Does An Electric Water Heater Have A Thermocouple

By james carey morris carey.

Does an electric water heater have a thermocouple.

Not all water heaters use a thermocouple. In simple terms it s a short piece of tubing that runs from the gas controller to the pilot. Electric water heaters heat the water by elements and therefore do not need the same sensor as a gas water heater. Thermocouples can fail and require replacement.

If you have a gas water heater with a pilot light that won t stay lit it s probably due to a failed thermocouple. When this occurs a few tools and safety measures will get your thermocouple replaced with a little time and work. Gas water heaters also have a heat controlling device to avoid overheating a central internal flue to vent gas and help circulate heat and a thermocouple to turn off the gas in case of an emergency. Electric water heaters have a discrete thermostat while the thermostat on gas models is created into the gas control valve.

The thermocouple can do this because in its probe it contains two different metals and a voltage is generated when one of them is heated. Electric water heaters have a separate thermostat while the thermostat on gas models is built into the gas control valve. How a water heater works. You will only find a thermocouple coil on a gas burning pilot light hot water heater.

The thermocouple or thermopile provides the power to the gas valve. Gas water heaters also have a heat limiting device to prevent overheating a central internal flue to vent gas and help circulate heat and a thermocouple to shut the gas off in an emergency. It does this by sending a tiny electric current to a sensor on the gas valve signaling the valve to stay open. It is if you will the load and we can say the thermocouple is the source.

The electromagnet is made up of a coil of wire and u shaped iron core. When the power goes out you can still have hot water. The job of the thermocouple is to keep the pilot lit. When the thermocouple is heated and the millivolts generated the coil will be energized and create a magnetic field.

If you have a standing pilot hot water boiler or furnace you are out of luck. Some of the more recent models use a mercury sensor to shut off the gas valve.