Water Heater Source

chrissm2001 asked:


I have a 5 year old hot water heater. Recently the pilot light will not stay lit. I will light it and it heats the tank, then the pilot goes out. I thought it might be the wind blowing down the vent so I changed vent caps. The air intake are is clean and clear.

Twanda

5 Responses to “What makes my hot water heater pilot ligt keep going out?”

1. Corky R Says:
   January 22nd, 2010 at 6:04 am

   Evita

   Your gas valve/thermostat has gone bad. The small magnet inside the valve that holds the flap open to allow gas to flow to the burner, gets weak. No one seems to be able to tell me why this happens, but it does. Unfortunately there’s no repair for this condition, just replacement of the complete assembly. Depending on whether your unit is natural or LP, the valve assembly will cost between $170 – $225. It’s not terribly complicated to change, but you must drain the heater, as the valve screws into the side in a 3/4″ opening. You must, of course, remove and then replace all three of the connections on the underside of the valve.

2. gotAnswer Says:
   January 25th, 2010 at 5:12 am

   Deann

   Shut down the gas line Clean up the aluminum gas tubing the one hooks up at the gas regulator it might be full of powder stuff then replace the thermo coupler into a new one.Put it back together then re lit the pilot.

3. c Says:
   January 25th, 2010 at 6:30 pm

   Salvador

   air in your lines
   a leak in the lines causing lower pressure
   a bad solenoid (gas valve)
   a partially clogged orifice (where the gas comes out for the flame)

   but most likely a problem with the thermocouple (flame sensor)
   it looks like a metal wire that sits in the flame, it is a bi-metal rod that produces electricity when heated, you can clean it off with emery cloth or steel wool, the carbon deposits may block some of the heat causing the sensor to think the flame is out and then it will close the gas valve.

4. boredstiff8 Says:
   January 27th, 2010 at 1:52 am

   Francoise

   follow the gas tube from the conrol valve down into the burner compartment……..Ok along side that you should see what looks like a thin copper wire that starts out at the control valve and ends up in the pilot flame….. that is called a thermocoupler it sences heat it is probably not sitting in the flame properly or crudded up or just bad…..its a safety device if pilot flame goes out it will shut the control valve off to stop the flow of gas……they can be changed fairly easy cost about 10 – 15 dollars

5. Lee Says:
   January 29th, 2010 at 1:36 pm

   Emmitt

   As one of the answers said,replace the thermocouple first.As long as there is a flame on it,it creates a small electrical current to keep the gas valve open.No current or a weak current will shut the valve.