Pull the thermocouple from the pilot bracket attached to the manifold burner assembly.
Water heater thermocouple position.
Typically the thermocouple sensor is mounted right in the flame of the pilot light on gas fired heating equipment.
Detach the thermocouple from the whole.
Slide the thermocouple out of position.
This will disconnect it on both ends.
Before you can actually diagnose and identify that the problem has something to do with the thermocouple you have to know where it is located.
It is a simple device that converts the heat from a burning flame into a small electrical current allowing it to work like a switch to control the flow of gas from the gas supply valve.
Then snug them up with a quarter to half revolution with a wrench.
A thermocouple is a safety device that is attached to the gas furnace.
Position it exactly like the old one.
Use wrenches or screwdrivers depending on which you need to loosen the nuts and screws on both ends that connect the thermocouple to the water heater.
The thermocouple is a heat sensitive electronic device that generates a small electrical signal when it reaches a certain temperature.
It is used to detect whether the pilot light of the furnace is lit or not.
If you experience the pilot outage a thermocouple might not be in contact with the pilot light.
Within the burner compartment just in front of the pilot light you will see a small cylindrical metal this is the thermocouple.
This pilot light heats a thermocouple which generates a small voltage up to 30 millivolts.
In most appliances a clip holds it about an inch from the.
Position it according to the manufacturer specs so it is fully immersed in the pilot flame.
If the pilot light blows out the voltage stops and the gas valve is automatically closed.
If the pilot light doesn t stay lit check the gas water heater thermocouple by keeping the pilot button depressed.
In my hot water heater the pilot light blows out occasionally.
How to test a thermocouple.
When relit the water heater pilot light flame should wrap around the thermocouple bulb.
Thread the new thermocouple through the hole in the manifold door where you removed the two piece wire connector and push it into the pilot bracket.
Thermocouples are used as safety devices that will shut off equipment by shutting down the lp or natural gas fuel supply on some gas fired heating equipment such as gas fired furnaces gas fired heating boilers and gas fired water heaters.
When the pilot lit goes off due to the loss of heat this device detects it and it cuts off the fuel supply.
This voltage is used by the hot water heater thermostat to hold open a gas valve.
