AboutHoward Livingston Expertise Can answer questions on electrical control circuits, power supply,airflow & distribution, electrical components,refrigerant problems,gas, electric & propane furnaces.No boiler or refrigerator or oil fired furnaces experience.Just HVAC questions please.
Experience 35 years experience in residential & light commercial repair & installation.
Question My son has a gas pool heater that has a White Rodgers Multivolt gas valve with a 250 milivolt pilot generator. He just purchased the house and does not have a schematic for this unit. I can light the pilot by pushing down on the knob but even after holding it down for 2-3 minutes the pilot goes out when I release the knob. Does the pilot generator help to keep the pilot valve open? I was told that they were having trouble with the unit last year, that the main burner would not light, but the pilot was lit at that time. I suspect that the pilot generator is faulty or there is a bad connection at the sensors and switches in the system, but I can't get the pilot light to stay lit to try any fixes.
Thanks
Answer The generator does hold the knob down on the gas valve. Its not producing the 750 millivolts to do that .MAKE SURE the flame is on the generator. Most times the pilot orifice is syopped up & can't reach the generator to create the 750 millivolts. Good flame, bad generator.
