When a water heater pilot will not stay lit
If the pilot stays lit only while you hold the knob, the thermocouple is the usual failure. Here is what is safe to check.
What you'll learn
- The difference between a pilot that will not light and one that will not stay lit
- Where the thermocouple sits
- When to stop and call, including any smell of gas
Step by step
- Walk the house and write down which fixture is affected, and whether the water is hot, cold, or both.
- If water is actively leaking, close the angle stop for that fixture. If that stop will not move, close the main.
- Take a photo of the water heater label or the leaking fitting before anyone takes it apart.
- Call the line and leave the city, the address, and what you already shut off.
- Ask the plumber for a written price after they see it. Compare that number with the ranges on our service pages.
- Before work starts, look up the contractor license at cslb.ca.gov.
Safety note
If you smell gas, leave the house and call the gas company and 911. Do not hunt for a plumbing fitting.
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