Why won't the pilot light on my new water heater light? In a traditional standing-pilot water heater, there will be a wire ending in a small metal probe positioned at the end of the pilot light tube; this is the thermocouple. Can you let me know exactly how to clean it? I can follow through when I get home tonight. Our pilot light won't stay lit. The pilot light went out again sometime Sunday morning. A couple of days ago, the water go so hot it was producing huge amounts of steam from the faucet. The pilot light went out again sometime Sunday morning. I won't get back to it until tonight, long after work. If the pilot is restricted, try removing it and clearing it with a stiff brush and/or compressed air. The Pilot Light on My Water Heater is Lit but the Burner Does Not Light. There are other PR640's but none that end with NORT. The pilot light on my 5-year old State Select water heater (GS6 40 YBRS) would only stay lit for a short time and with each re-lighting the operational time of the pilot light diminished until it wouldn't light … If your gas water heater keeps shutting off, the thermocouple could be dirty, bent or damaged. Now you can relight your pilot flame with the new thermocouple. As water flows through the filter, hard water minerals form inactive scale crystals which flow through the water heater without sticking to the heat exchanger. Many homeowners trying to fix a furnace for the first time are surprised if they don't find a traditional pilot light (also known as a standing pilot). The WH is in a small room accessible only outside. Make sure that the burner compartment and thermocouple have been properly cooled down. All you need to do is bend this little sensor back in place so that it will lightly touch the flame. My understanding of pilot lights is that they heat a thermocouple, which is a mass of metal that detects heat. you rotate the selector to pilot, depress the plunger and press the igniter. It was set to the middle before I started. If you can’t seem to find the problem, then chances are it’s a faulty control valve. The pilot light in a water heater ignites the gas burner and thus heats the water in the tank. There is a little round disc that is in the line from the thermocouple that is probably bad and it won’t let the circuit complete. The thermocouple is one of the most important parts of your water heater – so if it is broken or damaged, your pilot light won’t work. This is commonly found through an obstruction in the device. If the pilot lights but the flame goes out as soon as you release the button after holding it for 60 seconds, then the thermocouple is bad. To reduce the risk of property damage, serious injury or death, read and follow all labels on the water heater and the safety instructions in the printed owner's manual. *Disclosure: Links in the posts above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, we will receive an affiliate commission. If your house is cold, your water won’t heat up, or your stove isn’t working, chances are the pilot light has gone out. Most gas hot water heaters us a pilot light to ignite the burner. Have a look at your thermocouple – there should be a sensor at the end of it that just touches against the pilot flame when lit. There are some more expensive models that use electronic ignition. Even after trying to relight the pilot light, you still may experience it going off. I held the knob thing down, clicked the ignite button, and the flame came right on, but the status light won't flash and I don't know what's wrong. State Select Water Heater Pilot Won T Light. Why a Water Heater Pilot Light Won’t Stay Lit The primary reason a pilot light won't stay lit … Our pilot light won't stay lit. One of the most common issues will come from the thermocouple, something that can be replaced pretty easily. Thankfully, a dirty pilot tube is the easiest issue to fix. You get two different types of water heater igniters. The main sign that a pilot light is out is one that everyone dreads: The water won’t get hot. Giving it time will also make sure that any excess gas from the pilot disappears. Look at the Status Light on the gas control valve. :( … The gas turned off too after awhile. We have well water. Now you will need to press the pilot knob down on the light setting and hold it there for a while. If the pilot doesn’t relight, if it goes out right after lighting or if it goes out repeatedly, by far the most common cause is a bad thermocouple. So, we just bought this house about 2 months ago. This will then require replacing with a new thermocouple. Somewhere on the internet it says to blow out the pilot tube, I apply compressed air, some crud comes out, I can't get the pilot to light even allowing time for gas to come through. Propane Tankless Water Heater – 4 Reviews incl…. Blow more air then verify it is coming out pilot end. (we've lived here about 5 years, don't know how old the WH is). If there is a malfunction, the water heater pilot light won’t light and can’t heat the water. BTW, our water heater is a natural gas water heater. Should it be replaced anyway to be safe? The Product Preservers® Anti-Scale System protects your tankless water heater from damage due to scale formation. While this guide applies to basically all water heaters, be sure to check the instructions of your specific unit first. To replace the thermocouple, start by turning the gas supply completely off. Once you’re done, put it back and light your water heater. If you're water won't heat up, the pilot light on your water heater may have blown out. I turned the gas off and opened all the hot water faucets in the house until it started to run cool, which took a good minute (kitchen and two bathroom sinks full open and it's only a 40gallon tank.... so the water must have been literally boiling in the tank. If the light starts to flicker, or goes out, then it would be time to troubleshoot the problem. A bunch of white crystal looking stuff came out. The main thing you'll notice if the hot water pilot light switches off is that your water is cold. Thanks! If you live in a home with a gas water heater and notice cold water coming from your hot water faucet, there's a good chance your pilot light has gone out. Would that be safe? Sometimes, carbon deposits can build up on the pilot and eventually create a restriction. We hope this has answered your questions as to why your water heater pilot light isn’t working. I hooked a hose to the drain as I read a dirty heater can cause it to overheat. Tank-type gas water heaters use a pilot light to ignite the gas burner when the water in the tank needs to be heated. Observed that the pilot light is lit but can't … plumbing, hvac technichian. Gas water heater pilot light won't stay lit. Our hot water heater won't light. It is also important to make sure that you don’t smell any gas leak in the air when you ignite the water heater pilot light. submitted to our "DoItYourself.com Community Forums". When the tank runs out of fuel, the pilot light on the heater goes out, and to get the heater working again, you have to re-light it after you change the tank. When thermocouples wear out, the pilot light goes out, the burner won’t light, and you will have no hot water. There are a number of reasons why your water heater pilot light may not be working – most of them are easy enough to troubleshoot and fix at home. With the drain off, I can still hear the sound of water running and a small drip coming off the stand. 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