Pilot Light Keeps Going Out

A pilot that refuses to hold generally means a safety device has failed, so call rather than relight it again and again.

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When this becomes an emergency

The pilot dies again within seconds or minutes of being relit.
The flame is lazy and yellow-tipped rather than tight and blue.
There's a rotten-egg odor near the unit; leave the building and call from outside if you smell gas.
Black soot has collected on the burner assembly or the surrounding metal.

What a pro does

The flame itself isn't usually the actual problem. What usually fails is the thermocouple or thermopile, the small probe whose only job is to prove a flame exists and hold the gas valve open, and once it weakens or drifts out of the flame path it reports darkness while a pilot burns an inch away, so the valve closes within seconds. Draft is the other frequent cause. Older basements with loose bulkhead doors and gaps around foundation vents can push enough air past a burner to blow the pilot out in gusty weather, and the technician checks combustion air and venting before condemning any part.

Frequently asked questions

What is a thermocouple and why does it matter so much?

It's a small sensor sitting in the pilot flame that generates a tiny voltage to hold the gas valve open. When it weakens, the valve shuts even though the flame is burning.

Can a draft in the basement blow out a pilot?

Yes. A gusty day combined with a poorly sealed bulkhead or an open foundation vent can push enough air across the burner to extinguish it outright.

How many times is it reasonable to relight it?

Once or twice to see whether it holds. Beyond that, a component is failing, and continuing to relight it just delays the actual repair.

What takes priority if there's a gas smell as well?

Getting everyone out of the building and calling from outside comes before anything else. Nothing about the pilot is worth investigating while gas is present.

Pilot Light Keeps Going Out?

Get connected with a local pro now.

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