Pilot Light Keeps Going Out

A pilot that refuses to hold means a safety device has decided something is wrong, so call instead of relighting it again and again.

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When this becomes an emergency

The pilot lights, holds for a few seconds, then drops out when the knob is released.
The flame looks small and lazy, burning orange where it should be blue.
Black staining has appeared on the metal around the pilot hood.
There's a rotten-egg odor near the unit; leave the building and call from outside if you smell gas.

What a pro does

The flame is almost never the actual problem. A thermocouple or thermopile sits in that flame and generates the small current that holds the gas valve open, and when it corrodes, drifts out of position, or simply ages out, the valve closes the moment the override button is released. A technician checks the sensor's output, its placement in the flame, and the condition of the pilot orifice, which soots up and starves the flame in dusty cellars. Draft matters as much as parts here. Old fieldstone foundations and cellar bulkheads that don't seal let cold air wash across the burner, and a marginal pilot goes out on the windiest nights first.

Frequently asked questions

Is the thermocouple a major component?

No, it's a small sensor with one job, which is proving a flame exists. A weak or misaligned one is the leading reason a pilot won't stay lit.

Why does it only go out on windy nights?

Wind pressure on an old foundation changes the draft through the cellar, and a pilot already burning weakly gets pushed off its sensor just long enough for the valve to close.

Is relighting it repeatedly harmful?

Trying once or twice to see whether it holds is reasonable. Continuing past that means a safety component is failing, and there's no good reason to keep overriding it.

What does a yellow pilot flame indicate?

Usually a dirty orifice or poor combustion air, both of which produce soot and a flame that doesn't heat the sensor properly even while it's burning.

Pilot Light Keeps Going Out?

Get connected with a local pro now.

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