Pilot Light Keeps Going Out

A pilot that refuses to hold usually means a safety device has stopped proving flame, so call instead of relighting it again and again.

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When this becomes an emergency

The pilot dies again within seconds of being relit.
The little flame looks lazy and orange rather than tight and blue.
A rotten-egg odor is present near the equipment; step outside and call from there if you smell gas.
Black staining has appeared around the pilot hood or burner face.

What a pro does

The flame is almost never the actual fault. What fails is the thermocouple or thermopile, a small probe whose only job is to hold the gas valve open while it senses heat, and when it weakens with age or drifts out of the flame it reports darkness even with fire touching it. Position matters as much as condition. A tech checks flame shape and probe placement, then measures the millivolt output against what the valve needs, which separates a worn sensor from a valve that's on its way out. Drafty older basements with loose foundation openings add a second suspect, since a gust across the burner compartment can blow a small flame out on its own.

Frequently asked questions

Is the sensing probe an expensive part?

It's one of the smaller pieces in the system, and a weak or misaligned one is far and away the usual reason a pilot won't stay lit.

Can cold air coming into the basement blow the pilot out?

It can. An open cellar hatch or a gap around an old foundation vent will push enough air across the burner to snuff a small flame.

How many times is it reasonable to relight it?

Once or twice to see whether it holds. Beyond that a safety device is telling you something, and forcing past it isn't wise.

What takes priority if there's a gas smell?

Getting everyone out and calling from outside comes first. The shutdown may already be the system protecting the house.

Pilot Light Keeps Going Out?

Get connected with a local pro now.

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