# Gas water heater - pilot out



## Snelly (Aug 20, 2005)

Hi

Me again...

I've noticed my gas water heater is doing something odd. It gets the water nearly hot and then the "pilot out" light comes on and it goes off. Then I can't get it restarted. Luckily I have electric heater too, but would be nice to fix the gas side.


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## artona (Jan 19, 2006)

Hi Shane

I wonder if the thermostat is telling the boiler it has reached HOT


stew


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## Snelly (Aug 20, 2005)

Surely it would just stop heating up with gas... not show the pilot out light??


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## artona (Jan 19, 2006)

Hi

I missed reading the out on pilot light "out". Does it need a flow of air and is the air duct dirty

stew


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## Snelly (Aug 20, 2005)

It draws air from outside via a mesh panel on the inspection door... all clear.

It will work for 10 or 15 minutes before the pilot out light comes on.


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## zaskar (Jun 6, 2005)

Snelly said:


> Hi
> Me again...
> I've noticed my gas water heater is doing something odd. It gets the water nearly hot and then the "pilot out" light comes on and it goes off. Then I can't get it restarted. Luckily I have electric heater too, but would be nice to fix the gas side.


What've you got mate, Suburban or Atwood?
When you say "nearly hot"......._how_ hot?
It could be that the thermosat it saying that it's hot enough. 
Leave the heater switched on (on gas) and run the hot tap. As hot runs out and the cold water goes in to the boiler , the heater _should_ flare up again. if it doesn't it's either a dodgy thermostat or a dodgy circuit board..........and unfortunately, the boards are a sod for going down and are expensive. 
Turning the switch to off for at least a couple of seconds will resett the board and _may_ allow it to fire up
Tip. Dont buy a genuine replacement board. Ask for a copy made by Dinosaur Electronics in the States. You can get them here from most RV dealers. and in my expereience, they are cheaper, of better quality and more reliable than original fit. They also offer a "3 tries before shutdown" on the ignition which the originals dont. If it's windy, they sometimes nead a couple of attempts to fire up and for some reason my Atwood seems MUCH more susceptable to breezes than mt previous Suburban.
Some people will tell you to buy an original fit because they're better but in my experience, this simply isn't true, it's just what they have in stock.


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