On Apr 18, 11:50*am, " wrote:
My water heater burner won't stay lit. *Here's what I know:

1. If I light the pilot, it can stay on indefinitely. *So I think the
thermocouple is actually functioning.
2. If I then turn on the burner, after a few seconds there will be a
*click*, and the whole thing shuts down. *This takes less than a
minute.

I have removed the burner assembly, and uploaded several pictures to
photobucket to illustrate the situation.http://s150.photobucket.com/albums/s...ter%20Problem/

Questions:
1. One thread I found on the internet suggested that when the main
burner comes on, the draft pulls the pilot light flame away from the
thermocouple, causing it to cool. *Is this plausible? *If so, how do I
fix it?

2. If that isn't it, what else might be wrong, and what is the
solution?

3. What is that element that's wired into the thermocouple (visible in
pictures 6 and 7)? *I don't recognize it, and every thermocouple
picture I find on the internet doesn't have it.

4. The thermocouple appears to be soldered into its bracket. *Is this
common practice?

BONUS QUESTION: Does anyone know what the heck that is in picture 10?
It's a tool belonging to my friend, and neither of us know what it
is. *It's two parallel edges, perpendicularly attached to a single
square tube. *The edges are lockable via the white knobs, and one has
a hinged piece on the inner side that swings out maybe 10 degrees from
the tip. *In the picture, it has swung out about as far as it's able
to. *What is it?

You haven\'t named a brand or model, that just might help!!!! Have
you contacted the manufacturer's hot lin?. On something as
potentially dangerous as a water heater, they must have some sort of a
hot line.