When lighting pilot for water heater, it kicks back and doesn't light

[jimblacker]

I was told this is because the pipes around the pilot are dirty and would need to be cleaned.
Any thoughts on this?
Thanks! Jim

[Minno]

Could be. Could also be spiders, as they are attracted to propane. A good cleaning certainly won't hurt, and may solve you problem. Blow compressed air through the tubing if you have an air compressor.

Chris

[jimblacker]

Thanks Chris, good advice. I'll give that a try!

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by jimblacker

I was told this is because the pipes around the pilot are dirty and would need to be cleaned.
Any thoughts on this?
Thanks! Jim

You may also have a leak. The burner area should be cleaned and checked, with any defective components replaced.

[Rich W]

It could also be the thermocouple. If the thermocouple is bad the pilot will go out as soon as you release the "pilot" button.

Try cleaning around the thermocouple and if that doesn't work you will probably have to replace it.

Also verify that you have plenty of gas in the cylinder and that there isn't anything blocking the feed tube. Check the connection to the bottle for corrosion.