Pilot Light Problem

[AA18uRocks]

I am new to this forum so it is possible my problem has been previously addressed but here goes anyway......

Purchased new home in Broadlands (Van Metre) 2 years ago and we experience an ongoing problem with the pilot light going out on the hot water heater whenever we have high winds outside. Has happened approximately 8-10 times over the last 2 years - most recently night before last.

Complained to Van Metre last winter but got the same song and dance I have read about here regarding other homeowners' problems. And they told me a lot of people experienced it on one particular very windy night - I doubted it then and even moreso now?

Just wondering if anyone else has experienced this problem and if so, what measures you have taken to correct same.

Note: Heater is vented out the roof - fairly high (Aspen Model)

Any and all advice would be appreciated although I truly hope no one else is or has experienced this problem - as one might imagine, it is quite a pain and an inconvenience to discover no hot water in the morning during the work week.

Thanks in advance for any input and/or suggestions.

[trb]

We had a similar problem with our water heater a couple of years ago, although it was not related to the wind. We dealt directly with the folks that installed the unit, not Van Metre, and while it took a few visits, they finally got it fixed. I think they replaced the thermocoupler and burner, but eventually the entire heater. I thought a complicating factor was that it's one of the AO Smith models that sits directly on the floor with less air to keep the pilot lit. It actually seemed like the force of the burner igniting and/or going out was enough wind to knock the pilot out. Since then,we've never had a problem, and we're in an Aspen also, same venting etc.

[Cooper]

I had the same problem. I called VM and asked them to check it. They came to my house and they were telling the same story about the wind. I wasn't @ home and my father told them to replace the burner and they did. We will wait and see how it goes. As I heard, my neighbor is having the same problem.

- KK