Reasons Your Pilot Lights Go Out
Your water heater has a lot of working parts that allow it to provide you with hot water all day long. When something goes wrong with one of these parts, it can affect the way your entire furnace works—especially when that part is the pilot light. If the pilot light on the water heater in your Edwardsville, IL, home keeps going out, here are some of the potential causes. Don’t hesitate to call a professional before you get in over your head!
Dirty Thermocouple
The first thing you should take a look at if the pilot light on your water heater keeps going out is the thermocouple. Even a simple dirty thermocouple can cause water heater problems, specifically with the pilot light. Inspect the thermocouple on your thermostat to make sure it’s not too dirty. If it is, you’ll need to clean it with fine sandpaper. After you’ve cleaned your thermocouple, you can turn your gas back on and check if it works.
Bent Thermocouple
Dirt isn’t the only thing that can cause problems with your thermocouple. A bent thermocouple means the pilot light isn’t able to heat the thermocouple which means there won’t be any supply of gas to remain lit. To fix this problem, all you need to do is bend your thermocouple back toward the light so it will stay heated and keep the gas supply on.
Dirty Pilot Tube
The pilot tube on your water heater is another essential part of making sure your water heater’s pilot light stays lit. Fortunately, this is another easy problem to fix. All you need to do is shut off your water heater and wait until the pilot tube cools. Once the pilot tube cools fully, you can use something small like a needle to remove any built-up dirt and debris in the pilot tube. After you’ve cleaned the tube out fully, test your water heater to make sure the pilot light is working properly.
Professional Help
If you’re having trouble diagnosing the cause of your water heater pilot light not staying lit, have a professional take a look at your water heater. The professionals at Bailey Sewer, Water, Septic, and Aeration of Granite City, Illinois, can help you figure out the cause of your water heater problems and get things working like normal again. Just give us a call at (618) 452-8305 to schedule an appointment today.
