gas water heater with ignitor – does anyone make one?

[Kowal Mariusz]

I presently have a standard A O Smith 75 gallon gas water heater with a Tjernlund power vent system. The water heater will soon need to be replaced. The power vent system is fine. The only problem with this system is that whenever the electricity goes off for more than 1 second (as is often the case here in the country), the power vent system cuts off the gas supply to the heater. This means that the pilot has to be manually relit. This wouldnt be that much of a problem, except I am partially disabled and find it very difficult to get on the floor to relight it. I know that a power vent water heater has an automatic pilot. However, they are very expensive. It also goes against my Yankee mentality to tear out a perfectly good powervent system and replace it with one that needs to be replaced every time the water heater fails.So. . . I am looking for a 75 gallon gas water heater with an automatic pilot or at the least, an ignitor that I can push (like a gas grill).So far I have contacted the following manufacturers: A O Smith, Rheem/Ruud, Bradford White, State, Lochinvar, and American Water heater.AOSmith has a 50 gallon model with a pushbutton ignitor, but they dont have a 75 gallon model. American Water Heater has a 75 gallon model, the American Proline Plus Super Eagle G10275T75-4NM. However the dealers that they gave me either no longer carry the brand or dont have the above model in stock. I have requested a price quote for a special order but have not heard anything for several days. None of the other manufacturers a push button ignitor. No one has an automatic pilot except on their powervent units.What should I do? Is the American Water Heater model a good quality brand? Does anyone know of a non-power vent heater that has automatic ignition? Does anyone know of another brand that might have a 75 gallon push-button ignitor? Are their any push-button ignitors that can be retrofit into a standard water heater? (My plumber says that he is willing to try retrofitting a gas grill or gas firelog ignitor but he (understandably) cant guarantee that it will work). Should I pay the high cost to tear out the Tjernlund powervent and put in a powervent unit. Maybe I should just get a 100 gallon electric water heater. (I have a 100 gallon two person jacuzzi that is driving the need for a large tank).Please let me know what suggestions you might have.Thanks

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