The hot water heater is 4 or 5 years old. I've replaced the thermocouple twice since I bought it. The hot water heater seats next to the furnace in the garage. I had the furance replaced within the last year-it was shot, burner box was cracked and it was over 20 years old. The old hot water heater was replaced because it started leaking out the bottom-corrosion-it was time. This new hot water heater is a Rehem- I've already had the burner control replaced, I wasn't home for that one- wife was told it was bad. Ok-that corrected the problem for 6 months. If I had enough wood I'd convert this one to a wood burning hot water heater.

Both the furance and hotwater seat about 18" above the floor. Each is tap to the same natural gas line. The exhaust flue for the h/w is vented into the same stack as the furnace. There has been no problem with the furnance-just the hot water heater. So what I'm I missing- do I need to buy stock in thermocouples?

Some years I had a service call with the same symptoms as yours. When gas lines were run a "drip loop" was usually installed. This was simply a tee with a drop pipe positioned down just after the gas meter. Its fuction was to catch any water or condensate that might be in the line before it got to the burner. In time condensate had bulit up to the point that it came into the house with the gas and killed the pilot light. Locate the drip loop, shut off the gas at the meter and drain it. It's worth a try. Good luck, Tom