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Got a pilot light that wont stay lit on a gas water heater that is approx 8 years old, any advise as to why?

Thanks

When I light the pilot, it wont stay lit when i release the red knob

When I light the pilot, it wont stay lit when I release the red knob

Why did it go out? Was it down long?

Assume there is a trap/clean-out on the black iron line running to the block valve? There could be condensate built up enough to impede flow.

Is it possible you entire system is tripped? Your main entry regulator to the house may have tripped due to a flow shut-down-speedup situation.

Take the cover off the center of the regulator and pull the center pin toward you, hard!
art

No problem with the gas, we have a gas stove and it works fine, as for any condensation everything is dry. It just stopped working this morning.

Take note of what is said here. Clean out...
You might have good gas at your stove, you stove is not the issue. Undue your gas line to your water heater, open the valve give it a blow. clean and check your regulator. This is common for debris to stop gas flow. Debris is from the pipe over time.

Hope this helps.

The jet (nozzle) may be dirty... and a quick pke with a pin, hairclip, wire, whatever may clean it up. We have ridiculously clean gas here and that does not happen, but it does elsewhere. Usually you can see a black "spike" sticking up from the jet when it is plugging that way.

You may have a bad flame sensor... Take the two wires lose and insert a jumper (paperclip) between them and see if that allows it to hold the valve open.

Gas valve has shutdowns also and they can be jumpered out one by one of the fire refuses to stay lit.

Have they been working on the line nearby? Could there be a bubble of air in the system? Pilot does not use much gas and the bubble of air may have puddled out...

Quick point... If the pilot stays lit as long as you hold it, but shuts down ASAP when the red knob is released the problem is not likely gas-related, but flame sensor-related.
art

He didn't say it wouldn't lite, he said it wouldn't stay lit. Thermal Couple is bad, $12 fix.

Thanks for the advise, I will try and keep you updated!

Bad thermocouple.



http://www.rd.com/how-to-replace-a-water-heater-thermocouple/article19531.html

It's one of 3 things. What's your pilot flame look like? It should be a sharp hard blue flame, if it's yellow tipped and the flame is bouncing around then you're pilot orfice if dirty. If the pilot looks ok, then I would say your thermocouple has crapped out. If you change it be careful not to tighten it too tight...finger tight + 1/4 turn with a wrench. If none of that works you're looking at a gas valve.

mtbugler63

Welcome to the Campfire.

Everyone is quick to jump on the bad thermocouple but if the pilot flame isn't touching the thermocouple due to crud in the pilot orfice the pilot flame won't hold.

what he said....

BigEars has it right. 90% chance it's a dirty pilot or thermocouple. The flame should be hard abd blue and impinge on the top 1/2" or so of the thermocouple. It could have a ECO or other junk on it, but I'd need a picture to tell. Ken

There should be a little metal cylinder piece with a wire running to the valve, the pilot flame heats it up. What that does is create a small amount of electric current which tells the valve the pilot is on.

Is it a Whirlpool from Lowe's? (actually made by American, I think?) If so, there's an upgrade kit that replaces most of the burner parts. Seems the sealed combustion chamber and the thermocouple didn't get along, so numerous parts had to be changed. Don't toss the old burner, though, because you have to canibalize part of it.
Repeat: all this assumes it's a Whirlpool...

Thank you Hammerdown, I am also in N Kalif. The flame was blue and touching the thermocouple so I have the old one out and will take it with me to compare to the new one.

What Art and Crosshair said.