Gas Pilot Won't Light

Mark Boden

Installed a gas Stove and had to cut the main gas line to install a feeder line for the stove. Gas hot water heater pilot now won't light, although furnace is OK (It has electric ignition). I believe the valve, or the two small pipes leading from the valve into the heater (the pilot and thermocouple lines) may be clogged. Can they simple be unscrewed and blow out or flushed out w/water and reinstalled? Can the valve be cleaned or flushed? Is it likely there may be something else wrong?

Thanks
Mark

Mark Boden

Gas Pilot Won't Light-Correction

Installed a gas Stove and had to cut the main gas line to install a feeder line for the stove. Gas hot water heater pilot now won't light, although furnace is OK (It has electric ignition). I believe the valve, or the two small tubes leading from the valve into the heater (the pilot and thermocouple lines) may be clogged. Can they simply be unscrewed and blown out or flushed out w/water and reinstalled? Can the valve be cleaned or flushed? Is it likely there may be something else wrong?

Thanks
Mark

Kal Row

it doesnt light or stay lit?

no light or weak flame
usually it's dirt in the pilot tip when you depreurize and represurize a system - try tapping on the pilot head only (not the thermocouple) with a screwdriver - failing that, you need to take it out and apart and clean the pilot orfice with a round toothpik

if it's lights well then its the thermocouple

[Deleted User]

pilot

if ther eis no flame, you have to bleed the line of the air you introduced when you cut into the line. The pilot has an orifice the size of a needle point. #80 or smaller.

Mark Boden

Pilot light won't light at all.

It was dirty, I'm sure I knocked loose some gs pipe scale and grit when I cut into it and installed a new line to the newly purchased gas stove (we had an electric stove). I made sure I had gas to the water heater valve on the side of the tank, then loosened the nuts on the thermocouple, burner line, and pilot line, and found I had gas coming out of the valve when I turned the switch to "pilot" and held the red button down. At that point, I tried to blow through the pilot line-no go. I found the cap at the end of the pilot line (1/4 inch copper tube w/compression nut) w/the ultra-tiny orifice. I just blew through it hard and was able to see a pinprick of daylight thru it. I connected the pilot tubing back up (outside of the heater) and was able to light it, so I reinstalled everything and it stayed lit. The burner kicked on, and everything is OK. We've got hot water again! When the unit started up, it sounded like drops of water were hitting the top of the burner, I imagine the cold water (it had been off for two days, we live in Ohio) had condensed and the condensate was dripping on the burner. After a while, the relief valve did pop open, but it closed OK (and isn't dripping!), it probably dumped about a pint or two...Thanks for the help, you know your stuff.
Mark

Mark Boden

Re: pilot

> if ther eis no flame, you have to bleed the line

> of the air you introduced when you cut into the

> line. The pilot has an orifice the size of a

> needle point. #80 or smaller.




Yeah, that was the first thing I made sure of this morning. I pulled off the plug downstream of the valve, and reinstalled the plug w/ the gas slightly on. I then realized that super tiny hole was clogged at the end of that quarter inch copper tubing that makes up the pilot line. I almost just threw it away, then decided that I would probably have to much gas coming out for the pilot flame w/o it. Anyhow, it seems everytime I cut into a water line or any kind of line, something downstream gets clogged....you'd think I'd learn that by now. Thanks for your help though, you were right on w/the correct solution.

[Deleted User]

good stuff

Its usually something simple. Its happened to me ALL the time. No matter how careful I am, I get the same thing.

Glad I could help.

Mike

Kal Row

usually - 9 out of 10 for me at least

a couple of good raps with a screwdriver makes the scale fall away inside