1 decade ago. The problem may be a genuine defect or it could be an issue with the sensor. If the pilot lights but won't stay lit, the thermocouple is probably bad. We had a man come out and fix our furnace, he replaced the thermocouple in it. When a pilot light won’t stay lit on your gas water heater, this is exactly what you can expect. The thermocouple tells the furnace controller that the pilot light is working. the pilot won't stay lit after replacing the thermocouple. Lv 6. If cleaning the thermocouple didn’t allow your pilot light to stay lit, or cleaning the thermopile didn’t allow the pilot light to generate enough electricity to open your gas valve and ignite the burner, it might be time to replace one of them. Every gas appliance with a standing pilot that cycles on and off needs a thermocouple. If your furnace’s pilot light won’t stay on, the furnace won’t work. Is it common for thermocouples to test fine but still not actually work? Mechanic's Assistant: Just to clarify, what are the exact lights you're talking about? But, once I let go of the button, the pilot immediately goes out. The pilot on my Rheem furnace will not stay lit. It’s crucial that the end of your thermocouple (tip) is in the path of a good pilot flame. Its a hydro flame rv furnace… it's sounds like it's time to change out the gas valve. When finished, the pilot should be lit and stay lit. The thermocouple on a gas fireplace may eventually become clogged with dirt and soot, which can reduce the effectiveness of the thermocouple and may eventually prevent the fireplace from lighting as expected. The tip of the thermocouple is positioned in the flame, keeping the tip heated at all times. The thermocouple and safety shutoff do double duty, since on burners that use a pilot flame the thermocouple senses the pilot flame and won't permit the gas valve to open if the pilot is not lit. Take out the faulty thermocouple and thermopile and replace them with new ones. My furnace pilot light will not stay lit. Attempts to re-light the pilot light are futile. Maybe the pilot stays on for a moment and the furnace attempts to fire, but almost immediately shuts down. furnace won't stay lit, just replaced the thermocouple? it looks like the whole unit can easily be replaced, except for a pair of yellow wires leading from a sensor at the top of the furnace vent down to where the thermocouple attaches to the gas valve. Your furnace's thermocouple, if it works normally, checks to see whether the pilot light is on or off. But, sometimes, thermocouples wear out, then you may need replacing. Some common causes include issues with the thermocouple and pilot tube. It’s not unusual for the thermocouple to collect carbon deposit buildup after a season of use. I have a Gas Wall Heater and the pilot won't stay lit. Thermocouples. If not, then you need to either clean or do a gas furnace thermocouple replacement. Answer Save. If the thermocouple doesn't sense heat coming from the pilot light, it shuts off the gas to prevent a leak or dangerous buildup. If you have a furnace with a pilot light, then you will have a thermocouple. Adjustments for your furnace thermocouple. 8 Answers. It could simply be that the thermocouple is bent. Cleaning the thermocouple is a pretty simple process but should only be done when the fireplace is turned off and is completely cool. So the pilot on my furnace wouldn't stay lit. M Oglesby. A faulty thermocouple may arbitrarily determine that the light is off when you want it on and vice versa. I have an older ruud furnace. The job of the thermocouple is to determine whether or not the pilot light is lit. After cleaning, should the pilot light still not stay lit, it is probably time to get new equipment. This has happened before, and a new thermocouple always fixed the problem. … read more. Why does this happen? The flame looks perfect, nice and blue, the thermocouple gets glowing hot when attempting to light the pilot. Luckily, this is a relatively simple procedure with the right tools and equipment. The tech found the new gas valve to have a fault, as it won't switch to "off", only pilot or on, but I don't think this has anything to do with the pilot going out. What's up? Maintenance or troubleshooting should only be performed by adults familiar with operating large gas appliances. If the pilot light is not working, the gas control valve will not open and you won’t get any heat. Your furnace pilot won't turn on when it is defective or too far away. If after inspection you determine there is a carbon buildup on it, try cleaning it off. Don't try to adjust the mechanism or tamper with the gas line. Last night I replaced the thermocouple (TC), cleaned the screen, hooked it up and it still would not light. The pilot light wont stay on. Other Reasons for Gas Fireplace that Won’t Stay Lit These furnaces skip steps 3-5 and instead light the burner directly. Relevance. furnace pilot went out , replaced thermocouple, pilot won't stay lit? I tested the thermocouple with my multimeter and got 29 millivolts which meant it was still working. Does my thermocouple need replacing? I've tried two new thermocouples, and I can't get it to stay on. furnace gas pilot-light. 