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How
to replace Honeywell Gas control valve Do not drain water from tank |
 The WV8840, used for atmospheric heaters,
is being phased out for the newer WT8840 ... (year 2020)Can you install the newer Honeywell WT series gas valve on your AO Smith brands* or Bradford White water heater? Yes. It will probably require removal of gas valve from tank. To change from older WV series to newer WT series, match numbers shown on chart with the model number shown on label located on side of your gas valve ... note the brand of heater, insulation thickness by removing burner door or TP valve ... and of course note if your valve is natural gas or propane.  Buy:WT8840B1000 at Amazon WT8840B1500 WT8840A1000 WT8840A1500 Resource: WT8840 replacement manual WT8840 product overview models What is the difference between WV8840 and WT8840? Answer: Response to Error code 4 1) Gas valves come out of calibration and have other problems ... it is unavoidable that they do fail. The older WV8840 requires gas valve replacement if error 4, overheated tank, occurs ... even if water inside tank is not overheated to the ECO trip point of 188-199°F. It is most likely that error 4 is a temporary misread and that water inside tank did not reach 188-199°F. It is possible that water could reach 188-199°F since the TCO located of front of burner compartment (or inside the burner compartment on ultra low nox heaters) shuts down combustion at 190-200°F. The TCO is a thermal cut off switch that can be reset if located on front of burner compartment, or replaced on ultr low nox models. The newer WT8840 is more flexible, letting you reset error code 4 if the gas valve temperature sensor or circuit board has experienced a temporary misread. 2) As near as I can tell, there is a higher ECO limit on the new WT series gas valve .... the older WV high limit is 188-199°F and newer WT at 210°F, which is more in line with commercial water heater gas valves that trip at higher temperatures than residential heaters. What
is ECO? Energy cut off or high limit. The Honeywell gas valve has a
thermostat probe located on back of gas valve that extends into water.
The probe holds a thermistor that connects to circuit board via
3 wires. As water temperatures inside tank rise and fall, the
thermistor produces small variation in current that circuit board
interprets as change in water temperature. If the resistor senses
temperatures over the ECO limit, or the high limit, then circuit board
on the older WV series will fault the gas valve into failure, and issue
error code 4.
Error code 4 on older WV gas valve requires a new gas valve Except error 4 is
more likely a
temporary misread of water temperature than your tank actually
overheated to 188-199°F ... of course a misread can
result
if thermostat probe is
coated with sediments (do the recommended maintenance and flush tank
each 6 months), and the variable resistor (thermostat) and circuit
board can fail .... but if gas valve is functioning correctly, and
there are no other problems .... then the cause for error 4
should be repairable with simple dial-down of temperature and maybe ON-OFF cycle of heater by setting gas valve knob to off, waiting 10 minutes and then relight heater ... except the older WV880 will not accommodate repairs ... and error code 4 is a failed gas valve. You might be able
to
reset the circuit board DIY as shown following link: error code blinking 4 times
4) The newer WT8840 also issues error code 4 and shuts down heater, but does not have same fatal condition as older WV8840 (in all circumstances). Error 4 on newer WT8840 doesn't mean the gas valve is OK .... you might still need a new gas valve if the variable resistor or circuit board failed ... however if the gas valve experienced a temporary misread, then the newer WT gas valve usually does not need to be replaced. Dial down temperature a bit .... and if needed, cycle the gas valve OFF using temperature dial located front of gas control valve, wait 10 minutes for gas to clear, then relight heater, and the newer WT8840 gas valve should be functional again. Resources: How to light heater .pdf Read error code blinking 4 times Why I do not recommend Rheem water heaters *AO Smith brands include: State, American, Reliance, Kenmore, Craftmaster, Lochinvar, Kenmore etc Where
is Rheem? LOL. Rheem has proprietary model numbers for their gas valves
to prevent folks from buying a generic elsewhere and installing the gas
valve themselves. Rheem owns your repair work, and basically expects to
own their water heaters even after sale is made ... unlike Bradford and
AO Smith that post service manuals and have good troubleshoot and
maintenance in their product manuals .... Rheem has no service manuals
available to the general public ... and scant maintence and
troubleshoot in their product manuals, instead telling customers to
call for service. This is rediculously expensive for prople and renders
the public powerless to learn and expand skills.
