Welcome! Here are the website rules, as well as some tips for using this forum.
Need to contact us? Visit https://heatinghelp.com/contact-us/.
Click here to Find a Contractor in your area.
If our community has helped you, please consider making a contribution to support this website. Thanks!

Why do I have to keeping holding the pilot button in-order to keep the pilot lit?

Options
Nola803
Nola803 Posts: 1
edited 4:33PM in Gas Heating

We believe we have a 1980s Williams propane wall heater. Three years ago we bought the house and turn it on for the first time.It worked fine but we haven’t use it since. Now we want to operate it. When pushing the pilot button to ignite it. It will light but won’t stay lit unless we hold the pilot button. As soon as the button is released to flame goes out. We changed the thermocouple and checked all lines for leaks. (Disregard the putty on the lines, leak has been fixed since that picture.)Also I should mention, due to the age of the house when we first bought it we had to fully update the electrical work. So there is a new Honeywell heat only CT30 thermostat. When we change the temperature on the thermostat the gas valve response to the correct heat. I really want to get this to work without buy a complete new unit.

IMG_1331.jpeg IMG_5707.jpeg image.jpg

Comments

  • plumbworker
    plumbworker Posts: 32
    edited 4:04PM

    It looks like a millivolt gas valve. After lighting the pilot, the pilot button typically needs to be held in for at least 30 seconds to allow the thermocouple to generate enough voltage to energize the safety magnet in the gas valve. Once energized, the magnet holds the pilot valve open and allows the pilot to remain lit.

    If you’ve already replaced the thermocouple and the pilot still won’t stay lit, there may be an issue with the gas valve itself, which would likely require replacement.

    Changing the thermostat shouldn’t have any effect on the pilot-lighting or pilot-safety circuit.

  • ratio
    ratio Posts: 4,316

    The gas line coming out of the valve and going to the burners looks pretty twisted up. I'd be fairly uncomfortable using it that way in someone else's house.

    plumbworker
  • HomerJSmith
    HomerJSmith Posts: 2,826
    edited 8:46PM

    Depress the pilot knob 1 min. Check the pilot flame's location on the thermocouple (thermopile?) & make sure the flame is not diminished because the pilot orifice is partially obscured & the flame is fully formed. It could be a defective thermocouple even if new. Make sure that the thermocouple is tightly screwed into the gas valve.

    That black two conductor wire going up the cabinet side goes to a switch on the door front and that cuts the power to the gas valve from the thermostat when the door is off?

    "When we change the temperature on the thermostat the gas valve response to the correct heat. " What does that mean?

Categories