1 decade ago. Here are 5 reasons why your pilot light won’t stay lit and how you can fix it. If your home furnace's pilot light won't stay lit, it's possible that your thermocouple has failed and should be replaced. The pilot stays lit anywhere from 20 minutes to several weeks. Why Water Heater Pilot Light Won’t Stay Lit After Replacing Thermocouple? Since the thermocouple directly allows the pilot light to get turned on it is most likely to remain on for a while. Williams Wall Furnace Pilot Light Won't Stay Lit­ The gas valve sends gas to the main burner(s), which is lit by the pilot light. i have a williams wall furnace Model #25GV-A1-5T. After all, your thermocouple is sitting in direct flame its whole life. The pilot in my gas water heater (Aquamax 205) has been going out sporadically over the last 2 weeks. Sunday, we ran out of hot water, I checked and found one of them not lit. Family is warm, what more can you ask for? It won't stay on. ©2006 Publications International, Ltd. To adjust the pilot flame, turn the adjustment screw on the gas line, as directed by the range manufacturer. Try Cleaning Off Your Thermocouple if Your Pilot Light Won’t Stay Lit. When a propane heater won’t stay lit, often what is happening is that the propane heater may sense that the flame is defective in some way, triggering the propane heater’s safety functions and causing it to shut off. Step 5. You can test it with a multimeter. Thermocouples detect pilot lights by sensing the heat they produce. A thermocouple is typically used on a gas furnace with a standing pilot, recognizable by its small, continuously burning flame that you can see if you remove the access cover on the furnace's burner chamber. I have replaced the thermocouple to no avail. Yesterday, I replaced the thermocouple with a universal thermocouple and cleaned out the dust and soot from the burner area. This pilot light may not always stay lit, due to a variety of issues that may affect the gas supply or ignitor. If you have a direct ignition furnace, you won’t have a pilot light. Pilot light won't stay lit after initial furnace burn. A couple of days go by, and as I'm changing the humidifier filter, I notice the pilot light is out once again. try not to bend them close to the end where it attaches to the valve and at the pilot burner. Step 3: If the pilot flame won't stay lit after several tries, it should be adjusted by a professional. I can light it and depress the pilot switch for 2 minutes. Pilot won't stay lit even after replacing thermocouple on bbq! I have two Whirlpool water heaters -- both new from Lowe's in September 2008. First, inspect the flame. The easiest way to tackle this home project is to abrade the rod with fine-grit sandpaper lightly. Your furnace’s thermocouple is a copper rod that sits next to your furnace burners.It’s often called the “flame sensor” because its job is to detect whether the pilot light is lit or not.If it can’t sense a flame from the pilot light, it prevents the gas valve from opening and … This is not a rare issue that most of the people can never understand. howdy! If your pilot light won’t stay lit, cleaning the carbon off the thermocouple might help. I bought this place several months ago and trying out the furnace ('93 Rheem) at for the first time (~40 degrees this past week) but realized the pilot was out. I have an older ruud furnace. Troubleshooting this issue may be helpful in determining the source of the problem and helping users identify a potential resolution. Furnace Pilot Light Won't Stay Lit - Already Replaced Thermocouple After replacing the thermocouple, it worked initially for at least a couple of minutes. If you cannot get the pilot light on your Rheem furnace to light and stay lit, the most common problem is a bad thermocouple. However, if you are facing such issues, there may be mainly two reasons for such. It will stay lit after initial light, but will go out after furnace runs. The pilot light won't stay on. Thermocouple vs. Flame Sensor . When you push the thermocouple closer to the pilot, it will solve the problem. 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