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Reset
gas
control to see if it will work: Rotate dial to OFF, wait 10 minutes for gas to clear. Then relight. This type gas control valve is powered by thermopile. Water heater does not have thermocouple. Thermopile is basically several thermocouples together. The thermopile produces enough current to power small circuit board inside gas control valve that monitors status and issues error codes. How to light water heater How to test gas control |
| Other things to try, depending on
fault code Turn off gas valve. Turn off heater. Flush the water heater, to help clean out sediment. Remove the TCO wires plugged into front of unit in lower right corner, clean lightly, then replug into front with red inserted into side marked red, and white to other side marked white. Push in TCO reset button located on front of combustion chamber. |
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| Check
warranty status Gas control valve and other parts are covered for full length of warranty period. For example, AO Smith commercial-grade for residential heaters have 6 year tank and parts warranty ... and may offer extended warranty. Labor for replacing parts or failed heater is covered in first year of warranty. Model number and serial number are located on label on side of water heater. Serial number contains code for year of manufacturer. Find age of water heater Contact manufacturer. |
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 AO Smith heater with 1" insulation |
Identify
gas control
numbers to buy replacement Order gas valve replacement Located on side of gas control valve WV8840B1042 ... AO Smith heater with 1" insulation This natural gas valve was taken from failed AO Smith water heater 2012 that was replaced under warranty coverage. Buy newer version WT8840B1000 AO Smith brands (Reliance, State, Lochinvar, American etc) 1" insulation WT8840B1500 AO smith 2" insulation WT8840A1000 Bradford White 1" insulation WT8840A1500 Bradford White 2" insulation See replacement chart Buy natural gas Honeywell gas control at Amazon American / Honeywell gas control at Amazon Honeywell natural gas valve Reliance NG at Amazon Buy: Propane/ LP Reliance LP at Amazon Honeywell gas valve for propane |
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Turn
OFF incoming gas line Rotate handle perpendicular across gas line. Do not drain water from tank |
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Move
gas valve knob to OFF Wait 10 minutes for gas to clear |
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Remove
gas line from
gas control valve You can reuse pipes and flex line ... no need to buy new. Do NOT wash out pipes or flex lines with water etc. 1)
Do not let pipe ends get dirty. Dirt, loose teflon tape
etc will get sucked into gas valve ... will clog tiny orifices (holes)
inside the new gas valve that are designed to limit the flow of gas
going into the pilot and manifold tubes, causing gas valve to fail. See imageCarefully remove old teflon tape, and keep debris out of pipe. Cover pipe ends and threads with household tape to protect from dirt. 2) Note how tight gas line is connected to gas control. Gas pipes are not overtightened into gas control valve or it can ruin new gas valve. With black pipe connection, use two wrenches to take apart union. Then disconnect black pipe from old gas control. 3) Gas water heaters with large BTU consumption: do not use yellow flexible gas line ... use only black pipe connection to ensure adequate gas flow. 4) Typical residential 30,000-50,000 BTU heater can use flexible gas lane. Back of yellow flex package has BTU size chart. Water heater BTUs shows on label located on side of tank |
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 Larger image |
Disconnect
manifold tube, igniter wire etc 1) Pull out plugs with red and white wires located on front of gas control ... FYI these wires connect to the TCO located on front of combustion chamber and to thermopile located inside burner. 2) Piezo Igniter wire comes apart 3) Unscrew manifold tube ... note tightness of connection ... no pipe sealant or teflon tape is used. Keep pipe clean. 4) Unscrew pilot tube (smaller tube) ... no sealant is used. 5) Pilot tube is reverse thread for propane 6) Remove phillips head screw that holds front cover in preparation for removing cover
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 Larger image Temperature sensor, igniter and gas control can be replaced without draining tank. Resource: Bradford White service manuals p24 |
Do not
drain water from tank
