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Pilot (sometimes) won't light in gas water heater

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Pilot (sometimes) won't light in gas water heater David Nicoson 01-23-2007
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Posted by EXT on January 23, 2007, 12:09 pm


When lighting a pilot light, one has to wait holding the button down for at
least a minute. This can seem a long time when down on your knees in a
cramped place. Sometimes there is a click when the valve opens, but, as with
my heater there is no sound, you have to guess. Once you let go of the
button it will shut down if the valve has not opened making it appear to be
defective. So it pays to err on the long timeframe before releasing the
button.

> Last week, my water heater stopped heating. My wife and I both tried
> to light the pilot according to the instructions, but it wouldn't
> start. We called Whirlpool's hot-line. Some Indians told us to check
> the gas line and so forth. No luck. (The furnace is running fine and
> there's only a few feet of pipe between the furnace and the water
> heater, so there's not a lot possible points of failure.)
>
> I then called a plumber. He came out and the lit the thing with no
> trouble. (I'm sure he thought we were ignorant, and he might be
> right.) He suggested that it might have gone out because of failing
> thermocouple. He checked for leaks, charged me $60, and left.
>
> I got one tank of hot water and then the pilot went out again. I
> couldn't restart it. I'm not seeing a spark, but I don't really know
> if I should expect that behind the window.
>
> It seems to me that I should get gas in the pilot position with the
> override button pressed even with a defective thermocouple. Is that
> right? I felt pretty good about that idea until I read this:
>
> http://www.hometips.com/home_probsolver/hps03/11_waterheat/hps_waterheat01.html
>
> 6) *** If the pilot won't light, the thermocouple may be defective;***
> either call your gas utility to check the appliance (a free service in
> many areas) or call an appliance repair person.
>
> Should I perhaps be looking for gas or air restrictions or replacing a
> thermocouple?
>
> Any advice or information is appreciated.
>



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Posted by David Nicoson on January 23, 2007, 12:15 pm


EXT wrote:
> When lighting a pilot light, one has to wait holding the button down for at
> least a minute. This can seem a long time when down on your knees in a
> cramped place. Sometimes there is a click when the valve opens, but, as with
> my heater there is no sound, you have to guess. Once you let go of the
> button it will shut down if the valve has not opened making it appear to be
> defective. So it pays to err on the long timeframe before releasing the
> button.

Thanks for the reply.

It's not lighting and then going out, so I don't think that's my
problem.


Posted by EXT on January 23, 2007, 2:31 pm


David:

You said: "I'm not seeing a spark, but I don't really know
if I should expect that behind the window.". Are you expecting the button to
create a spark to light your pilot light. Most water heaters need to have
the pilot light lit with a flame. The button bypasses the safety of the cold
thermocouple so that gas will pass through the pilot light so it can be lit.
Most water heaters have detailed instructions on how to light, some
including mine fails to mention that a flame needs to be applied to the
pilot to light it.


> EXT wrote:
>> When lighting a pilot light, one has to wait holding the button down for
>> at
>> least a minute. This can seem a long time when down on your knees in a
>> cramped place. Sometimes there is a click when the valve opens, but, as
>> with
>> my heater there is no sound, you have to guess. Once you let go of the
>> button it will shut down if the valve has not opened making it appear to
>> be
>> defective. So it pays to err on the long timeframe before releasing the
>> button.
>
> Thanks for the reply.
>
> It's not lighting and then going out, so I don't think that's my
> problem.
>



Posted by David Nicoson on January 23, 2007, 2:51 pm


EXT wrote:
> David:
>
> You said: "I'm not seeing a spark, but I don't really know
> if I should expect that behind the window.". Are you expecting the button to
> create a spark to light your pilot light. Most water heaters need to have
> the pilot light lit with a flame. The button bypasses the safety of the cold
> thermocouple so that gas will pass through the pilot light so it can be lit.
> Most water heaters have detailed instructions on how to light, some
> including mine fails to mention that a flame needs to be applied to the
> pilot to light it.

My heater is similar to this one:
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=211377-135-BFG1F4040S3NOV&lpage=none

I believe the large red button on the left overrides the thermocouple
and allows gas to flow even when the device is cold.

There's a button on the right (black in this picture) that goes into an
enclosed area. I lit the pilot on my old water heater with a flame,
but I believe this black button is the right method on this water
heater.


Posted by Art on January 23, 2007, 1:19 pm


How is it vented? Mine has a pipe within a pipe and when the inner pipe
fails flame goes out.


> Last week, my water heater stopped heating. My wife and I both tried
> to light the pilot according to the instructions, but it wouldn't
> start. We called Whirlpool's hot-line. Some Indians told us to check
> the gas line and so forth. No luck. (The furnace is running fine and
> there's only a few feet of pipe between the furnace and the water
> heater, so there's not a lot possible points of failure.)
>
> I then called a plumber. He came out and the lit the thing with no
> trouble. (I'm sure he thought we were ignorant, and he might be
> right.) He suggested that it might have gone out because of failing
> thermocouple. He checked for leaks, charged me $60, and left.
>
> I got one tank of hot water and then the pilot went out again. I
> couldn't restart it. I'm not seeing a spark, but I don't really know
> if I should expect that behind the window.
>
> It seems to me that I should get gas in the pilot position with the
> override button pressed even with a defective thermocouple. Is that
> right? I felt pretty good about that idea until I read this:
>
> http://www.hometips.com/home_probsolver/hps03/11_waterheat/hps_waterheat01.html
>
> 6) *** If the pilot won't light, the thermocouple may be defective;***
> either call your gas utility to check the appliance (a free service in
> many areas) or call an appliance repair person.
>
> Should I perhaps be looking for gas or air restrictions or replacing a
> thermocouple?
>
> Any advice or information is appreciated.
>



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