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Since the guy with the HVAC drainage problem came here with HIS plumbing issues, I thought I'd open up MY problem to the experts here...

Over the last couple of days, one of my water heater's pilot light has gone out twice. There is no water in the drip-tray, so the flame is not being smothered as far as I know. In order to get the pilot relit, it is necessary to turn the control off, and wait a minute or so. It will then light normally. If I try to relight the pilot without waiting, it won't light -- spark but no pilot flame.

This water heater was replaced just a couple of years ago. I was wondering if perhaps there is some kind of thermal overload that is being triggered, as the heater is in an attic that's been getting fairly toasty recently. Our other WH, in a different attic, has not exhibited any problems.

Thanks for any help.

More than likely the thermocouple wire than determines if your pilot is lit or not is either not staying in the flame, has a light oxidation on it, is loose in the connection on the bottom of the valve assembly, or is defective. See if it is in the flame or if air circulation is moving the pilot flame enough to miss the wire. If so, then bend it into the flame. 2nd, see if ti is loose at the connection. Third, use a piece of abrasive metal sandpaper and clean the wire to see if that helps. Fourth, see this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0aBPsNg6vo" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thanks, Keith -- that would be a lot easer in the older models that aren't sealed up (like the one in the video). Mine has a permanently attached door that all the connections go thru, with a little glass window to look thru to see the pilot and flame. If/when it goes out again, I'll try to open 'er up and check the thermocouple!

sjfcontrol wrote:Thanks, Keith -- that would be a lot easer in the older models that aren't sealed up (like the one in the video). Mine has a permanently attached door that all the connections go thru, with a little glass window to look thru to see the pilot and flame. If/when it goes out again, I'll try to open 'er up and check the thermocouple!

99% it's the thermocouple and one of the issues above. They can go bad, but usually just are not staying in the flame or the location you have it in is getting a draft and blowing the flame around and the thermocouple is not staying hot enough to indicate the pilot is lit and causes the gas to shut off. The other thing that might be happening is if it is not getting enough oxygen to properly burn. if it is sealed up tight underneath and has trouble drawing oxygen, then they can go out too. Not likely, but could be it.

sjfcontrol wrote:Since the guy with the HVAC drainage problem came here with HIS plumbing issues, I thought I'd open up MY problem to the experts here...

Over the last couple of days, one of my water heater's pilot light has gone out twice. There is no water in the drip-tray, so the flame is not being smothered as far as I know. In order to get the pilot relit, it is necessary to turn the control off, and wait a minute or so. It will then light normally. If I try to relight the pilot without waiting, it won't light -- spark but no pilot flame.

This water heater was replaced just a couple of years ago. I was wondering if perhaps there is some kind of thermal overload that is being triggered, as the heater is in an attic that's been getting fairly toasty recently. Our other WH, in a different attic, has not exhibited any problems.

Thanks for any help.

Thats crazy! The same thing is happening to mine. I was out of town taking a CHL instructor course and my wife tells me there is no hot water. I told her I would look at it when I get home the next day. The pilot was out so I re-lit it and less than 30 minutes it was out again so I lit it again. Let us know if you have anymore issues so I can figure out what I need to do lol.

This video looks like my heater, and talks about cleaning the "Flame Arrester". Never heard of that before.

[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=B7Lz8vbNMjQ[/youtube]

Do you have attic fans that are coming on with the increased temperatures? I had this issue right after putting in vent fans in a house we had eons ago. I just tacked up a thin piece of paneling to eliminate the draft around the water heater.


On a side note...... My Dad had a pet peeve about calling it a "hot water heater". He insisted that it was a water heater; if the water was already hot why would you want to heat it? Whenever I see it called a "hot water heater, it reminds of him. Thanks!

i8godzilla wrote:Do you have attic fans that are coming on with the increased temperatures? I had this issue right after putting in vent fans in a house we had eons ago. I just tacked up a thin piece of paneling to eliminate the draft around the water heater.


On a side note...... My Dad had a pet peeve about calling it a "hot water heater". He insisted that it was a water heater; if the water was already hot why would you want to heat it? Whenever I see it called a "hot water heater, it reminds of him. Thanks!

Nope, no attic fans, and there hasn't been much breeze recently, either.

(Maybe my hot water isn't hot enough? It is summer in Texas, you know. The "cold" water comes out of the tap at about 100 degrees anyway! )

i8godzilla wrote:Do you have attic fans that are coming on with the increased temperatures? I had this issue right after putting in vent fans in a house we had eons ago. I just tacked up a thin piece of paneling to eliminate the draft around the water heater.


On a side note...... My Dad had a pet peeve about calling it a "hot water heater". He insisted that it was a water heater; if the water was already hot why would you want to heat it? Whenever I see it called a "hot water heater, it reminds of him. Thanks!

If you visit my attic over the past 2 -3 week, they are HOT water heaters.

If you can post a video camera peeking through the window, it may show you why the flame goes out. If it can show you the flame blowing out or leaning away from the thermocouple, it may point you right to the cause.

MasterOfNone wrote:If you can post a video camera peeking through the window, it may show you why the flame goes out. If it can show you the flame blowing out or leaning away from the thermocouple, it may point you right to the cause.

Now that's an interesting idea! Beats the pants off lying on the floor of the attic watching a water heater in 120 degree heat!

One other option it could be that the little glass bulb that triggers the flammable vapors safety system is broken(thus keeping the pilot light from receiving enough air). That is what happened to mine. I thought it was the thermocouple so I replaced it to no avail. Then the plumber showed me what had happened to the lil glass bulb. If your heater is under warranty the company should send the replacement part. Mine was not and I had to get a whole new heater.

cctcaden wrote:One other option it could be that the little glass bulb that triggers the flammable vapors safety system is broken(thus keeping the pilot light from receiving enough air). That is what happened to mine. I thought it was the thermocouple so I replaced it to no avail. Then the plumber showed me what had happened to the lil glass bulb. If your heater is under warranty the company should send the replacement part. Mine was not and I had to get a whole new heater.

where is this little glass bulb located? how does it work?

The FVIR, as I understand it just consists of the slotted plates on the bottom of the heater that lets the air into the burner area.

It was on a little frame behind the burner unit. The way it was explained to me is any small explosion - possibly caused by a gas build up and then the heater kicking on- will cause the bulb to break and that drops the slats effectivly shutting off the combustion air the pilot light needs and at the same time preventing the water heater from igniting any flammable gas that may be built up inside your water heater closet. That was the explanation I received and I do not know how the slats get reset once the bulb is replaced.

Keith B wrote:

i8godzilla wrote:Do you have attic fans that are coming on with the increased temperatures? I had this issue right after putting in vent fans in a house we had eons ago. I just tacked up a thin piece of paneling to eliminate the draft around the water heater.


On a side note...... My Dad had a pet peeve about calling it a "hot water heater". He insisted that it was a water heater; if the water was already hot why would you want to heat it? Whenever I see it called a "hot water heater, it reminds of him. Thanks!

If you visit my attic over the past 2 -3 week, they are HOT water heaters.

When I was deployed to Abu Dhabi a few summers ago, we had a water tower right in the middle of camp. In the sun. We had all the hot water we could use. We had all the hot water we couldn't use as well.