on atmospheric type Loosen screw from front of gas control Take apart gas control valve Backplate remains installed. How to remove Honeywell gas control. 1) Remove 1 phillips head screw to left of pilot tube that holds cover (shown in image above). 3) Remove plastic gas control cover. Press down on top of gas control cover to help release gas valve cover. Tip plastic cover out from bottom, and then pull straight back toward you and cover snaps off. Caution: plastic cover is connected to body with 3-strand yellow-orange-white wire. 4) Disconnect yellow-orange-white wire that connects to temperature sensor. Wire is plugged into circuit board on plastic cover. Grasp wire and pull upward to unplug wire from circuit board.. Internal Parts are not sold separately year 2020 ... My experience shows that control board and thermostat can both go bad ... or one or the other goes bad. If you have an old Honeywell valve laying around that has same manifold pressure and rated for same type gas, try replacing either part... while this action may pose extreme hazard, and choosing safety over money is not best course, some folks might want to experiment. |
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 Larger image |
How it the valve body looks with front cover removed and circuit board
pulled off Circuit board is attached to front cover and can be taken out if desired ... the board lifts off 3 pins located on gas valve body ... these are the points of electrical connection and how the circuit board controls the solenoid valves inside the body ... circuit board is connected to the thermistor (thermostat) via the 3-strand yellow-orange-white wire that appears top of image. The valve body is removed next ... 2 clips and 1 screw hold valve body to backplate. (the valve body is not taken apart, instead it is a complete sealed unit). The backplate stays attached to tank (assuming new and old models have same connection points and screw holes line up) Pull the variable resistor (thermostat) out of the probe section of gas valve that extends into tank. The thermostat is not attached to the backplate .... it should just come straight out by gently pulling the yellow-orange-white wire. |
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Close up of clip
that holds Valve Body to Backplate 5) Remove valve body from backplate Models generally have 2 plastic clips and a screw that hold valve body to backplate. Clips are located at bottom on right and left side. Use screwdriver to push 1 clip down while while using another screwdriver to pry valve body outward. Then use screwdriver to push down other clip to release valve body. Note the pressure tap is for checking the gas pressure Resource: How to test gas pressure |
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Replace
valve body and other non-functioning parts Reverse the steps you performed to remove the gas valve Make sure that circuit board is seated over the 3 pins that stick out from new gas body. Reinstall cover Push cover straight onto backplate. Snap two top pieces into backplate Put screw into bottom |
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 For
power-vent and flue-damper models that plug into 120 volt outlet''Removing Electronic Control Module 1. Set the gas control valve/thermostat to its lowest setting by turning the knob counter-clockwise to the VAC point 2. Turn gas control switch to the “OFF” position and turn off the gas supply to the unit. 3. Disconnect the electrical power to the water heater from the wall outlet. -pull out molex connection(s) or wire harness at bottom of gas valve -remove maniforld tube etc as shown steps higher on page 4. Remove the front Torx screw at the bottom of the gas control valve/thermostat. 5. Use a flat-blade screwdriver to release the two tabs at the top of the gas control valve/thermostat and lift the electronic control straight up . 6. Disconnect the temperature sensor cable. Note: When removing the control module from the gas control assembly, disengage the pins on the valve module without causing damage. 7. Re-assemble in the reverse order. Note: During re-assembly, align the pins on the valve module to their proper location in the control module without causing damage.'' Resource manual |
