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Why is the pilot light lit but burner won't come on in hot water tank?
Wiki User
∙ 15y ago
The thermocouple is going bad. The thermocouple is the small tube that sits in the flame from the pilot light and goes back to the gas valve. They are easy to replace and cost $6 to $8. For health and safety the failing part should be replaced without delay by a competent gas engineer.
Wiki User
∙ 12y ago
Wiki User
∙ 15y agoDid you check after the pilot was lit and holding that the dial was turned to on position rather then pilot / vacation and was the temperature setting high enough to call for heat?
If all the above is yes then you may need to have the controller replaced depending on the age of the apliance. Call the manufacturer as they may have a guarantee on it Also, you may want to check if an emergency gas shut-off valve has been tripped. Some gas lines have an earthquake shut-off valve that occasionally shuts off for reasons other than an earthquake. (Could be a large truck that drives by). There is enough gas in the line for the pilot to remain lit but not the burner.
Wiki User
∙ 13y agoThe small metal cylinder that is heated by the pilot flame, the generator thermopile thermocouple forces 0.25/0.5/0.75 Volt min/typical/max on to the approximately 10 Ohm input resistance of the electrical input to the gas valve. The gas valve is that metal box that the gas pipe routes through. Use a digital multimeter, about 5~10$ for the bottom of the line DMM, to verify the resistance of the input with the thermopile disconnected, and then verify the 0.25~0.75V with the thermopile tip in the pilot flame and connected to the valve electrical input. The approximately 0.5 V divided by 10 Ohm = 50mA is enough to hold the small solenoid within the valve closed such that the input valve remains open. Any short disconnect or thermopile cooling allows the solenoid to release and close the valve and extinguish the pilot. My thermopile was 20 years old but still good. My valve "generator" input was very high resistance. Disassembling, a broken wire was discovered at the solenoid ground. Simply re-connecting the wire to ground under the little screw fixed the problem, the pilot would then stay on. Yet another no cost fix of something that the pro quoted big money for, 550$ in parts and 300$ in labor.
Wiki User
∙ 16y agoCall a licensed and INSURED master plumber to replace the thermocouple
Wiki User
∙ 15y agoMine does stay lit Yours may not but you asked me why mine is not lit but it certainly is lit
Wiki User
∙ 14y agoBecause, it is not pushed hard enough and long enough for it to operate properly.
Wiki User
∙ 13y agothe gas controller is bad -- if the spring in the thermostat is broken, it wont tell the gas valve to open
Wiki User
∙ 11y agoYou need a new thermocouple. If you are not familiar with gas appliances, DON"T attempt this yourself. Call a Gas technician.
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When the pilot light cut off from the water heater for 2 days do you have to run water for it to reheat?
If the pilot light is on, the heater should come on by itself. If the pilot light is off then it has to be lit. If it will not stay on, the thermocouple is bad.
What does a pilot light do on a heater?
it heats up the thermo couple which opens up the gas control valve allowing gas to flow to the main burner. if the pilot goes out the thrmo couple will cool and shut the gas valve so gas does not come out
Does water heater pilot setting still heat water?
The pilot setting will heat the water a few degrees. A gas water heater will have a thermal rating in BTU of 30,000 to 80,000. The pilot light by itself will have about 1,000 BTU. Operating overnight with no water movement and a well-insulated tank, you will observe a temperature rise but certainly not enough for clothes washing, dishwashers, or showers.
Where is the combustion shutoff device on a ge hot water tank?
Not sure what you are asking. The control valve on the front where you set the temperature controls the burner. The thermocouple that sits in the pilot flame let the valve open when heater needs to come on. The temperature sensor is in the tank and is on the back side of the control valve. All of these have their part to play in causing the burner to light and shut off.
Pilot light is on but flames wont light when you turn up the thermostat?
