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Carla Posted on Feb 01, 2013

Can't light pilot light on hot water service. Gas to property is connected as the gas stove works.

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  • Posted on Feb 01, 2013
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There should be a trouble shoot guide on the hot water tank. I have had to do this many times. You just need to read the trouble shooting guide & be very careful. I hope this works for you.
D :)

5 Related Answers

Anonymous

  • 35 Answers
  • Posted on Dec 16, 2008

SOURCE: gas hot water tank, pilot light

Look inside the water heater when it is heating the water, the flame should be blue. If it has yellow tips on the flame, it needs an adjustment to the air shutter. There is a nut on this air shutter to make this adjustment. This adjusts the air gas mixture. You may first try just simply tapping on the burner lightly to loosen any debris that may have built up and vacuum it out. MAKE SURE YOU TURN OFF THE GAS BEFORE CLEANING THE BURNER!! Also, check for drafts that may be blowing out your pilot light, Furnace register or outside drafts on windy nights. Some water heaters have an automatic shut down if the water heater gets too hot, so don't have it set to its hottest setting. Most water heaters only last about 10 years or so, It could be you are ready for a new one....Joe

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Anonymous

  • 334 Answers
  • Posted on Jan 23, 2009

SOURCE: i have no hot water, the pilot light is on help!

First try turning the knob all the way to "pilot" then turn it all the way to its hottest setting.

It sounds like the thermostat/sensor is stuck. This may jar it into working again.

Also look for any leakage or water around the burner.

You will probably have to replace the gas valve in the near future.

Also try tapping the side of the gas valve.

Anonymous

  • 1 Answer
  • Posted on Apr 22, 2009

SOURCE: Tankless water heater pilot light will not stay on

It is most likely the water valve stuck open, telling the controls to heat water, that it thinks is flowing through it, but without actual flow it overheats. Depending on how comfortable you are with taking it apart yourself, you could open the valve to see if it just needs cleaned out, or if you have a ruptured diaphragm or some other cause.

snap101

snap101

  • 117 Answers
  • Posted on Aug 11, 2009

SOURCE: i have a richmond gas hot water heater model

try sanding the tip of it with sand paper sometimes that helps

Anonymous

  • 2 Answers
  • Posted on Sep 27, 2009

SOURCE: Rheem 40 gallon gas hot water heater, pilot light

To make a short story long (I need to include all details, sry)…

I got up one morning and realized that we did not have hot water. I re-lit the pilot light and as soon as the burner went out from heating the water up, the pilot light would go out. After reading several posts regarding this issue, it seemed apparent that the thermo-coupler was the problem. Since I am a little bit handy around the house and very tight when it comes to opening my wallet, I bought the device from Lowe’s ($8.98) that was recommended by my online advisors and after a few googles, figured out how to change it. No help. The pilot light still goes out.

I gave up and went to Home Depot to purchase and schedule the installation of a new hot water heater.

STICKER SHOCK

A new Direct Vent type water heater costs around $800 with an additional $450 for “special” installation. Add a few fees to that and the grand total came to about $1450.

I felt like I had no choice since my wife and 2 daughters refused to live their life without hot water and I had no clue about how to fix the dam thing.

The plumber assigned to the installation stopped by to evaluate the site conditions and quickly noted to me that the 8 year old water heater tank was in good condition and that the gas controller was probably faulty, which could be purchased online from the manufacturer. I quickly cancelled the Home Depot order and purchased the controller for about $120 after shipping and tax. Immediately after the installation it seemed that the problem had been solved. A few days later the pilot light went out.

I called the plumber and explained the situation and he recommended that I purchase another controller because the one that was shipped to me was probably bad. I searched around town and found a plumbing supply company that had the correct model in stock. Two days later the pilot light was out. I cleaned up the controller and returned it to the store and asked the plumber to please schedule a visit to repair this dam thing.

When the plumber arrived, he hooked up a gauge in several locations and confirmed that the correct amount of gas (cfm) was being delivered to the controller, pilot light and burner. He then proceeded to remove the fire box to make sure that the igniter, thermo-coupler and pilot tip were set properly. He inspected the pilot light tip and said that he found the problem. Using about a 1/64” tip drill (can be purchased at a welding supply store), he cleaned the tiny hole that releases gas to the pilot light. I felt a sigh of relief because I was certain that the problem had been solved. $65 dollars (plumber’s fee for an hour of work) and 4 days later the pilot light went out.

I called the plumber and he said that the controller that I purchased online must be bad. Too embarrassed to return to the first plumbing supply store, I found another one in a different town that had the correct model in stock. Three days after changing the controller the pilot light went out. I returned the controller and a six pack later I decided to do some extensive googling.

