Gas Heater Pilot Light Keeps Going Out

The water heater pilot light is a small flame that ignites the gas burner on your water heater.

Gas heater pilot light keeps going out.

Repair technicians will need to replace the thermocouple. Either the thermocouple is going bad or it is dirty and needs to be cleaned. The pilot tube supplies gas to the pilot light for combustion. Thorough cleaning should do the trick.

Hold it down for at least 30 seconds in order for the thermocouple to get warmed up. Sometimes it s referred to as the flame sensor it s a safety mechanism that shuts the gas off should the pilot go out. Thermocouples work by producing a small amount of voltage when it is heated. The thermocouple is the copper rod the pilot flame directly hits.

The thermocouple also contains wiring that goes to the gas valve and makes electricity to light the pilot. Sometimes the tube might be partially clogged and supplying very little gas for combustion no wonder your pilot light keeps going out. The pilot light needs a strong flow of gas to make a strong steady blue flame that the thermocouple can sense. The number one reason why the pilot light keeps going out is the thermocouple.

This is the pilot flame that provides the heat. When the pilot light goes out the loss of current shuts the valve and stops gas flow. But if the thermocouple has a fault it may think the pilot light is out when it isn t and shut off the gas which will in turn cause the pilot light to go out. Which means the thermocouple will shut off the gas flow to your furnace as a safety measure.

If the thermocouple fails to shut off the gas all the gas flowing through the furnace could get into your home. To find out if you need a new one turn the gas valve to pilot and then depress the override button. But if the orifice is dirty or restricted the pilot light won t light properly. If you have a natural or propane gas water heater chances are the pilot has gone out.

When the water heater pilot light goes out first try relighting it following the directions on the water heater label.