[Justin]

Hey guys,

I have an older Dayton garage heater running on natural gas. Came out to the garage last night and the pilot light was out and I could not get it to stay lit. I have some limited experinece with this stuff, but the same happened to the hot water heater and I replaced the gas valve and the thermocouple and the problem was solved.

This morning I ordered a new gas valve and thermocouple, and they will be here in a couple of days. In the meantime, anything else you would suggest to check? For testing purposes can the thermocouple be bypassed?

Any help would be great, I need to get out of the house, but it is damn cold in there

 

[Jsup]

Sounds like a thermocouple. HD and Lowes has them on the shelf for less than $10.

 

[Justin]

I thought about picking one of from there, sense I just paid Grainger $35.00 for the darn thing!! I will stop into Lowes Depot tonight and see what they have.

 

[Jsup]

I thought about picking one of from there, sense I just paid Grainger $35.00 for the darn thing!! I will stop into Lowes Depot tonight and see what they have.

Just look at the tip of the one you have. Some have long tips, some short. The side that sits in the pilot flame. Usually you can't go wrong with a long tip one. It will work either way.

The valve was probably expensive. From $100-300 depending on which one you have.

I just went through this with my dad's heat. His valve crapped out on CHRISTMAS EVE and we couldn't get a part until the monday after christmas. He had no heat.

 

[REDROCKET RANDY]

Sounds like a thermocouple. HD and Lowes has them on the shelf for less than $10.

X2 mine just went out to. i put in a new thermocouple its back to working. get this i did a side job for a lady her heat went out on monday it was a thermocouple and it was fixed she called me back on friday said the hot water was out it was the thermocouple. all in one week. lol

 

[Justin]

I will pull it out tonight. From what I can see in there, it has the long tip

The valve was not too bad, $48.00 but a 10 day wait to get it. I have a few of them when Whirlpool was trying to figure out what was wrong with my hot water heater, they are brand new but probably would not match up to what I have.

 

[Justin]

X2 mine just went out to. i put in a new thermocouple its back to working. get this i did a side job for a lady her heat went out on monday it was a thermocouple and it was fixed she called me back on friday said the hot water was out it was the thermocouple. all in one week. lol

Nice!

My damn hot water heater goes out once a year, usually just after I have gotten on a plane to someplace far away for at least a week.

 

[Justin]

Is this the one?

http://www.lowes.com/pd_4619-74493-...le&pl=1&currentURL=/pl__0__s?Ntt=thermocouple

 

[spoolintruck]

Just take some sand paper to it, no need to buy a new one...

 

[Justin]

I can try that too. Never had any luck doing that, but I am not above trying

 

[Kechup]

Gas pressure and lines, iv seen sediment build up on natural gas and pilots not stay lit and or have what looks like a camp fire when it dose fire, since the flame is not blue/hot the thermo will turn it off. If eveything else works fine in the house gas pressure is prob ok. The thermo is prob bad, good luck.

 

[Justin]

It is actually Natural gas. When I hold the primer, I have a nice blue flame, with a orange tip just like usual, just goes out as soon as I let off of the primer. I held it for about 10min last night trying to get it nice and hot, and still nothing

 

[the dude]

Its the thermocouple, if it goes out when you release the knob from the down position.
FYI. You can buy a retrofit electronic ignition kit and get rid of the standing pilot. White rodgers and Honeywell both make one. Been a couple years since I bought one most everything nowdays is already electronic but i believe wholesale cost was around 100.00 or so. Comes with new valve and ignitor conversion. Grainger probably has them but will probably be a little more than a standard HVAC supply house.

 

[Justin]

Would there be a big advantage to getting rid of the standing pilot? Other than replacing the Thermocouple from time to time. I usually only fire up the furnace 2-3 times a month in the winter to work on my toys. Then in the summer months I shut off the gas and of course the pilot as well.

 

[the dude]

. There is no pilot burning when the furnace is not running, so youre not wasting natural gas. When a call for heat is initaited it will spark , light the pilot , prove pilot and bring on main burner.

 

[ISELLSPEED]

You can also try and clean the tip of your thermocouple.
Just take some fine sand paper and give it a couple wipes.
This trick has worked twice for me in the past 4 years.