How to Change the Thermocouple on a Kenmore Power Miser 9 Hot Water Heater

Turn off the main gas supply to your Kenmore Power Miser water heater. Follow the gas line from your water heater to locate the manual shutoff valve. Turn the valve from vertical to horizontal or horizontal to vertical depending on the orientation of the valve before you shut off the gas supply.

Pop the outer door off the bottom of the water heater covering the combination gas control valve and thermostat. Turn the temperature dial on the face of the thermostat to the lowest temperature.

Push down and turn the gas control knob on top of the Kenmore combination gas control valve and thermostat clockwise to the “Off” position. Pull off the shield protecting the tubes running from the valve to the manifold door assembly.

Remove the two screws holding the manifold door assembly to the bottom side of the water heater. The manifold door encloses the combustion chamber and secures the thermocouple, igniter wire, manifold tube and pilot tube. Do not attempt to remove the door.

Attach an adjustable wrench to the manifold tube where it attaches to the combination gas control valve and thermostat. The manifold tube is the largest of the tubes connected to the valve. Rotate the connector on the tube clockwise to loosen it from the valve.

Disconnect the pilot tube, located to the left of the manifold tube, and the thermocouple, located to the right of the manifold tube, from the valve by turning them counterclockwise. Grab the wire connected to the bottom of the push-button igniter. Gently pull this wire from the igniter.

Grab the Kenmore water heater manifold tube. Push down on the tube to release the pilot tube, manifold tube and thermocouple from the combination gas control valve and thermostat. Use the manifold tube as a handle to gently pull the manifold assembly from the combustion chamber.

Find the location on the manifold assembly door where the thermocouple, igniter wire and pilot tube feed through it. Slip a small flat-head screwdriver underneath the clip holding the two-piece wire connector together around the thermocouple, igniter wire and pilot tube. Pry the clip off the connector and pull the two-part connector apart.

Pull the end of the thermocouple from the pilot assembly bracket. The pilot assembly bracket attaches to the left side of the burner assembly.

Pull the thermocouple from the pilot assembly door. Thread the new thermocouple through the hole in the door and push the tip into the pilot assembly bracket until it clicks into place.

Replace the two-piece connector around the new thermocouple, pilot tube and igniter wire. Install the clip over the connector to secure it. Carefully insert the burner assembly into the combustion chamber.

Connect the new thermocouple, manifold tube and pilot tube to the combination gas control valve and thermostat. Push the igniter wire into the bottom of the push-button igniter. Secure the manifold door to the Kenmore water heater with the screws you removed previously.

Turn on the main gas supply to your Kenmore Miser 9 water heater. Follow the directions printed on the side of your water heater to relight the heater.