Pilot Light to water heater keeps going out - WTH?

[Squirrel]

Been living in this house almost 6 years - never even thought about the water heater.

All of a sudden, three days in a row, go to take a shower before work, and there's no hot water.

- nothing has changed (gas service, flex tubing, insulation, no evidence of rodent/insect near flame area, nothing)
- lights everytime, and stays lit until unit kicks on

Unless something has changed that I didn't notice or was made aware of, the odds of this happening just 2 days in a row after almost 6 years are astronomical!

Any ideas?!?

 

[El_Guapo]

Same exact thing happened to me a while back.

Most likely you've got one of two problems. Either you need a new thermocouple (less than $10 at Home Depot) or you've got sediment built up inside the heater and you're gonna have to either drain it or get a new one.

If the heater is more than 10-15 years, chances are you're gonna need a new one, but I'd at least try replacing the thermocouple first. It's a little sensor thing on the end of a wire that is designed to sit inside the flame of your pilot light. If it senses that the pilot light has gone off, it shuts off the gas for obvious reasons. They get old and crusty over time and give out false readings. Very easy to change out yourself.

It's also possible that the pilot light is getting blown out by a draft of some kind, but if nothing's changed about your water heater set up, that's probably not likely.

I ended up getting a new water heater. They're not that expensive and relatively easy to change out yourself if you're semi handy with tools.

 

[El_Guapo]

One more tip - in the meantime you can get up at 3:00 a.m. and check the pilot light. If it's out, you can light it and at least you'll probably have enough hot water for a shower in the morning.

 

[Squirrel]

Good advice (both).

Thanks.

 

[Clarence Iba]

My parents just replaced their 1965 Sears model...it finally leaked. Amazing some of that stuff lasts that long.

 

[Squirrel]

Well, damn it.... replacing the TC didn't work.

Any chance it's something else? (I guess not, these things aren't that complicated)

 

[El_Guapo]

Sorry to tell you, but if the thermocouple didn't do it, chances are you're gonna need a new one. You could try draining it, but when I tried to drain mine the sediment had gottten so bad it wouldn't even drain.

Here's a website with a litte more info:The Link

 

[BigWill]

I'm guessing the solution is really simple.

The pilot is too low. Turn up the flame.

When the heater ignites, the "explosion" is blowing out the pilot, which cools the thermocouple, which shuts off the gas. Turn up the flame, my friend.

 

[Squirrel]

Except....

1) As mentioned above, nothing has changed in 6 years, why, now, would the 'blast' all of a sudden be too much.

2) I'm sure the pilot was designed with this thought in mind

3) I've watch the main flame fire up several times and the pilot stays lit - it's clearly going out, later.

 

[HilltopHorn]

I had the same problem not long ago, and it was my vent flue was restricted by some mud daubers....check that