Why does my water heater pilot light but not the burner?

If I understand correctly, your pilot flame is lighting correctly. But the main burner won’t turn on because the electronics in the Gas Control Valve don’t acknowledge the pilot is lit. There are two likely faults: Circuit Board in the Gas Control Valve is defective. To test for case 1, use a multimeter to measure the Thermopile output.

How does a pilot light work on a burner?

And in the mentioned rare cases, the safety for the pilot flame, a tiny disk, held open by an electro magnet, hangs up within the magnets casing. Sticks open within the magnet, which is a tiny energized solenoid. Here is what to try.

Where does the gas burner go in a water heater?

Every gas-powered and tank-type water heater uses the gas burner located in the combustion chamber to heat water, pilot light or electrode to light the fire, and a gas control valve to deliver natural gas or propane. During the burning process, exhaust gases are vented out, either naturally (convection) or forced (electric blower).

What causes the Blue Flame on a cast iron water heater?

The manually adjustable air shutter is usually found on the cast iron burners, while the steel burners utilize the self-adjusting air mixture. The leading indicators of the proper gas combustion are the stable blue flame or blue flame with the yellow inner cones (see the picture).

What to do when your burner light goes out?

Doing so may dislodge the tiny disk and the pilot will go out. If not, try again. If second attempt fails, turn off the control knob. Turn control dial to the OFF position, so the pilot does go out. You may or may not hear a faint click about 15 to 60 seconds after turning off the pilot.

Why is my water heater burning more soot than normal?

This is also a safety concern because it usually means more soot (and possibly carbon monoxide) than normal is being produced by the burner each time it is used. First, check if your burner is getting enough ventilation to facilitate proper combustion of the gas.

Why does my water heater not turn on?

But the main burner won’t turn on because the electronics in the Gas Control Valve don’t acknowledge the pilot is lit. There are two likely faults: Circuit Board in the Gas Control Valve is defective. To test for case 1, use a multimeter to measure the Thermopile output. It should be at least 350mV. Here are instructions on how to do that:

What to do if your hot water heater is on vacation mode?

The water heater’s thermostat is set to vacation mode or is set below 120°F. Press the reset button on the high-temperature cut-off. The hot water tank’s heating element needs to be replaced. The water heater’s pipes need to be insulated.

What to do when your hot water heater goes out?

The thermocouple is a safety device that shuts off the gas when the pilot goes out. If the thermocouple is faulty, it will shut off the pilot light frequently without cause. Investigate whether or not the pilot light is being blown out by drafts within close proximity to the hot water tank.

Is it good to keep your water heater in pilot mode?

It is always advisable to make use of the pilot mode during this period. If you are using a gas burner, it is always good to keep your water heater on the pilot. This is good for you since you will not need to light the burner again. Then using the pilot mode can benefit you a lot. Shutting the water heater off is not a good idea.

Where is the pilot light on a gas heater?

The pilot light should be close to the gas burner tube, watch it closely. Ignite the flame with a long match while switching the knob to “pilot,” hold it in the position for 35 seconds. Once the pilot comes on, turn the knob back to “on.”

What to do if your water heater doesn’t ignite?

If the Thermopile output is less than 350mV, you may remove it from the burner and clean off any corrosion. If the Thermopile output is adequate, the fault lies within the Gas Control Valve. Unfortunately, there are no user-serviceable parts in there, so you would need to replace that entire assembly.

Why does my water heater flame keep going out?

The flame will go out if the tube is clogged with dirt or debris. Sometimes, the tube might be partially clogged and supplying very little gas for combustion- No wonder your pilot light keeps going out. The Solution: Thorough cleaning should do the trick.

What should be thermopile output of a water heater?

To test for case 1, use a multimeter to measure the Thermopile output. It should be at least 350mV. Here are instructions on how to do that: If the Thermopile output is less than 350mV, you may remove it from the burner and clean off any corrosion. If the Thermopile output is adequate, the fault lies within the Gas Control Valve.

What does the pilot light on a water heater do?

