This is a video that shows guts of Richmond 5V50-36PF Propane Water heater (mfg. date 11/2003) during my successful attempt to get it to work. Symptoms were that the pilot went out and could be relit, but when main burner kicked in, both pilot and burner would go out. I removed the sight glass to determine if the unit was starving for air or for gas. It would run without the sight glass, so I guessed my flame arrestor screen was plugged. I attempted to use compressed air, and a vacuum cleaner to clean the screen from inside the combustion chamber without success. I cut away the side of the water heater hoping to get access to the bottom, no luck. So, I figured, purchase a new water heater for $650 or just spend an afternoon unhooking mine, flipping it upside down and cleaning it out. As I guessed, the Flame arrestor screen had become plugged with dust. This resulted in the unit overheating and having the thermal release device meltdown making the Air Door go shut. The Thermal release device (glass vial filled with oil that bursts when overheated) must be procured from a certified repair technician. Note: The Integra anti sediment feature of the tank seemed to have worked great, as there was little build up in my tank. So, the question is, is it easier to replace the entire water heater or to repair the old one? It's sad that dust can ruin a perfectly good water heater. My recommendation is that all FVIR water heaters should have an external air filter that can be ...
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