digital gas valve vs non-digital gas valve

[jbclem]

I'm replacing a 40 gal propane Bradford White water heater. I'm inclined to buy another Bradford White but they all seem to have digital gas valves now. Is it still possible to find a water heater with a old fashioned non digital gas valve? Instinctively I prefer to stay with the old tried and true technology, but I'd like to hear some opinions about this.. Have digital gas valves proved to be a worthy upgrade, or do they just create new problems and end up costing more when there is a problem.?

 

[Twowaxhack]

most gas valves are crap. IMO stay away from the Honeywell electronic gas valves.

 

[Mitchell-DIY-Guy]

The Bradford-White's "ICON" gas valve is a Honeywell with the BW name on it. It's a millivolt analog system, (not digital) with a piezo ignition system. They call it electronic, but no brains inside, just normal sensors. But that doesn't make it any better or worse. If Twowax says their crap, well they are crap. He sees them daily. I see them in inspections but I live with one and change it every 10 years or so.

The only gas valve that ever went bad on me was one of the very old, completely mechanical valves--the one you want to find (but will not on a modern tank). At least I think it did. Couldn't keep the pilot lit, and every few weeks it would go out, and no hot water for the wife's 6AM shower. As the water heater was nearly 10 years old, I thought trying to replace the gas valve was a waste of time and money and just replaced the entire heater, and ensured I didn't have one with a standing pilot. The replacement tank did have electronic ignition. (Took the fully functional power vent off and sold it to a repair shop in Detroit.) I figured if there's no standing pilot there's nothing to go out. That tank lasted another 10+ years before the power vent ceased. Got a new water heater as the power vent unit was too costly by itself. I lived in the home for 27 years and had three water heaters. I can't complain. That's about to be expected.

But, @jbclem to get 40 years out of one? That's amazing.

 

[tailgunner]

I have an American water heater with a honeywell gas valve. About a year after we moved into our new house, the valve/control tripped. I thought it was bad and called honeywell and they sent me out a new one. I talked to a plumber and he said try resetting it, and that worked. Still have the old one working with the one they sent me still in the box, so not all are junk, i guess.

 

[Twowaxhack]

I have an American water heater with a honeywell gas valve. About a year after we moved into our new house, the valve/control tripped. I thought it was bad and called honeywell and they sent me out a new one. I talked to a plumber and he said try resetting it, and that worked. Still have the old one working with the one they sent me still in the box, so not all are junk, i guess.

You got the one good one they made.

I’ve replaced many more Honeywell water heater gas controls in the past 5 years than I did in 30 yrs of installing water heaters with Robertshaw valves.

It’s hard for me to ignore that.