Why Won’t My Pilot Light Stay Lit
You hold the button, the pilot lights, you let go, and thirty seconds later it is out again. This is the single most common gas water heater call we get, and the cause is almost always one of three things.
A Worn Thermocouple
This small metal probe sits in the pilot flame and tells the gas valve that the flame is actually lit. Once it wears out, it stops sensing heat properly and the safety valve shuts gas off even though the pilot was burning fine moments earlier. This accounts for the large majority of cases we see.
A Dirty Pilot Tube
Dust and, in Houston especially, spider webs can clog the small opening the pilot flame burns through. Spiders are drawn to the faint gas smell around the pilot assembly, and Houston’s humidity keeps garages and closets the kind of enclosed, slightly warm space they like.
A Failing Gas Control Valve
Less common but more expensive to fix. If a new thermocouple and a cleaned pilot tube do not solve it, the valve itself is the next suspect.
What It Costs to Fix
A thermocouple replacement typically runs $150 to $250. Cleaning the pilot assembly runs less. A full gas control valve replacement runs $300 to $450. We test in that order, cheapest and most likely first, so you are never paying for a part you did not need.
Pilot light won’t stay lit? Call (877) 560-1148.
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