Pilot light not lighting


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Old 01-21-06, 04:57 PM
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Pilot light not lighting

Hello everyone, this is my first post.

Heres my situation: Our tank ran empty a few days ago, and was filled just yesterday. When i went to light the pilot light, it ran for about 15 seconds (with the button still pushed down) and then fizzled out. Since then the pilot will not even light at all, i detect no scent of propane whatsover. The valve at the tank was open, and there are not other closed valves that i am aware of. Ive been reading through all the information about faulty pilot lights, and the information generally seems to be pretty consistent. It seems that a bad thermocoupling is a common cause of faulty pilot lights. So i pulled mine out, and it does seem to be fairly dirty. I haven't been able to buy a replacement yet since it is the weekend and the local propane place isn't open. So before i head in to pick up a replacement I was wondering if anyone else had any suggestions as to other possible causes or perhaps something i am not even thinking of. Any help would be appreciated. thx - Ben
 
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Old 01-22-06, 03:51 AM
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If you ran out, it is likely that you need to bleed out the lines before you can light your pilot. The safest way to blead the lines is by holding down the button on the pilot control. The time it will take is dependant on the size gas line you have. It should not take much more than a few minutes.

The thermocouple will not affect the pilot light not lighting at all. Even with a bad thermocouple, you will still be able to light the pilot when the button is held down. It will go out when you release the button.
 
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Old 01-22-06, 08:14 PM
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Exactly how long do you think? I've sat there with a match for a good 30 seconds to a minute, but if you think it will take more than that let me know... i checked the pilot line and it seems to be clear of obstructions... Thanx for your help -ben
 
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Old 01-22-06, 08:29 PM
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You have to fill the whole line with gas. You didn't say how far from the propane tank the heater is. When you first lit it, you pushed the remaining gas out of the line. Now it is filled with air that has to be pushed out. May take a minute or two to get this done. A piece of spagetti makes a nice long matchstick for doing this since you want the flame there when the gas reaches the heater. Good luck.
 
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Old 01-22-06, 09:13 PM
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Patience is a virtue. Took just about two full minutes. This didn't happen the only other time we let the tank run dry. Thanx to everyone for helping out the uninitiated. - B.
 
 

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