Water Heater Pilot Light Thermocouple

Rather than trying to unfasten the thermocouple inside the water heater s burning chamber it s easier to remove the whole burner and thermocouple.

Water heater pilot light thermocouple.

The thermocouple is triggered by an electric current produced by the pilot light. The procedure for lighting a standing pilot always includes lighting the flame then manually holding in the gas valve to keep the flame burning and give the thermocouple time to heat up. In furnaces and water heaters and in some ranges and dryers the pilot light is accompanied by a safety device called a thermocouple a heat sensor that turns the gas off if the pilot flame is extinguished. The thermocouple is the brain of your water heater.

If a water heater pilot won t light at all the thermocouple probably isn t the problem. This voltage is used by the hot water heater thermostat to hold open a gas valve. Replacement is an easy diy repair. It s easy to replace and a new one costs 5 to 10.

Remove the burner assembly and detach the thermocouple. How to light the pilot for a gas hot water heater. 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. 1 cause of pilot lights that won t stay lit is a worn out thermocouple.

Once the thermocouple detects that the pilot light isn t lit it turns the gas off as a safety measure. If the pilot light goes out the thermocouple acts as a safety device by preventing the gas valve from opening and potentially filling the area surrounding the water heater with natural gas. A bad thermocouple will shut off gas to both the pilot and the. Once you re done put it back and light your water heater.

Usually the first warning. After installation i also did the detergent test to make sure the gas connections are secure and not leaking. If the pilot light blows out the voltage stops and the gas valve is automatically closed. Traditional gas hot water heaters maintain a pilot light 24x7.

A faulty thermocouple or one that is simply dirty may consistently prevent the gas valve from opening or the pilot from staying lit. Yesterday i replaced the thermocouple with a universal thermocouple and cleaned out the dust and soot from the burner area. This pilot light heats a thermocouple which generates a small voltage up to 30 millivolts. A thermocouple senses the heat of the pilot and allows gas to flow to the burner.

In newer appliances ignition may be achieved by a sparking device or a glow bar instead of a pilot light. If your hot water heater suddenly stops working chances are a bad thermocouple has shut off the gas to the pilot light. The flame should be blue and steady.