The Pilot Light is the heart of your water heater. It’s a small blue flame that burns petroleum gas to produce heat. Without this flame, there would be no heat, and thus no warm water. So, What Are The Reasons Your Water Pilot Light Keeps Going Out?

What should the pilot flame be on a propane tank?

Important: Before troubleshooting the pilot light, keep in mind that a pilot flame is always ON and the flame should be blue. If it is yellow, it needs an adjustment. Make sure that the tank is completely filled with water before lighting the pilot light.

Why is my gas water heater pilot light yellow?

Also, some homeowners reported that while they were cleaning the unit, a small orifice cap found on top of the pilot tube fell out making the pilot light unstable, yellow and very high. If the gas pressure is too low, the flame can become too small. Check with the utility company about this problem.

Why does my gas furnace need a pilot light?

The pilot needs to burn steadily for a gas furnace to operate. If your furnace has a pilot light, it also has a heat-sensitive electronic device called a thermocouple. Malfunctions of this component of the gas system are behind many pilot problems, which in turn affect the operation of the furnace.

Can a gas fireplace start when the pilot is on?

But the thing is that, even though the fuel source is gas, it still uses an electronic ignition to spark the pilot and start the fire in your fireplace. The first place to start when your pilot light is on but you’re still not getting a flame is with your breakers and fuses in a modern home.

What to do if your pilot light wont work?

First, locate the thermocouple to clean it using a piece of sandpaper. Always remember to shut off the gas before you start cleaning and to make sure that your thermocouple is cool. If you’re thermocouple still doesn’t work after cleaning, the issue may be that it’s bent.

Why does my furnace pilot light keep blowing out?

The pilot can still flicker if the thermocouple is functioning normally, however. When the pilot light blows out when you try to light your furnace, the cause may be a blockage in the gas line or too much or too little air around the burner.

Is the pilot flame too hot for my gas heater?

Thermocouple is too hot. The pilot light flame should only touch the top 1/3 of the thermocouple. Is the pilot flame nice and blue, or is it orange in colour? An orange flame may not be hot enough for the thermocouple to work properly.

Why does my gas heater shut down after pilot fails?

If so, replace the entire valve. Gas valve are allowed 30seconds to “fall out”. In English, that means a gas valve is slowed to continue to release gas for up to 30 seconds after the pilot fails. Sounds odd, but this is how they actually work. It is possible you have low pressure gas from the gas meter.

What do you need to know about pilot light?

The pilot light flame needs to completely envelop the top of the thermocouple rod so it knows the flame is on. If the thermocouple isn’t lined up correctly, it won’t read the flame, and will shut the valve for the gas. I’m not touching it. Help me!

How to troubleshoot a Pentair mastertemp pool heater?

Our Pentair Mastertemp Troubleshooting Guide starts with the error codes shared by both models, and follows into a 6 page flowchart to step by step troubleshoot a Pentair or Sta-Rite pool heater, and get it firing again fast! The burners on this type of MasterTemp/Max-e-Therm heater are quite unique from previous generation pool heaters.

Where are the burners on a Pentair pool heater?

Older style heaters use a low horizontal manifold supplying dozens of individual burners across the bottom of the burner tray, shown at left. The Burner System of the MasterTemp/Max-e-Therm heaters is one single burner, called the Flame Holder, shown right.

What are the error codes on the Pentair pool heater?

PENTAIR MASTERTEMP ERROR CODES CODE MEANING SFS STACK FLUE SENSOR E01 TEMPERATURE SENSOR E02 HIGH LIMIT SENSOR E03 THERMAL FUSE ERROR

How do you igniter a gas water heater?

The igniter is also likely to have a separate button that has to be pushed to engage the sparker. The lighting instructions are different on each water heater. Read the instructions and follow the steps. You will usually turn the dial to pilot and hold down the button. Then press the igniter until the pilot lights.

What kind of pilot light does gas water heater use?

Note that most of the older and economy gas water heaters are equipped with the pilot, while newer, advanced models utilize piezoelectric sparks or a hot surface igniter which is more durable and reliable.

Why does my water heater pilot light but not the burner?