Why Does My Water Heater Keep Going Out? Find Out Here!

Water heaters either heat water in a storage tank or “on-demand” to save energy. In both cases, the heating element is kept warm by a burner that’s controlled by a pilot light. If the pilot light goes out, the burner won’t be triggered, and your water won’t heat up. Here are some possible reasons why your pilot light might have gone out:

Hitches in Gas Supply

If your water heater contains a gas-powered pilot light, there needs to be a continuous flow of gas to the pilot for it to stay lit. Any glitch in your supply of gas may cause the light to go off. This is because there might not be enough gas in your system to sustain the burner.

Dirty Pilot Light

A dirty pilot light may also cause your water heater to turn off. If the flame goes out, it’s possible that your pilot light is dirty.

Bad Thermocouple?

The thermocouple is what detects if your pilot light is on. If the thermocouple can’t detect the heat, it will assume that the pilot light is off and consequently shut down the supply of gas to the burners. Make sure the pilot light flame can touch the thermocouple, and use a digital tester to see if the thermocouple is still transferring electricity.

Problems with Electrical Connections

In electric water heater systems, glitches in different parts can cause your heater to go off. For instance, your unit may refuse to flip on. If this happens when the unit is plugged in and the circuit breaker is “on,” it’s possible there’s a problem with the heating-coil or the thermostat. Tripping a circuit breaker is another common electrical problem.

NisAir Air Conditioning and Heating is a vastly experienced HVAC company serving Martin County since 1973. Contact us today.