A Rheem water heater pilot light that won’t stay lit is almost always a part, not the tank. On a Rheem Performance tank it’s usually the thermopile; on a Professional Classic or a Ruud Achiever it’s usually the thermocouple. Both are small, and a repair starts with our $99 diagnostic. If the tank itself is done, a new gas tank is $3,379 to $5,485 installed in Northern Virginia, permit and haul-away included. From about $56 a month at 0% APR for 60 months, the whole price financed, on approved credit.
The table below goes from what you’re seeing to what it usually is. Our Rheem repair page has every status light code and what each repair costs.
What a pilot that won’t stay lit usually means
| What you see | What it usually is | What it takes |
|---|---|---|
| Pilot lights, then goes out when you let go of the knob | Performance tank: the thermopile, or its wire to the gas control. Professional Classic or Ruud Achiever: the thermocouple | A thermopile or thermocouple, usually one visit |
| Status light blinks red twice | Pilot is lit but the thermopile voltage is low | The thermopile or the pilot |
| Pilot won’t light at all | A clogged pilot orifice, or no gas to the tank | Check the gas valve on the line is on; then a pilot cleaning |
| It went out and won’t relight, and the room has paint, gas cans or a lot of lint | The combustion shutoff tripped on flammable vapors or blocked air openings | Air the room out and call: Rheem says a technician should inspect it |
| Yellow, lazy flame or soot | Scale on top of the burner | A burner cleaning, and a look at why |
Sources: Rheem’s status light troubleshooting sheet and the Professional Classic manual.
Thermopile or thermocouple: which one your Rheem has
Both do the same job: the pilot flame heats them, they make a tiny bit of electricity, and that holds the gas control open. When they wear out or the wire comes loose, the gas control lets go and the pilot goes out the moment you release the knob.
A Rheem Performance tank with a status light on the gas control uses a thermopile, and the light tells on it: two red blinks means the pilot is lit but the voltage is low. A Professional Classic or a Ruud Achiever uses a thermocouple. Either way it’s a part swap and a test, not a new water heater.
When it isn’t the part: the safety shutoff
Every Rheem gas tank has a combustion shutoff that stops the heater if it senses flammable vapors or the air openings at the bottom get blocked. Rheem’s own FAQ says the flame arrestor is vulnerable to lint, dust and oil, which is why a tank in a laundry room or garage trips more often. If yours went out and won’t relight, look around first: gas cans, paint, a lot of lint. Air it out and call. Rheem says a qualified technician should inspect it after it trips (Rheem FAQ).
What you can safely check yourself
Make sure the gas valve on the line to the tank is on. Follow the lighting instructions on the label on the tank, exactly as written. If the pilot lights and holds, watch it for a day. If it goes out again, stop relighting it: a pilot that keeps dropping is telling you a part is failing, and repeated relighting doesn’t fix it. If you smell gas at any point, leave the house and call the gas company from outside.
Fix the pilot or replace the water heater?
Rheem says tanks usually last 8 to 12 years, and that if a repair costs more than half the price of a new heater, replacing it is usually the better buy. A thermopile or thermocouple on a seven-year-old tank is a repair. The same part on a 14-year-old tank with rust at the bottom is a conversation about a new one. You get both prices in writing. A new gas or propane tank runs $3,379 to $5,485 installed. From about $56 a month at 0% APR for 60 months, the whole price financed, on approved credit. See the Rheem page for the rest.
Rheem pilot light questions people ask us
How much does it cost to fix a Rheem pilot light?
The diagnostic is $99, and the repair is priced in writing before any work, because a thermocouple, a thermopile and a gas control are different parts. A new Rheem gas tank is $3,379 to $5,485 installed. From about $56 a month at 0% APR for 60 months, the whole price financed, on approved credit.
Why does my Rheem pilot go out when I let go of the knob?
The thermopile (Performance) or thermocouple (Professional Classic, Ruud Achiever) isn’t making enough power to hold the gas control open, or its wire is loose.
What does two red blinks mean on a Rheem water heater?
The pilot is lit but the thermopile voltage is low. It’s usually the thermopile itself or a weak pilot flame.
Is it safe to keep relighting the pilot?
Once or twice by the label, yes. If it keeps going out, stop and have it looked at. If you smell gas, leave and call the gas company from outside.
