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Gas water heater · Repair Copilot

Water heater pilot keeps going out

When your gas water heater pilot keeps going out, the usual culprit is a dirty or bent thermocouple — the safety sensor that shuts the gas off when it can't feel the flame. A clogged pilot orifice, a bad gas control valve, or a blocked flame-arrestor screen can also be to blame. Show SightLine the burner area and a 30-year plumber persona walks you through the safe checks and tells you plainly the moment it becomes a gas-tech job.

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Steps to fix water heater pilot keeps going out

  1. SAFETY FIRST: if you smell gas (rotten egg), stop, leave the house, and call the gas company from outside — do NOT relight anything.
  2. Follow the label's exact relight steps once; note whether the pilot lights easily and how long it stays lit after you release the control knob.
  3. If it lights but dies the moment you let go of the knob, the thermocouple isn't sensing the flame — usually it's dirty, loose, or bent away from the pilot.
  4. With the gas control OFF and the unit cool, gently clean the thermocouple tip and pilot with a soft brush, and make sure the thermocouple tip actually sits in the pilot flame.
  5. Check that the flame-arrestor screen underneath isn't clogged with lint or dust, which starves the pilot of air and lets it drop out.
  6. If it still won't stay lit after cleaning, replace the thermocouple (a cheap, tool-light part) — or if the gas valve or burner is suspect, stop and call a licensed plumber or gas tech.
  7. Never bypass, jumper, or defeat the thermocouple or any gas safety device — that's what it's there to stop.

Safety first: if a step calls for gas, a main water or sewer line, a service panel or main breaker, or a sealed refrigerant system, stop and call a licensed pro — Repair Copilot will tell you when you're there.