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''Removing Valve Module 1. Set the gas control valve/thermostat to its lowest setting by turning the knob counter-clockwise to the VAC point 2. Turn gas control switch to the “OFF” position and turn off the gas supply to the unit 3. Disconnect the electrical power to the water heater from the wall outlet. 4. Remove the Electronic Control Module as outlined in “Removing Electronic Control Module” above. Note: When removing the control module from the gas control assembly, disengage the pins on the valve module without causing damage. 5. Remove the screw and the ground tab with a Torx screwdriver 6. Insert a fl at-blade screwdriver between the casting and the locking tabs at the bottom of the valve. 7. Carefully pry against the casting until it barely slides past the locking tab edge. 8. Repeat on the opposite side. 9. Replace the valve. Note: When replacing the valve, do not apply pressure with the hand on the valve pins. 10. Re-assemble in the reverse order. Note: During re-assembly, align the pins on the valve module to their proper location in the control module without causing damage.'' |
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''Removing Temperature Sensor and Cable 1. Set the gas control valve/thermostat to its lowest setting by turning the knob counter-clockwise to the VAC point 2. Turn gas control switch to the “OFF” position and turn off the gas supply to the unit 3. Disconnect the electrical power to the water heater from the wall outlet. 4. Remove the Electronic Control Module as outlined in “Removing Electronic Control Module” section above. Note: When removing the control module from the gas control assembly, disengage the pins on the valve module without causing damage. 5. Remove the Valve Module as outlined in ”Removing Valve Module” section above. 6. Use a screwdriver to pry under the sensor retainer finger to remove the temperature sensor and cable 7. Re-assemble in the reverse order. Note: When replacing the valve, do not apply pressure with the hand on the valve pins. Note: During re-assembly, align the pins on the valve module to their proper location in the control module without causing damage.'' |
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Reconnect
gas line
using yellow teflon Apply yellow teflon tape. Must have yellow teflon tape of approved sealant. Leave first two threads clean
with no tape.Do not let dirt, stray teflon, or any debris enter gas line. Make sure gas line is clean. Do
not overtighten gas line to gas control valve, or it can damage valve |
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Reconnect
tubes and wiresNO
tape teflon on pilot tube or manifold tube Do not overtighten manifold tube. Give is a snug tighten as noted when taking apart. Pilot tube is snug tight. No sealant or tape is used. There is no thermocouple with this type gas valve ... and therefore no copper thermocouple to connect to gas valve ... because unit is powered electrically via the thermopile that connects via the red-white wires. Plug in thermopile-TCO wires on front ... red wire on left and white wire on right as marked on plastic cover Reconnect piezo igniter wire. |
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 Smell for gas leak Natural gas is lighter than air, and gas smell will rise Propane gas is heavier than air, and gas smell will fall to floor |
Turn
Gas ON
Test
for gas leak Apply soapy water to each gas connection a) Test gas line or flexible pipe: Mix liquid soap with water and use brush to put around around gas line joints to see if there are bubbles. Use plenty of soapy water. Wait: It will take time for bubbles to appear since gas is under low pressure. Soap bubbles coming from joint indicate leak: retighten pipes, use teflon tape on yellow flex pipe and black pipe. Do not overtighten pipes or damage can occur to gas control valve. b) Test factory-installed connections located below gas control valve Manifold and pilot tube connections located under the gas control valve do NOT use teflon tape. See image of manifold and pilot tubes If either tube under gas control valve is leaking, then tighten a little bit. Do not overtighten. Manifold and pilot tube: look for reverse thread on LP water heater. Regular thread on NG water heater Remember: Natural gas and propane gas both have less pressure on the line than water pipes, so gas pipes are easy to seal with ordinary wrench. If you can install water line without leaking, you can do the same with gas line. Do not over-tighten connections. |
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 See larger |
Light
water heater: Instructions printed on face f gas control to right of knob Rotate knob to OFF, wait 10 minutes for gas to clear. Rotate knob to Pilot Press in and hold knob in Pilot position Press piezo igniter button until pilot lights You should hear click sound, keep holding down knob Release knob when status LED blinks Larger image of instructions How to light water heater |
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Adjust
