Is the pilot light supposed to go out?

[jdetling]

Greetings. I own a 2009 Jayco 1007 Popup. We've owned it for about 2.5 years and we've made numerous excursions but this camping week is really the first time that I've attempted to run the hot water heater for an extended period of time. I'm lighting the pilot without any problems whatsoever--I get that very satisfying roar and big blue flame--and I have plenty of LP in the tank, yet I keep returning 30-60 minutes later to find that the pilot light is totally out. I have re-lit it twice now with no problem but I don't understand why it's shutting off. Is this a normal feature of the camper or do you more seasoned owners expect that I've got some kind of mechanical issue going on? If it is a normal feature, how long can I expect my water to remain hot before I would have to re-light the pilot in order to heat up the same water again? Thank you!

[tnchuck100]

What may be happening is when the big flame goes out the sudden air pressure change may be blowing out the pilot. There should be an adjustment on the control valve to adjust the pilot flame size. You might try increasing it a little.

[mike837go]

^^^x2^^^

The orifice may have corroded a bit, giving poor gas flow to the pilot.

Also, has it been windy? Does the cover fit well?

[Scoutr2]

There is a flame-present sensor (probe) that detects heat and sends a signal to the gas valve, indicating the pilot light is lit. If that probe has a slight haze or buildup on it, or if it is not in the flame path, it might not be producing enough of an electrical signal (only a couple millivolts) and the gas valve shuts it off. If you can reach it with a small, long-handled brass brush, try cleaning it off and see if that helps. This happened to me once on my popup, years ago (2000).

[jdetling]

Thank you, all for your insightful suggestions. The collective consensus that I gather from all of you is that this is NOT normal behavior and that I need to look for some wear and tear on the components. I will take a deeper dive when it cools off tonight and will report back to everyone. Thanks again!