Pilot Light Keeps Going Out

A pilot that won't stay put means a safety device is doing its job, so make the call instead of fighting it with another match.

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When this becomes an emergency

Each relight lasts only seconds before the flame disappears.
The pilot burns lazy and orange rather than sharp and blue.
There's a sulfur odor near the appliance; get outside and call from there if you smell gas.
Soot has darkened the pilot hood or the top of the burner.

What a pro does

The flame isn't usually what failed. A thermocouple or thermopile has to sit directly in that flame and generate enough current to hold the gas valve open, and once the probe corrodes, sooots over, or shifts a few millimeters out of position, the valve closes even with a pilot burning right beside it. Draft is the other half, and older equipment vented into a chimney on a windy site can have its flame pushed around by downdraft. Fuel pressure counts too, especially on propane during a deep cold snap when tank vapor pressure sags. Shutting the valve at the appliance is the right call the moment anything smells like gas.

Frequently asked questions

Can wind coming down a chimney blow out a pilot?

On a naturally vented appliance, yes. A gusty day can reverse draft in the flue long enough to disturb or extinguish an open pilot flame.

What exactly is the thermocouple doing?

Proving the flame. It converts heat into a small current that holds the gas valve open, and no current means the valve shuts within seconds by design.

Why would cold weather affect a propane pilot?

Falling temperatures reduce vapor pressure in the tank, so the appliance sees less fuel than it needs and the pilot burns too weakly to keep the safety circuit satisfied.

How many relights are too many?

After a couple of attempts, it's telling you something. Continually overriding a device that keeps closing the gas valve isn't a habit worth developing.

Pilot Light Keeps Going Out?

Get connected with a local pro now.

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Keep going

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