The key term here is “DIRECT VENT”. This seems to be a very common problem with direct vent water heaters and I was about to find out the reason for this phenomenon. I read a post by an individual who wrote that if the vent becomes detached that the inflow of air can become contaminated and extinguish the pilot light. I decided that before I spent any more money on a plumber that I was going to take the vent apart and find out what makes it tick.

My direct vent system has 2 parts to the venting, an inner pipe (3” nominal diameter) that serves as the exhaust and the outer pipe (5” nominal diameter) that serves as the internal flow of air which supplies the pilot light and burner with oxygen. On the outside of the house a vent hood helps to segregate the two by extending the exhaust about 3” beyond the intake. I looked into the hood at the end of the pipes and discovered that the internal pipe which consisted of a 2 piece slip joint had come loose from the elbow that sets on top of the water heater. This slip joint pipe was not attached at any point with screws or clamps and was loosely setting over the elbow on one end and into the hood on the other end, allowing it to detach. Apparently, when atmospheric conditions were right, the burner idled down from heating up the water and extinguished the pilot light because the intake was saturated with CO2 from the connection failure.

I purchased a section of 3” pipe that was long enough to be installed in one piece. I connected it to the elbow using a stainless steel hose clamp. I had to disassemble the pipe 3 times to make adjustments to the length and position before I got it right, but I should not have any more problems with the pilot light.

The problem here is time. It takes a lot of time to get this right. When the plumbing contractors installed this unit during the construction of the house, there was no one around to make sure that they got it right. It is probably common to use a 2 piece slip joint type connection, but I feel like it should be attached with screws or clamps. In my opinion it is not rigid enough and can detach easily, especially if it is not installed properly. A one piece connection that is attached at one end with a hose clamp and then held in place at the other end by the hood is fool proof.

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Related Questions:

0helpful
1answer

I have a bosch aquasar 125b tankless water heater and the burners do not light when hot water is turned on this also causes the pilot light to go out

possible faulty pressure switch connected to the water line and that is failing to turn on the main gas tap solenoid
best have it checked by an accredited gas fitter or service center for the make
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Hot water heater thermostat

Copy following link for service manual and to troubleshoot by type of gas control valve:
http://waterheatertimer.org/How-to-troubleshoot-gas-water-heater.html#intellivent
http://waterheatertimer.org/How-to-install-gas-water-heater.html
http://waterheatertimer.org/How-to-light-gas-water-heater.html
Add a comment and say if this is new heater or older heater that stopped working, and include brand for best guesses at the solution.
Gene

If you need further help, I’m available over the phone at https://www.6ya.com/expert/gene_9f0ef4df2f9897e7

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A.O. Smith ProMax Plus GVR 50 101 Safety Question

You need to inspect and clean the air intake located on bottom of unit. Get more fresh air to the water heater and see if problem continues.
http://waterheatertimer.org/images/Flame-trap-inspection-325.jpg
http://waterheatertimer.org/images/State-select-air-intake-400.jpg

Instructions for lighting the unit are located on front of water heater.
Other possible causes include: bad gas control valve, dirty combustion parts, reverse draft down the stack (caused by wind and opening door inside closed utility room), low gas pressure, air in gas line, etc.
http://waterheatertimer.org/How-to-troubleshoot-gas-water-heater.html

Propane gas is heavier than air. So if you have a gas leak, then smell close to floor. Leave house immediately if you smell gas. Install a gas detector close to floor level near gas appliances.
Most water heaters today are extremely safe, because we experimented on prior generations of people, who then passed along their experience.

If you need further help, I’m available over the phone at https://www.6ya.com/expert/gene_9f0ef4df2f9897e7

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The pilot won't stay lit on gas hot water tank.

Make sure thermocouple tip is seated inside the burner flame.
Make sure thermocouple is not overtightened. Finger-tight + 1/4 turn.
If the pilot lights, then ECO energy cut off is not tripped, but gas control valve might be bad.
Check color of pilot flame: it should be strong and clear blue.
If pilot flame is weak, or color of flame is yellow-orange: Clean pilot orifice and burner and combustion parts on yearly basis.
Clean air intake screen if applicable.
Increase air supply to water heater. Open a window and see what happens.
Check for adequate draft going up chimney using match under vent hood to see if smoke drafts immediately upwards.
Bleed air out of gas line.
Check gas pressure.

