The root of the problem may be the honeywell thermostat that comes standard on these water heaters.
Honeywell water heater gas control valve leaking.
Check all wiring connections.
2 replace pilot assembly insufficient power to the gas control valve thermostat.
Basics honeywell gas control valve thermostat.
If problem persist you will need to replace the thermopile.
Heat on the thermopile generates.
However the first valve smelled like gas.
A bad gas valve in a honeywell appliance such as a water heater or furnace that is powered by natural gas can go bad and affect the performance of the unit.
Because gas is involved problems with gas valves are a major safety concern.
The honeywell valve uses a thermopile instead of a thermocouple as did previous designs.
Often blamed on sediment in the tank the 4 flashes is one of the most common problems with the honeywell gas valve.
This rise in complaints is not the fault of gas valve manufacturers rather the problem is more commonly the result of modem furnace design and a trace leakage phenomenon that can be found in all gas valves.
When replacing the thermopile you must replace the entire pilot assembly.
Water heaters covered by this handbook are equipped with honeywell gas control valve thermostats.
The truth about gas leakage complaints and gas valves by honeywell complaints of gas leakage through regulator vent openings have become increasingly common in the last few years.
I bought a brand new performance platinum rheem water heater that comes with a honeywell thermostat valve model wv8860c and i installed it myself.
4 replace gas valve if the temperature has exceeded the limit the gas valve will need to be replaced.
I called the company and they set me a new one and i.