Hi,

My water heater's pilot light keeps going out. When I re-light it, the thermal couple is in the flame (which is blue), and after I release the valve, the light stays on. Then, if I turn the thermostat up to temperature so that the water starts heating, I eventually start to hear what sound like little pops and sizzles. If I then remove the cover and look into the flame area, I can occasionally see water droplets falling. The flame eventually shuts off and the pilot light is off again, but this happens before the water tank is fully heated.

From reading other posts here, I think I may have an overflowing drip loop, but I'm not sure -- and I'm also not quite sure how to fix it. There is a spigot right above the thermostat area that is the only thing obviously (well, obviously to me) meant to drain water, but for all I know that could be meant to drain the main tank.

If this is a drip loop issue, should I try to clear it myself or should I call a pro? If it's not, is there something else I should be looking at?

No, that valve drains the tank. Not a bad idea at times, look around here and find Tom's instructions for flushing the tank.

Getting back to the drip leg. Follow the pipe back to a valve. Turn it off, and then unscrew the cap on the drip leg. If the short length of pipe screws out of the tee, no big deal. Empty the water out, clean up the threads, apply Teflon tape or other pipe sealant and put it back together. Turn the gas on, relight the pilot, and then turn the heater on. The pilot should stay on now.

Well, I looked all around for a drip leg and I didn't see any capped pipe. Is it possible that I don't have a drip loop?

I called my plumber and explained the symptoms, and he said that it was condensation on the bottom of the water tank, there because the water tank was so cold after the pilot light went out originally. He suggested that I re-light the pilot light, stick around while it heated up the tank, and that if it went out before fully heating the tank, I should just re-light it and continue until all the condensation had evaporated. I asked him if there was any way to prevent this from happening again, and he said not really.

I followed his instructions and it seems to be working -- or, at least, I've taken a hot shower and done some laundry and the water heater is now turning on just fine (though I hope I didn't jinx myself by saying that).

It is poor practice and maybe violates code, but quite possible to instal gas appliances without a drip leg. Your plumber sounds like a winner.

Your plumber sounds like a winner.

Not being an expert, I can't tell if this is sarcasm.

Not being an expert, I can't tell if this is sarcasm.

Sorry. I felt a plumber that would take time to help you over the phone was a good guy.

I'm trying to drain the drip loop on my hot water heater but I don't want to break the pipe. What would they typically use to seal the connection for the pipe and the cap because it doesn't turn easily?

I'm trying to drain the drip loop on my hot water heater

Why would you want to do that?

Pipe dope (pipe thread sealant) would be used to seal the pipe cap. Pipe dope wouldn't make the cap difficult to remove. Just need two pipe wrenches. You don't try to work on iron pipe with pliers.