Water Heater Pilot Light Thermocouple Replacement

If you have a gas water heater with a pilot light that won t stay lit it s probably due to a failed thermocouple.

Water heater pilot light thermocouple replacement.

Tank type gas water heaters use a pilot light to ignite the gas burner when the water in the tank needs to be heated. The flame should be blue and steady. How to light the pilot for a gas hot water heater. The thermocouple is a thermoelectric device that shuts off the gas if the pilot light goes out.

Replacement is an easy diy repair. A thermocouple senses the heat of the pilot and allows gas to flow to the burner. 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. If your hot water heater suddenly stops working chances are a bad thermocouple has shut off the gas to the pilot light.

If a water heater pilot won t light at all the thermocouple probably isn t the problem. Once you re done put it back and light your water heater. Since almost all major brands of atmospherically vented water heaters have switched from a thermocouple to a t. Smith and state branded tanks 4 6 out of 5 stars 101 68 10 68.

The thermocouple is triggered by an electric current produced by the pilot light. A bad thermocouple will shut off gas to both the pilot and the. 104 plumbing plus universal pilot burner for gas appliances multiuse for gas water heater space heater fireplace furnace easy mount heavy duty long lasting pilot assembly for thermocouple 4 4 out of 5 stars 11. By james carey morris carey.

A thermocouple or flame sensor is a device used to control gas flow in gas water heaters on older style heaters with standing pilot lights the device is typically called a thermocouple while on newer units with electronic ignition the same or virtually the same device is called a flame sensor for our purposes we ll refer to both devices as the thermocouple. Reliance water heater pilot assembly 100109295 9003542005 replacement part natural gas compatible with reliance a o. It s easy to replace and a new one costs 5 to 10. The thermocouple is the brain of your water heater.

In simple terms it s a short piece of tubing that runs from the gas controller to the pilot. Remove the burner assembly and detach the thermocouple. It s responsible for closing the gas valve when it senses the pilot light is off. Usually the first warning.