There is nothing more frustrating than going to take a shower and stepping into an ice cold flow of water. When your pilot light goes out, your water heater stops heating, and you will find yourself without any hot water quickly. There are a number of common reasons your pilot light might keep going out.
Drafts
If your pilot light is exposed to drafts, it can be continuously blown out after it has been lit. Make sure that the proper shields are in place surrounding your pilot light to protect it from drafts. Ensure that your HVAC system isn’t venting directly into your water heater and, if possible, keep windows in the area surrounding your pilot light shut.
Not Enough Gas
If there is a problem with your gas supply to your water heater, it can cause your pilot light to go out after it has been lit. A problem with your gas supply could be caused by kinks in the hose that supplies the gas, low stores of gas, or something as simple as the valves to the gas not being far enough open.
Problem With the Thermocouple
A thermocouple is a safety mechanism designed to shut off the gas supply. The thermocouple detects the presence of heat. If the thermocouple doesn’t detect heat, it will shut the burners off and shut down the gas supply to your water heater, extinguishing the pilot light. Make sure your pilot light is close enough to the thermocouple so that it can detect its heat. Check to see if your thermocouple is dirty or bent. A dirty or bent thermocouple will detect heat less easily and cause the pilot light to go out.
If your pilot light keeps going out, contact a local water heating company to come out to inspect your water heater for the above problems at benjaminfranklinplumbingmendolake.com. They will be able to determine why your pilot light keeps going out, fix the issue, and ensure that it stays lit. You can also connect them on Facebook for more updates.
