This service call began with a Bradford White natural gas water heater that had been operating reliably for years but recently began shutting down intermittently for no apparent reason. The homeowner reported the pilot would go out and the unit would stop heating, even though no obvious issues were visible.

Since the unit was still under manufacturer warranty, we contacted Bradford White directly. After a guided troubleshooting session with their technical support department, it was determined that the gas control valve (GCV) had failed.

A warranty exchange was processed, and we obtained a factory-specific replacement gas control valve along with a new thermopile assembly

In order to safely remove the gas control valve, the water heater must first be completely shut down and isolated. The gas supply was turned off, the unit powered down, and the tank was fully drained.

Once drained:

• Gas line disconnected
• Control wiring disconnected
• Burner assembly removed
• Old gas control valve carefully unthreaded from the tank

The new factory gas control valve was then threaded into place using proper sealant and torque specifications.

However, before reconnecting everything, the thermopile assembly was replaced as a preventative measure.

Before completing the repair, we replaced the thermopile assembly as a preventative measure to ensure no additional ignition or sensor-related issues would arise. This added roughly 30 extra minutes to the job but helped ensure the unit would remain reliable for the remainder of its service life.

Once everything was reassembled, the tank was refilled, air was purged from the system, and all gas and water connections were checked for leaks. The unit was then fired up and monitored to confirm stable ignition, proper burner operation, and normal cycling—completing the repair and restoring dependable hot water to the home.

To see more examples of the work we’ve recently completed, visit our full list of recent plumbing jobs.