What causes gas water heater pilot to go out?

Hear this out loudPauseSome of the most common reasons that water heater pilot lights go out include: A faulty thermocouple. Over time, thermocouples can begin to malfunction and shut off the gas supply to the pilot light even if it’s burning properly. A bent or dirty thermocouple.

What to do if your water heater pilot light is not on?

If it is, get plumber to service it or for DIY turn off as entirely (valve control to off), let cool completely, then carefully (without breaking off pilot or gas fittings) brush or vacuum (easier) the burner element and pilot area clean.

What to do if your gas hot water heater is not on?

The thermocouple provides a safety feature for a gas hot water tank. When the pilot is not on, the valve will not allow any gas to be delivered. See the article ‘ Hot Water Heater Pilot Light ‘, for the information on what to do . Did you check to see if the gas is on?

Can a natural gas hot water heater explode?

Natural gas can explode. Caution needs to be exercised to make sure the gas is shut off and only turned on when the pilot is lit. Some repairs that result from gas hot water heater troubleshooting are fairly simple. Others may require some work. We are in the whitewater of cost potential here.

What to do if your hot water heater pilot light goes out?

Replacing the thermocouple usually does the trick. If your hot water heater suddenly stops working, chances are a bad thermocouple has shut off the gas to the pilot light. Replacement is an easy DIY repair. No hot water? If you have a natural or propane gas water heater, chances are the pilot has gone out.

What’s the name of the pilot light on a gas heater?

Bad Thermocouple. The thermocouple is the co-pilot to the pilot light in electronic heaters. It senses when the flame of the pilot is hot enough to trigger ignition of the natural gas or propane that fuels the burner.

What happens when a standing pilot boiler goes out?

The thermocouple or thermopile provides the power to the gas valve. When the power goes out, you can still have hot water. Possibly heat, but only if you have a steam boiler with a gravity-fed condensate piping return for the boiler. If you have a standing pilot hot water boiler or furnace, you are out of luck.