Gas Water Heater Thermocouple Test

How to test a thermocouple.

Gas water heater thermocouple test.

Light the pilot by pressing and holding the pilot light button on the gas control valve. Finally now turn the meter to volts. When it stops working the furnace s pilot light also turns off. It is comprised of two different types of metal which react differently to heat and expand at different rates signaling to the water heater when to turn on or off.

One probe of the meter should be connected to the copper sheath of the thermocouple and the other to the gas valve. A thermocouple uses the heat from a flame to produce a millivoltage that controls a gas valve. If you re still unsure or don t have a working pilot light test the thermocouple with a multimeter. Diy hot water heater repair.

If the pilot light doesn t stay lit check the gas water heater thermocouple by keeping the pilot button depressed. Here s how to test a suspected thermocouple in a gas operated water heater. Gas appliance thermocouples have a standard design. Once it is removed you will need a multimeter that needs to have the ability to read millivolts and a source of fire.

For testing a thermocouple you first have to remove it from the furnace water heater or gas appliance where it is installed. For a basic test attempt to turn on the pilot light again. You can test this yourself using a multimeter but you may need a helper to keep the pilot flame burning while you do it. The water heater thermocouple is a device that monitors temperatures in the water heater to determine whether it needs to heat up or turn off the heat.

Use a small flame source to test a thermocouple with a multimeter. That is simply a test to check the meter for continuity. First remove the thermocouple. Then unfasten the three nuts that hold the thermocouple and the two gas tubes to the valve.

First shut off the gas valve on the water heater and the gas valve on the gas line near the heater. Secondly turn on the meter and set it to ohms. Usually a lighter will suffice for the test. Multimeter thermocouple test procedure.

Measure the current by using the multimeter device set on millivolts. A gas water heater in boise baton rouge buffalo or boston uses a thermocouple that includes a probe attached to a copper tube that screws into a port on the gas valve. The thermocouple is a vital safety feature for many gas appliances. With the leads apart you will read infinity.

A thermocouple is a safety device that helps control the gas supply in gas heated furnaces. Touch the two leads together from the meter and you should get a reading close to zero.