Gas Water Heater Thermocouple Test

If you re still unsure or don t have a working pilot light test the thermocouple with a multimeter.

Gas water heater thermocouple test.

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. For a basic test attempt to turn on the pilot light again. To make certain the thermocouple is bad you have to test it. A thermocouple is a device used to satisfy pilot safety on many 24 volt gas systems.

They are joined together at the tip hot junction. One probe of the meter should be connected to the copper sheath of the thermocouple and the other to the gas valve. The thermocouple is a device made up of two dissimilar metals. 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.

This will be a permanent reference that will give a step by step procedure. Usually a lighter will suffice for the test. A thermocouple is a safety device that helps control the gas supply in gas heated furnaces. How to test a thermocouple.

Light the pilot by pressing and holding the pilot light button on the gas control valve. I am often asked about troubleshooting a thermocouple on gas systems. Measure the current by using the multimeter device set on millivolts. Here s how to test a suspected thermocouple in a gas operated water heater.

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.