Gas heater pilot problem

Thermocouple problem? See:

Are you saying a mfr part is no longer available after only 7-8 years? what does mfr tell you?

About the pilot blowing out, have you checked the gas press regulator? Monitored the pressure with a gauge? Asked the gas supplier?

I have been playing phone tag with the Gas Guru at our LPG supplier . It appears to me from observation that the gas pressure is too high when the heater is hot from a run cycle . Once the unit cools off the pilot stays lit just fine . The question is why is pressure higher when hot ? And yes , some original parts are no longer available but aftermarket replacements are .

I don't think so , Bob . I have disassembled the pilot burner assembly and cleaned everything , the orifice is clean and clear . When it shuts off the main burner the pilot flame appears to be blowing off the pilot burner unit , like pressure is too high . After it cools the flame will be steady and the proper size . No yellow in the pilot flame at any time . Just got off the phone with the guy from the gas company , he thinks maybe the ODS is kicking in from low oxygen levels . Told me to crack a window and run the heater and see if that makes a difference . WE'll see how that goes .

I'd bet you changed the regulator with the tank and the pressure is higher than the old one

Could be. One would think the gas company would come out and measure it for free. A contributing factor could be if it's a cheapo heater it can't tolerate as wide a pressure range.

Yes , we got a new regulator with the tank . But there's also a regulator inside the heater ... I spent some time yesterday watching this thing , and it's definitely heat related . Even while the main burner is on as it runs longer the pilot flame becomes unstable - but with the main burner going it re-lights immediately . I'll be researching parts availability today . Just as soon as we get dug out of the 8+ inches of heavy wet snow we got overnight . Power lines down all over the county , trees loaded enough that some have snapped off , pine trees are surrounded by branches that broke off from the load ...

I'd suspect the internal regular may be temperature sensitive. Try icing the regulator to see if the drift goes away

Is that regulator in the heater adjustable? If not, how about the regulator for the system? You can make a pressure tester using a length of plastic tubing and water, there are probably examples online. Or just call the gas company.

I was thinking the same thing though I was thinking insulation of some type .

We're on day two with the generator , looks like it's going to be tomorrow before we get power back . That's OK , I've got enough gas to last until Saturday night . Met up with a neighbor at the gas station while filling gas cans today , he was filling diesel containers . He and two other neighbors burned some fuel yesterday clearing our road of snow with their tractors . Did a damn fine job of it too !

Filling gas cans reminds me of the viral video from a year or two ago, where a guy had put a kiddie pool in the bed of his pickup and was filling the pool with gas. The guy waiting in line behind him shot the video and posted it. I sometimes wonder how that turned out.

We got about six inches of the beautiful white stuff yesterday and overnight. Thankfully I got my wife home from hospital before the heavy accumulation. Not a heavy dump for around here, but more snow than has fallen, total, in the last 6 months!!! -

Here in north central Arkansas we get a storm of this magnitude about once every 5 or 6 years , and most people are not prepared . We got power back last night at about 6:30 . For us it was an inconvenience ... for some up here it was a disaster . Our across the road neighbor has been eating cold canned soup . I wish I'd known he had no means to cook , I'd have had him down for a hot meal or 3 .