Brand New Water Heater Pilot Light Keeps Going Out

If your pilot light re lights easily after going out overnight it s possible it was blown out by a draft.

Brand new water heater pilot light keeps going out.

Turn on your hot water tap and wait for about 4 5 minutes for the burner to ignite. We had an old water heater 12 years and the pilot would light and stay on the burner would come on too but then the burner and pilot would both shut off a few minutes later. If you can light your pilot light but it keeps going out the first item to check is the thermocouple. Keep every intake air register in your home open and clear to avoid a vacuum effect in the inlet.

In most cases it is advisable to change the burner entirely but first you can conduct some preliminary checks. If your water heater s burner is defective then this is likely to affect ignition which may cause the pilot s light to go off. When you have a problem with your water heater not lighting look at your water heater pilot light. If you can light your pilot light but the water heater pilot keeps going out there are many possible causes.

Inspect the thermocouple to determine if it is dirty. Brand new water heater pilot goes out when burner comes on. One of them is a dirty thermocouple. Therefore a dirty thermocouple might be the reason why your water pilot keeps going out.

When the water heater is first lit a valve releases gas into the burner and the pilot light ignites that gas. First turn off the main gas supply valve and wait for the thermocouple to cool. A layer of dirt and grime can hinder the electric current from reaching the thermocouple. Also some models use an insulated sleeve at the pilot light read instructions that came with it if that is the case because some use the outer tubing as part of the circuit so uninsulated contact at the pilot bracket or touching the furnace frame or boiler tube along the way can interfere with the millivolt energy the thermocouple is puttint out making it erratic or non functional.

As a result the gas supply will be cut off and the pilot light will go out. A leak in the output duct of the furnace could cause air to blow into the area. Again you ll have to do some cleaning. Condensation may be extinguishing the pilot light insufficient combustion air supply clogged or incorrect vent system or inconsistent gas supply and pressure.

Retired us army refrigeration specialist retired nyc board of ed refrigeration teacher. If pilot light goes out periodically these might be the cause of the problem. This can happen on excessively windy days or nights. If you are unfamiliar with what this device does the thermocouple is a device in your hot water heater that uses an electrical current to determine whether the pilot light is on or not.

There are several things that can cause your gas water heater pilot light to keep going out.