On the covered State gas water heater, 8 flashes means state's service table, as Sears PartsDirect publishes it, lists this code as: power off failure. Look at the pilot with the knob set to OFF. Replace the gas control valve assembly.
Differential
Likely causes of “State gas water heater code 8 flashes”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
The pilot flame stays on when the control is set to OFF
What separates it The pilot is visible with the knob in the OFF position
How to confirm Look at the pilot with the knob set to OFF
- 2
A gas control valve that does not close fully
What separates it The pilot keeps burning
How to confirm Replace the gas control valve assembly
- 3
A thermocouple that is still hot
What separates it The pilot is out but the control is warm
How to confirm Wait 10 minutes for it to cool and relight
- 4
A recurring fault
What separates it The condition returns after relighting
How to confirm Replace the gas control valve assembly
- 5
A fault in the control circuit
What separates it The code returns
How to confirm Call a technician
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- That the light flashes eight times
- Whether the pilot is visible with the knob OFF
- Whether it returns after relighting
- The model and serial numbers
Try in this order
0 of 7 completedCorrect only the documented fault domain
ReversibleIf the pilot flame is visible when the control knob is set to the OFF position, replace the gas control valve assembly. If the pilot flame is not visible when the control knob is set to the OFF position, wait 10 minutes for the thermocouple to cool, and then relight the unit. If this condition returns, replace the gas control valve assembly. Parts named: gas control valve assembly.
Set the control knob to OFF
ReversibleTurn the gas control knob to the OFF position and look at the pilot flame through the viewing window.
If the pilot is still visible
ReversibleReplace the gas control valve assembly, since the valve is not closing the pilot supply when it is asked to.
If the pilot is not visible, wait 10 minutes
ReversibleThe table says that the thermocouple needs time to cool, so wait 10 minutes before you relight.
Relight the unit
ReversibleFollow the lighting instructions on the heater's label, taking care with the gas.
Watch whether the fault returns
ReversibleIf the condition returns after relighting, the table says to replace the gas control valve assembly.
Call a licensed technician
ReversibleAny work on a gas control should be done by a licensed technician, and a smell of gas means leaving the house and calling the gas company.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- The code on this page
- Eight flashes, a power off failure.
- Parts involved
- The gas control valve assembly and the thermocouple.
- Source
- Sears PartsDirect's table for State gas water heaters.
- What a power off failure means
- The control expects the pilot and the main flame to go out when you set the knob to OFF. If a flame is still present, the control reports a power off failure with eight flashes, because a valve that will not close fully is a safety concern.
- The thermocouple's cool-down
- A thermocouple stays hot for a few minutes after the flame goes out, and the control can read that heat as a flame. Waiting ten minutes lets it cool, which separates a harmless false reading from a valve that really will not shut.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If you smell gas, leave the house and call the gas company
- !Gas control work is for a licensed technician
- !Do not relight repeatedly
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Exact questions
Common questions
What does 8 flashes mean on a State gas water heater?+
State's service table, as Sears PartsDirect publishes it, lists this code as: power off failure.
What is the first check?+
Whether the pilot flame is visible with the knob in the OFF position.
Is waiting 10 minutes a fix?+
It lets the thermocouple cool before relighting.
What if it returns?+
Replace the gas control valve assembly.
Is it safe?+
Gas work needs a licensed technician.
Why wait 10 minutes before relighting?+
It lets the thermocouple cool so that the control stops reading its heat as a flame.
What if the pilot stays lit with the knob OFF?+
The gas control valve assembly is replaced, which is gas work for a technician.