Gas Hot Water Heater Pilot Light Keeps Going Out

Sometimes your gas water heater won t light due to a dirty pilot tube.

Gas hot water heater pilot light keeps going out. If the pilot keeps going out the burner won t turn on and thus the water won t be heated which makes troubleshooting an important aspect of water heater maintenance. This can happen on excessively windy days or nights. The flame will go out if the tube is clogged with dirt or debris. 5 improper air flow or a strong draft blows the pilot out.

That s important because gas is always being supplied to the pilot to keep the flame lit. The pilot tube supplies gas to the pilot light for combustion. After a while the gas could. When the water heater is first lit a valve releases gas into the burner and the pilot light ignites that gas.

If your pilot light re lights easily after going out overnight it s possible it was blown out by a draft. Thorough cleaning should do the trick. The pilot going out is a common occurrence for those that have water heaters or older gas furnaces. Sometimes the tube might be partially clogged and supplying very little gas for combustion no wonder your pilot light keeps going out.

The thermocouple s job is to shut a gas safety valve if the pilot light goes out. But if the pilot flame goes out then the gas would still be released. This will prevent the pilot light from heating it. This will cause the thermocouple to turn off the supply of gas and then your water heater won t light.

These types of heat appliances utilize pilot lights to light the main burner. This is why when your hot water heater pilot light keeps going out you should fix it right away. After about 30 seconds heat from the ignited pilot light flame activates a simple electrical switch called a thermocouple which ensures that the gas supply to the pilot stays open and your water heater keeps functioning. The pilot light is the tiny gas flame that is responsible for providing power to your gas hot water heater.

The thermocouple is the small copper rod that the pilot light hits. A leak in the output duct of the furnace could cause air to blow into the area. To avoid your water heater going out bend the thermocouple so it is closer to the pilot light. That can turn into a nuisance for both maintaining heat or hot water.

If you have a natural or propane gas water heater chances are the pilot has gone out.