6 reasons why a water heater pilot light won t stay lit written by perry carpenter on mar 08 2010.
Envirotemp water heater pilot light won t stay lit.
Pilot light won t stay lit when you turn knob from pilot to on it goes out as soon as the knob pops up before you can turn it to on pilot light on my reliance 501 gas water heater won t stay lit when you turn it from light pilot to on it goes out as soon as the knob pops up.
If your gas water heater doesn t stay lit you may have a defective control thermostat.
Test for gas leaks.
Pilot light issues are some of the most common problems experienced with gas water heaters.
Although a blocked gas line is one reason why the pilot light on a rheem water heater won t light or stay lit there are other reasons as well some easier to correct than others.
If your pilot light won t stay lit this can be for a few different reasons.
Relight the pilot light.
Reopen the shutoff valve.
Not only does it prevent a furnace from operating properly but an unlit pilot can also steal away the comforts of a hot morning shower.
Turn the control valve to on.
When the gas burner comes on use a 50 50 dish soap water mix to test the screw joints for air bubbles that indicate leaks.
A faulty thermocouple or malfunction of the gas valve could be the culprit but the problem may be as simple as a draft coming from a crack in the wall or under the door.
Troubleshooting these problems with a water heater s pilot light can be done at home.
So what s the deal.
A pilot light that won t stay lit is more than frustrating.
You must have the pilot lit and the burner on to test for leaks so that gas is flowing through the large tube.
This control is part of the gas valve assembly and normally has a dial that will allow for temperature adjustment and will also have a probe that monitors the water temperature.
Once the thermocouple detects that the pilot light isn t lit it turns the gas off as a safety measure.
The pilot light in your hot water heater does more than simply ignite the gas.
When a pilot light won t stay lit on your gas water heater this is exactly what you can expect.
This equipment is the core reason why your water heater functions it also knows if the pilot light is on or off through an electric current that draws power from the pilot s heat.
Without it the water heater won t be able to maintain internal temperatures allowing the water to cool off.
A pilot light in a hot water tank is what allows your water tank to heat up.
The thermocouple the gas pressure or the light itself.