Pilot Light Keeps Going Out

A pilot that will not stay lit is usually a safety part telling you it has weakened, so call instead of relighting it again and again.

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When this becomes an emergency

The pilot goes out again a few seconds after each relight.
The flame is thin and yellow rather than a firm blue cone.
You notice a sulfur smell near the appliance; step outside and call from there if you smell gas.
There is soot staining on the metal above the pilot assembly.

What a pro does

Almost none of these calls turn out to be about the pilot flame. The suspect is the thermocouple or thermopile, a small sensor that proves flame and keeps the gas valve open, and once it weakens or slips out of the flame path it reports no fire even with a flame burning against it, which closes the valve immediately. Standing-pilot equipment in older basements here also runs into combustion air and draft trouble after a house has been tightened up or a chimney liner has deteriorated. If there's any gas odor, the gas valve at the appliance gets closed first.

Frequently asked questions

Is the thermocouple a serious repair?

No, it is a small component with one job, and a worn or misaligned one is the most frequent reason a pilot drops out.

Can a draft in the basement blow it out?

Yes. An old basement window that no longer seals or a door left open in wind can put enough air across the burner compartment to take the pilot with it.

Is repeated relighting harmful?

Once or twice tells you whether it holds. Beyond that you are working around a safety device that has a reason for shutting the gas off.

What if the chimney or flue is involved?

A deteriorating liner or a partially blocked flue changes the draft at the burner, and that shows up as a pilot problem long before anything else looks wrong.

Pilot Light Keeps Going Out?

Get connected with a local pro now.

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