It's getting cold here....so I went to fire up the natural gas
fired space heater in my basement. The pilot would light but go
out when I released the control knob.

So...I replaced the thermocouple. Every so many years, it seems
to need it. However, this did not solve the problem.

Preheating the thermocouple made the pilot stay on. For about
two minutes.

I can't really see into the pilot compartment when I'm holding
the knob down. Using a mirror did not help much. It looks as if
the pilot flame is not hitting the thermocouple; it's "leaking"
to the right side.

The pilot unit is pretty standard stuff, the thermocouple is on
the left, parallel to and separated from the pilot by about half
an inch. The whole assembly is rotated about 20 degrees from
vertical, about 11 o'clock. The pilot orifice faces what I would
call a "deflector" that bends the flame towards the thermocouple
and also has a "v" assembly that routes the flame around the
thermocouple.

It looks as if the flame is not being directed towards the
thermocouple and is just randomly burning around the deflector. I
have cleaned this as best as I can, poked and prodded, chipped
and scraped, with no help.

The only thing left I can think of is that the orifice itself is
partially obstructed. Is there any way to clean this without
damage and without disassembling the whole heater? Is there
something else that would cause this problem?

PB

On Nov 5, 11:30?pm, Plague Boy wrote:
It's getting cold here....so I went to fire up the natural gas
fired space heater in my basement. The pilot would light but go
out when I released the control knob.

So...I replaced the thermocouple. Every so many years, it seems
to need it. However, this did not solve the problem.

Preheating the thermocouple made the pilot stay on. For about
two minutes.

I can't really see into the pilot compartment when I'm holding
the knob down. Using a mirror did not help much. It looks as if
the pilot flame is not hitting the thermocouple; it's "leaking"
to the right side.

The pilot unit is pretty standard stuff, the thermocouple is on
the left, parallel to and separated from the pilot by about half
an inch. The whole assembly is rotated about 20 degrees from
vertical, about 11 o'clock. The pilot orifice faces what I would
call a "deflector" that bends the flame towards the thermocouple
and also has a "v" assembly that routes the flame around the
thermocouple.

It looks as if the flame is not being directed towards the
thermocouple and is just randomly burning around the deflector. I
have cleaned this as best as I can, poked and prodded, chipped
and scraped, with no help.

The only thing left I can think of is that the orifice itself is
partially obstructed. Is there any way to clean this without
damage and without disassembling the whole heater? Is there
something else that would cause this problem?

PB

a good friend had the exact same problem and reformed the mount moving
the thermocouple more towards the flame.

reformed is technicians high priced lingo for I BENT IT

"Plague Boy" wrote in message
...
It's getting cold here....so I went to fire up the natural gas fired space
heater in my basement. The pilot would light but go out when I released
the control knob.

So...I replaced the thermocouple. Every so many years, it seems to need
it. However, this did not solve the problem.

Preheating the thermocouple made the pilot stay on. For about two minutes.

I can't really see into the pilot compartment when I'm holding the knob
down. Using a mirror did not help much. It looks as if the pilot flame is
not hitting the thermocouple; it's "leaking" to the right side.

The pilot unit is pretty standard stuff, the thermocouple is on the left,
parallel to and separated from the pilot by about half an inch. The whole
assembly is rotated about 20 degrees from vertical, about 11 o'clock. The
pilot orifice faces what I would call a "deflector" that bends the flame
towards the thermocouple and also has a "v" assembly that routes the flame
around the thermocouple.

It looks as if the flame is not being directed towards the thermocouple
and is just randomly burning around the deflector. I have cleaned this as
best as I can, poked and prodded, chipped and scraped, with no help.

The only thing left I can think of is that the orifice itself is partially
obstructed. Is there any way to clean this without damage and without
disassembling the whole heater? Is there something else that would cause
this problem?

PB
It is fairly common for gas jets to get obstructed when idle. I think it may
be due to spiders or other insects. If you can disconnect the tube to the
pilot you may be able to blow it clear. Do NOT blow any pressure back into
the gas valve or it will likely be damaged. It is very easy to damage the
jet when doing so but careful work with a fine wire can clear it. A brush
bristle might work but might be easy to break off in the jet.

Don Young

Don Young wrote:
pilot won't stay lit

It is fairly common for gas jets to get obstructed when idle. I think it may
be due to spiders or other insects. If you can disconnect the tube to the
pilot you may be able to blow it clear. Do NOT blow any pressure back into
the gas valve or it will likely be damaged. It is very easy to damage the
jet when doing so but careful work with a fine wire can clear it. A brush
bristle might work but might be easy to break off in the jet.

Thank you. This is helpful information.

PB