On Friday, July 17, 2015 at 9:45:24 AM UTC-4, wrote:
What is the risk of a thermocoupler failing??? A thermocoupler is designed to be a fail safe. It generates a small voltage if the pilot light is on, which lets the water heater know to allow gas to flow openly. Gas will only flow openly if the pilot light is on to hear the thermocouple. A failed thermocouple will always shut off the gas, so I can't imagine anything else happening to a simple design. If something serious happened to the water heater, it seems like it would not be due to a modification to the thermo couple. Please, anyone, correct me if in wrong.

I say you have it right. A lot of irrational hysteria going on he

"I'm just curious as to how many of these dumb @#$%@ are still alive after defeating a safety device. These thermocouples have a thermal protective device built into them!!!! "

Which clearly demonstrates that the poster is clueless. I didn't
see anyone saying to defeat a safety device, only how to mount
a thermocouple that has different threads. Thermal protective device
built in? That's nuts too. They work exactly as you say, generating
a small voltage that the gas valve has to see to allow the gas to
flow. If the thermocouple fails, falls off, then there is no voltage
and the gas will not turn on. It's a failsafe design.