This question is not specific enough for a good answer. What is the appliance? A furnace? A cooktop burner? An oven? The first thing to check would be the igniter, which is what typically "lights" the gas coming from the valve. You can check an igniter with a simple continuity test using a test meter. If the pilot is lit, then there is no igniter, or the igniter lites the pilot, so if the pilot is lit how could it be the igniter. Bad thermocouple, this tells the gas valve that the pilot light is lit, if the gas valve does not know the pilot is lit it will not allow gas to come out of the valve, this is a safety feature so your unit does not blow up.
When a single burner on a range will not come on how do you see what is wrong?
You should call an appliance service technician if you are not comfortable in performing the following task. What you check is determined whether you have a gas or electric range. If a gas burner does not come on, the pilot light might have quit burning. Air out the room before lighting a match to ignite the pilot light. For an electric range, you could replace the heating element with one as nearly the same size. If it warms, you will need to replace the bad heating element. You will need the make, model and serial number to purchase or order a replacement. If it doesn't warm, call a technician.
How do you turn a water heater on?
Electric you probably just need to flip the circuit breaker on. Gas, make sure the pilot light is on, you should be able to see it at the bottom of the heater after you take the cover off below the control. If it is not on, make sure the gas is turn on to the tank. Should be a shut off valve on the gas line coming to the the tank. Should be where the flex line is attached. If the handle is in line with the pipe, it is on. On top of the control, there is a knob with a button in the center. Turn the knob to Pilot. Push down on the button while lighting the pilot light. This may take a few seconds to 15 for gas to get to the pilot light. When it lights, keep holding down on the button for 15 to 30 seconds. It has to heat up the thermocouple for a bit before it will stay on. Release the button and if the light stays on, turn the knob to On. The heater should come on at this point. If the pilot light is already on, just turn the knob to On. Newer heaters have a sparker to light the pilot light. The access to the burner will have a clear cover over it and there will be a button on the side of the control to spark the pilot light. Hold the button down on the knob and push the sparker repeatedly until the pilot lights. The temperature may need to be raised, it may just be turned all the way down. There is a dial on the front of the control for the temp.
How do you replace a thermocouple on a hot water heater?
The thermocouple is the small tube that runs between the pilot light and the control valve. The valve end unscrews and the pilot light end in held in place with a spring clip that the tip pushes through. Unscrew the valve end and work the pilot end out by twisting it and pulling it out of the clip. Install a new one making sure the end is in the pilot flame and light the heater. No gas will come out when you take it loose from the control valve.
Your hot water heaters pilot light is on but the heater wont come on?
The thermocouple is bad. The thermocouple is the small metal tube that sits in the pilot light flame and runs to the control valve. The thermocouple generates a very small electrical current that keeps the gas valve open. They go bad regularly. **** I would have to say to check to make sure the valve is not in the "Pilot" position. If it is then turn it to the "On' position. If it still isn't working then you may have a bad Gas Control Valve. If the thermocouple was bad the pilot light would not stay lit. If the pilot light stay lit, it is doing what it is supossed to do.
How do you get the person to come out on stage 5 of questionaut?
Light the burner to melt the icicle. 1. Click the icicle at lower right, break it off and place it in the beaker. 2. Turn the gas valve left (counterclockwise) twice. 3. Click the matches, remove one, strike it on the box, then click to light the burner under the beaker. The icicle melts to water, the water boils to steam. 4. The fan opens the plug and the skater comes out. Click him when he is near the pole to get questions.
What gasses come from a Bunsen burner?
The Bunsen burner uses natural gas to burn. Methane, CH4. Below is the equation of Bunsen burner combustion. CH4 + 2O2 --> CO2 + 2H2O Methane burns combined with oxygen gas ( with ignition from a flame ) from the air and carbon dioxide and water are the products of this Bunsen burner reaction.
What is the problem if your gas fireplace does not come on even though the gas is working in the rest of the house and you hear a clicking sound?
To me it sounds like your pilot light on the fireplace is out. That could happen from a strong wind coming down the chimney or a strong breeze in the house from a fan. Check your pilot light and be sure to have the gas off before lighting the pilot light if it is out.
