Water Heater - Pilot Will Not Stay On

Since the thermocouple/pilot light assembly is new and if the flame is making good contact with the thermocouple that leaves only one thing and that is the gas valve has gone bad.

darsben1 wrote:
Since the thermocouple/pilot light assembly is new and if the flame is making good contact with the thermocouple that leaves only one thing and that is the gas valve has gone bad.

YEP.......
Pilot flame heating thermocouple...thermocouple connection tight....millivolt signal from thermocouple energizes magnet which allows gas to flow thru MAIN

You can do an easy test on thermocouple.
Disconnect it from gas control. Attach multimeter clip to end/other clip to tubing and then heat thermocouple with lighter. 12 millivots..good.





Weak magnet.....won't stay open
ECO Probe (high temp t-stat) blown...one shot device. Too high water temp or too HIGH of pilot flame (190*F) no millivolt signal completed circuit

Either case.........new gas control

Check the piolet in the dark and make sure it's large enough to stay lit. I had this problem with mine. The gas valve on mine has an adjustment screw for piolet flame size. Can't really see the piolet well in the day time.
Brian

The old and new pilot was very strong.... I ordered a gas control valve now off amazon and will try that.

My son just had the same issue with his WH. He bought a new circuit board and that fixed it. Not sure on the brand.

goducks10 wrote:
My son just had the same issue with his WH. He bought a new circuit board and that fixed it. Not sure on the brand.

No circuit board on OPs Pilot Flame water heater

And replacing the circuit board is NOT the cure-all fix.

It's much better to actually TRACE the issue and then replace the FAULTY part vs throwing part at it.

Cobra21 wrote:
Check the piolet in the dark and make sure it's large enough to stay lit. I had this problem with mine. The gas valve on mine has an adjustment screw for piolet flame size. Can't really see the piolet well in the day time.
Brian

Be careful 'adjusting' that pilot flame.
Just needs to heat tip of thermocoupe

TOO HIGH and that can generate too much heat which can cause the ECO Probe (High temp t-stat) that sticks into tank from back of gas control to TRIP (190*F). When it trips---one time device----then NEW Gas Control Valve!

Och!

My flame was too small, I had cleaned the tube and replaced the thermocouple, but a breeze would repeatedly blow the flame out. Been good for this season now.
Thanks for the advice though, much appreciated.
Brian

I installed the new control valve but it has to be tilted a bit for the gas tube to attach ... I hope that is not an issue.

I was able to fire it and it seemed to work just fine... pilot held, etc.