." Hot water heater has started a second cycle so I am hopeful it is mostly okay. (For all I know: could have been a freak gust of wind in the flue or something that messed it up). This cycle the flame is small and blue but I suppose it's because it didn't have to heat nearly so much or so hard. Not hearing as much gurgling as before - that first round it was alarmingly loud.