How To Fix Pilot On Water Heater

Tired of unexpected cold showers and wondering why does the pilot calorie-free of your water heater keeps going out? Let's detect out why and how to fix it.

The most mutual reasons in my experience, for the water heater pilot light to frequently go out, are blocked air filter, dirty or malfunctioning thermocouple, and lack of combustion air.

It usually occurs with an onetime water heater merely problems can happen with new units as well.

It'south normal and fine for the pilot light to get out once in a while which can happen due to a sudden air draft. But if it keeps going out and out and then in that location'southward something wrong going on with your gas water heater. We will talk in brief about that and tell yous what exactly you should exist doing in this scenario then as to fix the effect yourself without having to telephone call the technician but first,

What is the pilot light in the water heater?

Simply put, the pilot calorie-free is a pocket-sized tiny burner that is alight all the time so that when the main burner is to be lit, the ignition is started with the aid of this pilot low-cal. It's there so that you won't have to employ a match or lighter and manually low-cal the water heater every time water is needed to be heated. Also read: Water heater leaking? Here's what to practice.

And then with that said, let's jump straight into the main part.

five Reasons airplane pilot light keeps going out on water heater

Safety advice

Before we move on to the diagnostic and fixing process, it's best if y'all shut the gas supply to the water heater and look for a few minutes for any gas to dissipate.

1. Dirty or clogged air filter grate

The air filter grate in your water heater is an important part that supplies oxygen for the combustion of gas. It's from where your airplane pilot light breaths. It's the most mutual culprit.

The air filter grate can be located under the tank or on some models on the bottom side.

What you have to exercise is clean and unclog it. Take a long dusting castor and try to make clean the underneath of the tank. You volition desire to scrape the base of the tank.

One time washed, at present try to reignite the airplane pilot light and see if it stays. If it goes out again and then motility on to the next footstep.

ii. Suffocated water heater surrounding

As nosotros discussed in the section above, the gas water heater requires air to breathe I. E. For combustion.

Look around and meet if the surrounding of the tank is highly populated with stuff or it's open enough for airflow.

If it's the kickoff case then that'south what might have been the culprit. Free upwards some space around it so air tin easily vent in. Try lighting it again. Motion to the step if goes out again.

three. Dirty or dislocated thermocouple

Another common upshot that I accept seen with the inconsistently lit pilot calorie-free is the problem with thermocouples.

A thermocouple is the CPU and safety mechanisms of your gas water heater. It sits on the top of the pilot calorie-free. When the pilot low-cal is on, the thermocouple generates a small voltage that tells the system to keep the gas flow free. If for some reason the voltage is not generated, the system assumes that the pilot light is off (even when information technology'due south not) and switches off the gas supply and and then the flame goes out.

Over time, this thermocouple tin can take hold of dirt and grime which in result can foreclose it from generating that voltage, and thus flame goes out. Or another situation is that the instrument itself gets bent away due to flame.

And so what you can practice here is to try to clean the surface of the thermocouple with the help of fine sandpaper and go on its finish as close to the pilot calorie-free as possible. Our aim hither is to brand sure it detects heat.

If the problem persists then the most likely scenario is that the thermocouple has gone bad.

four. A bad, faulty thermocouple

It'south not uncommon for this cheap role to go out and go defective.

If you have tried everything I mentioned to a higher place and the pilot lite still going out, then the most probable scenario here is of a bad thermocouple. It's cheap and easy to replace.

Just you volition desire to test if it's really bad before y'all change it. Check out this video.

The reading on the multimeter should be effectually 20mV for a performance thermocouple.

Y'all can try one last matter just to make sure you have tried everything before actually changing the thermocouple.

v. Dirty pilot tube

A pilot tube is a tiny pipe similar in size to a thermocouple. It feeds the gas to the pilot light to go along it going on.

It's just some other matter that can catch dirt and clog within the tube that tin can reduce the gas flow.

What you lot can do here is simple. Take a slender needle and endeavour to clean and unblock the pilot tube. It tin have a while to make clean. You can likewise try to blow air from one side if you have dissembled information technology from the main system.

Your call

Then that'due south it for at present. I hope this mini even so, a complete guide to why pilot light goes out on water heater was helpful and fixed your problem. If the problem doesn't resolve fifty-fifty subsequently doing the suggested above then I advise y'all to call the technician. Also read: Information technology's fourth dimension to upgrade. Switch to the new and efficient top outdoor tankless water heaters.

Hello! I am an HVAC technician and writer of HWT from Aberdeen, Due south Dakota. I take been providing plumbing services for over a decade now. With 10+years of experience in the field, I mostly have worked with water heating systems. With the help of this blog, I am expecting to share some of my experience and knowledge in the field with you.