How To Test A Water Heater Thermocouple

How To Test A Water Heater Thermocouple

A thermocouple is a security gadget that shuts off the gasoline provide to a water heater if the pilot mild goes out. When you’re having hassle along with your water heater, one of many first issues you need to examine is the thermocouple. This is check a water heater thermocouple:

First, you will want to collect a number of instruments. You will want a multimeter, a pair of pliers, and a small screwdriver. Upon getting your instruments, you can begin the testing course of. First, flip off the gasoline provide to the water heater. Then, take away the thermocouple from the water heater. Watch out to not injury the thermocouple whenever you take away it. Upon getting the thermocouple eliminated, you can begin testing it.

To check the thermocouple, you will want to make use of the multimeter. Set the multimeter to the millivolt setting. Then, contact the probes of the multimeter to the terminals of the thermocouple. If the thermocouple is working correctly, the multimeter will learn between 20 and 30 millivolts. If the thermocouple shouldn’t be working correctly, the multimeter will learn 0 millivolts. If the thermocouple shouldn’t be working correctly, you will want to interchange it.

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Learn how to Take a look at a Water Heater Thermocouple

A thermocouple is a security gadget that shuts off the gasoline provide to a water heater if the pilot mild goes out. Over time, thermocouples can turn into defective and must be changed. Listed here are the steps on check a water heater thermocouple:

  1. Flip off the gasoline provide to the water heater.
  2. Take away the thermocouple from the water heater. The thermocouple is normally situated close to the pilot mild.
  3. Join a voltmeter to the thermocouple. The voltmeter must be set to the millivolt scale.
  4. Maintain the thermocouple within the flame of a lighter or match. The voltmeter ought to learn between 20 and 30 millivolts.
  5. If the voltmeter doesn’t learn between 20 and 30 millivolts, the thermocouple is defective and must be changed.

Folks Additionally Ask

What are the signs of a defective thermocouple?

The most typical symptom of a defective thermocouple is that the pilot mild won’t keep lit. Different signs embrace:

  • The water heater won’t warmth up.
  • The water heater will cycle on and off steadily.
  • The water heater will produce a yellow or orange flame as an alternative of a blue flame.

How can I forestall my thermocouple from failing?

There are some things you are able to do to forestall your thermocouple from failing:

  • Preserve the pilot mild clear. A unclean pilot mild could cause the thermocouple to overheat and fail.
  • Don’t overtighten the thermocouple whenever you set up it. Overtightening can injury the thermocouple.
  • Examine the thermocouple often for indicators of harm. When you see any cracks or breaks within the thermocouple, it must be changed.

Can I substitute the thermocouple myself?

Sure, you may substitute the thermocouple your self. Nevertheless, in case you are not comfy working with gasoline home equipment, it’s best to name a professional technician.