Open following links for troubleshoot resources:
http://waterheatertimer.org/pdf/Pilot-light-will-not-stay-lit.pdf
http://waterheatertimer.org/pdf/Pilot-outage-troubleshooting.pdf
http://waterheatertimer.org/pdf/Vent-spillage-test-atmospheric-gas-water-heater.pdf
http://waterheatertimer.org/How-to-install-gas-water-heater.html#troubleshoot
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Reliance 606 natural gas water heater - model #640YORT - water does not stay hot. pilot has to be clicked to heat and then u can use hot water til tank empty and it will not continue to heat water.

If I understand correctly, the pilot light is not staying lit.
You light the pilot and water in the tank reaches temperature.
Once hot water is gone, then pilot light has to be lit again.

Gas pressure is good, and gas is flowing.
Thermostat is working at high end because it cuts off heating.
Vent is working because tank heats up.
Air intake is working.

Gas control thermostat might not be reading low temperature. Replace gas control valve.
Pilot tube might be dirty. Clean burner parts and combustion chamber, and air intake, and vent.
Backdraft might be blowing out pilot. Check for constant updraft by running water heater 5 minutes, and then light match under vent hood and see if smoke goes up.
Very hot air can put out pilot, especially when water heater located in attic. Add ventilation.
Improper vent might have water dripping back down into combustion chamber and putting out pilot light and rusting out the parts. Inspect for rusted parts and water.
http://waterheatertimer.org/How-to-install-gas-water-heater.html#troubleshoot
http://waterheatertimer.org/pdf/Pilot-light-will-not-stay-lit.pdf
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7-25-11. Purchased Reliance 909 model 950 GKRT 200 natural gas hot water heater. 7-31-11, installed said hot water heater according to instructions and code, filled with cold water and checked for gas and...

The problem requires looking at manual and service handbook, except handbook doesn't show most recent water heater.
My first check point would be gas supply, and then vent draft, and then air supply.
Take off front cover and try lighting again to make sure air supply is not problem.
Review lighting instructions.
If there is no gas, and gas is turned ON, then gas control valve is suspect.

On-line manual for Reliance 909 gas
http://www.reliancewaterheaters.com/lit/om/manuals/186486-002.pdf
Reliance 2006 service handbook:
http://waterheatertimer.org/pdf/Reliance-2006-Service-Handbook.pdf

Other resources:
http://waterheatertimer.org/How-to-install-gas-water-heater.html#troubleshoot
http://waterheatertimer.org/images/Test-water-heater-vent-1400.jpg
http://waterheatertimer.org/images/Water-heater-in-attic-800.jpg
0helpful
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I can light the pilot and the burner will come on, but it won't stay lit. I bought a new pilot assembly and installed it. the burner and the pilot light still won't stay lit. This is the unit that...

Most gas water heater problems can be solved by having service technician perform yearly maintenance. Or by doing maintenance yourself.
This maintenance includes cleaning burner parts and combustion chamber, checking gas pressure and supply, bleeding air out of gas line, checking vent draft, making sure air supply is adequate and not exposed to chemicals, cleaning air intake. Also adjusting flame sensor so it is positioned correctly. If water heater is connected to electric circuit, the outlet must have correct polarity.

You can get gas to appliance indicates the gas control valve and water heater are not locked out. But the gas control valve thermostat can still be bad.

Open following link for illustrations, typical service manuals, and maintenance information, and images of gas control valve thermostats.
http://waterheatertimer.org/How-to-install-gas-water-heater.html#troubleshoot
2helpful
3answers

I have a Rheem PG50T9A gas hot water heater. We had hot water this morning. When I came home the pilot light was out and won't stay lit. Any ideas?

Hopefully just the thermocouple. The thermocouple is the small rod right next to the pilot light. The flame on the pilot heats up the thermocouple and keeps the gas valve on. You can replace it yourself. The thermocouple will be connect by a small nut on the underneath side of the valve, and you will have to pull the thermocouple out of the pilot assembly. Not an expensive part, you can get it at any hardware store. Hope this helps you .
0helpful
1answer

We had to turn the gas off to connect the dryer, now we can't get the pilot light to turn on. we followed the directions on the water heater 5 or 6 times with no luck. It seems the pilot light will not...

I would suggest that you remove pilot assembly from gas valve and burner and clean pilot orifice and see if that helps. Be careful when cleaning hole in the orifice so you don't enlarge the hole. Good luck and thank you.
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1answer

Our gas was shut off and when it was shut back on the tankless water heater not working. I can hear the pilot clicking but no flame.

Hello,
Since it was turned off, there is probably some air in the lines, which may require several attempts to light it again. This is normal, especially on longer gas lines. If you have any other gas appliances, (furnace, stove) try lighting them also to help purge the gas lines and eventually it will get the right mixture of gas to relight the water heater too. Douglas
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