temp All water heater temperatures are approximate Calibration of temperature should be within 10°-15° of temperatures shown on chart Use mixing valve when temperature setting is above 135° Risk of scalding when temperatures exceed 120° Typical bath-shower is 110° Buy from my affiliate links: Mixing valve kit at Amazon Water heater mixing valves at Amazon Resource: Advantages mixing valve |
 Larger image COM port/ communication port connects on RX TX GND located at bottom of image GND is ground, other two contacts are unknown WV8840 communication port Image shows front and back of circuit board flipped in photoshop so front and back can be laid over top of the other. I cannot find a spec sheet showing model numbers, or differences between models. Circuit board is powered by current generated by heating thermistor. E1 and E2 in lower right corner connect to thermistor. Bradford White Service manual The Bradford White gas water heater timer connects to COM port on Honeywell gas control valve thermostat. Timer is for specific models only. I do not know how the 24volts interfaces with the RX TX GRD communication terminals on the gas control valve thermostat. April 2020: Years ago, Bradford white had a setback controller that interfaced with the COM port It was powered by 24 V transformer .... meaning that the com port is NOT powered by the thermopile that powers the circuit board and gas water heater operation. The setback controller was able to disable gas valve until a setpoint was reached ... so I assume all it did was turn off circuit to gas valve until thermostat probe signaled that a lower temperature was reached.It’s too bad that folks did not buy the setback controller just so today's com port mystery could be solved Other than that information, some guy sent me a pdf that makes no sense to me honeywell-gas-control-communication-port.pdf  Larger image Second example of circuit board shows numerous differences between the two boards. Basic layout appears the same, but the circuit board has different type of connection points for relays More pictures of Honeywell |
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Spec sheet showing model numbers, or differences between models is unavailable at Honeywell except for following resource: WT8840 product overview models As near as I can tell, the WV8840 and WT8840 are rather generic ... but the circuit boards vary somewhat from the gas valves I've examined. Circuit board is powered by current generated by heating thermistor. E1 and E2 in lower right corner connect to thermistor. Bradford White Service manual WV8840 communication port, or COM port The COM port or communications port is available to water heater manufacturer for connecting a 'future' product. In 2020, there is no method to utilize this port for DIY innovation. Bradford White uses the COM port to connect their 'setback controller' ... the design has gone through changes, and the application is unclear today. Read about BW setback controller |
 Service manual (10Mb) Service manual 2 This gas control used for power vent models |
Honeywell
makes 2nd style gas control for power-vent and
flue-damper models FYI ... each major manufacturer of flue damper heaters uses this style gas valve ... gas valves for the AO Smith and Rheem flue damper heaters are powered by 24 volt AC ... while Bradford White gas valve is powered by 120 volt. This implies that models for this type gas control valve vary more widely than the Honeywell gas valve covered on this page. The situation with power vented models is unclear to me at this point, since there are a wider variety of power vented models than flue dampered models, 2020. To reset gas valve: Slide on-off switch to OFF position. Go to blower system located on top of water heater and turn blower switch to OFF. Turn off all electric power to water heater appliance. Set Red knob to LOW. Wait 5 minutes to clear out gas. Check for the smell of gas that would indicate a leak. Turn on electric power to water heater Set blower to ON position. Slide on-off switch to ON position. Set Red knob thermostat to desired temperature. Troubleshoot this style Honeywell: see resources at very top of this page How to light power vent Honeywell gas valve Honeywell gas valve error codes Adjust temperature/ error codes on Rheem Honeywell How to light this type of gas valve: Review AO Smith flue damper heater |
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Gas control valves can be removed How to replace gas valve thermostat Troubleshoot power vent water heater |
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Troubleshoot gas water heater/ all gas valves |
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WV4460E
Honeywell gas control valve ... powered by 120 volt or 24 volt
