Cleaning Your newer FVIR Water Heater's Flame Arrestor
 This is what the air intake filter looks like on State , AO Smith, Kenmore, and Newer Whirlpool water heaters to name a few.
You need to vacuum that out and get it good and clean or the water heater won't get enough air and your pilot will start going out . If for some reason you don't have that or haven't cleaned it and lint and dust got inside the bottom of the water heater then you have more cleaning to do and it won't be easy. I suggest you buy a rap around filter for the base of the water heater if you are missing that black plastic filter, You can call your water heater manufacturer.
Cleaning The Flame Arrestor
The actual flame arrestor is a fine mesh like screen on the bottom side of the water heater and will need to be vacuumed. depending on your heater it will either be a rectangular one under the front left area or a circular one in the center. If you take a light and look you will more than likely see lint built up on it. Your fun task is to get or make a vacuum attachement to reach in and suck all the lint and dust out of it. This should be done at least every 3 months or you might start having your pilot go out and have no hot water. In some cases the burner assembly needs to removed to get the arrrestor cleaned, in these cases we recommend you have a licensed Plumber do it safely.
Bottom Of a Whirlpool Water Heater
 
The left picture is a closeup of the flame arrestor, Notice how it is all plugged up with dust. This is the major cause of pilot outages on these heaters. This style is also found on a number of newer State, A.O. Smith and Kenmore heaters. You MUST keep these clean of dust and lint! The older style of State, A.O. Smith and Kenmore doesn't have legs but looks like the picture at the top of the page, They have a similar flame arrestor that can clog but its round and in the center and much harder to get at to clean.
Copyright © 2009, DrainBusters Plumbing
Broomfield, Colorado
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