Pilot Light Keeps Going Out

A pilot that refuses to hold usually means a safety device has weakened, so call rather than relight it a dozen more times.

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When this becomes an emergency

The pilot drops out within seconds of being relit, over and over.
The flame leans, flickers, or burns yellow instead of holding a tight blue cone.
A sulfur or rotten-egg odor hangs near the equipment; leave the house and call from outside if you smell gas.
Dark soot has appeared around the pilot hood or across the burner faces.

What a pro does

The pilot flame is rarely the actual problem. What usually fails is the thermocouple or thermopile, a small probe that generates a tiny current in the flame and holds the gas valve open, and once it weakens or drifts out of the flame's path the valve closes even though the pilot is visibly burning. Draft matters too, and an unsealed utility area or a mechanical room competing with a powerful kitchen exhaust can pull enough air past the burner to lift the flame off its target. Standing pilots are also getting old by definition, so the gas valve itself is worth testing rather than assuming. Closing the gas valve at the unit is the right move if there's any odor.

Frequently asked questions

Is a thermocouple an expensive part?

No. It's a small, inexpensive sensor with one job, which is proving a flame exists, and a weak or misaligned one explains most pilots that won't stay lit.

Can household exhaust fans really blow out a pilot?

In a tight house, yes. A strong range hood or bath fan can depressurize the space enough to disturb combustion air around an open-flame appliance.

How many times is it reasonable to relight it?

Once or twice to see whether it holds. Beyond that, something in the safety chain is failing, and repeatedly overriding it isn't a good habit.

What comes first if there's a gas odor along with the problem?

Getting everyone outside and calling from there. The odor takes priority over any troubleshooting, and the shutoff can wait until someone qualified is on the way.

Pilot Light Keeps Going Out?

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