--- title: "Pizza Oven Pilot Won't Stay Lit Once the Knob Is Released: Causes and Fixes" description: "A pizza oven pilot won't stay lit when the small flame catches while the knob is held in and then dies as soon as it is let go, or keeps blowing out through the…" url: "https://pizzaovenrepair.center/problems/pizza-oven-pilot-wont-stay-lit/" --- # Pizza Oven Pilot Won't Stay Lit Once the Knob Is Released A pizza oven pilot won't stay lit when the small flame catches while the knob is held in and then dies as soon as it is let go, or keeps blowing out through the day on a deck oven. ## What it usually means. A pilot is a small, steady flame that proves to the gas valve that lighting the burner is safe. A thermocouple, or on some models a thermopile, sits in that flame; as it heats it makes a tiny current that holds a magnet in the valve open. Let go of the knob before it is hot and the magnet drops and the gas stops. The same happens if the pilot flame is too small to wrap the tip, or if something keeps knocking it aside. Outdoor ovens face wind: a breeze straight across the mouth of a countertop or built-in oven can snuff a pilot that works fine on a calm evening. Deck ovens in a pizzeria meet it differently, with the constant opening and closing of doors at dinner rush and flour dust settling in the pilot orifice. Heat takes its toll too: thermocouples wear out, and their connection at the valve loosens. When the pilot will not hold, the safety valve is doing its job by shutting the gas; nothing should be done to hold that valve open by other means. The 6 causes, cheapest first Answer these first 01 How long is the knob held in before letting go: a few seconds or a full minute? 02 Is the pilot flame small and weak, or steady and blue? 03 Does it go out when the wind picks up, or when a deck door is opened? 04 Does the pilot stay lit but the main burner fails to catch from it? 05 Is the oven old, with the same thermocouple since it was installed? ## Check these before you book. Pizza oven pilot won't stay lit: 5 checks, and none of them costs anything. 01 Hold the knob in for the full time the manual gives, often thirty seconds or more, before letting go. 02 On an outdoor oven, light it with the mouth out of the wind or on a calmer evening to see if the breeze is the cause. 03 Watch the pilot: note whether it is small and yellow or steady and blue, and whether it touches the thermocouple tip. ### Also worth checking - On a deck oven, see whether it goes out each time a door opens, and tell the technician. - Never prop, wedge or tape a knob or a valve to keep gas flowing; if the pilot will not hold, turn it off and book. ### How soon does it need a visit? A pilot that will not stay lit is not dangerous, since the safety valve shuts the gas as designed. Only a gas smell makes it urgent, and that has its own page. ## The causes, cheapest first. 6 things pizza oven pilot won't stay lit once the knob is released turns out to be, from knob released too soon to safety valve magnet weak. [The cost guide](https://pizzaovenrepair.center/cost/) 1. 01 no repair ### Knob released too soon The thermocouple needs time in the flame, often thirty seconds or more. Holding the knob in as long as the manual says is the whole fix. No repair: check it yourself 2. 02 no repair ### Wind across an outdoor oven's mouth A steady breeze straight into the mouth can blow the pilot aside. Lighting with the oven turned or sheltered, or on a calmer evening, shows if the wind is the whole story. No repair: check it yourself [On an outdoor gas pizza oven](https://pizzaovenrepair.center/types/outdoor-gas-pizza-oven-repair/) 3. 03 low ### Pilot orifice partly blocked by flour or rust A small, lazy pilot does not wrap the thermocouple tip. The orifice is cleaned and the flame set to the size the maker specifies. [Fixed by pizza oven burner and igniter repair](https://pizzaovenrepair.center/services/pizza-oven-burner-and-igniter-repair/) 4. 04 low to moderate ### Thermocouple worn out Years in the flame wear a thermocouple until it no longer makes enough current. It is tested and replaced, and its connection at the valve is cleaned and tightened. [Fixed by pizza oven gas valve and thermocouple repair](https://pizzaovenrepair.center/services/pizza-oven-gas-valve-and-thermocouple-repair/) 5. 05 low ### Thermocouple out of the flame A bracket bent during cleaning can leave the tip beside the pilot rather than in it. It is set back in place so the flame covers the tip. [Fixed by pizza oven gas valve and thermocouple repair](https://pizzaovenrepair.center/services/pizza-oven-gas-valve-and-thermocouple-repair/) 6. 06 moderate ### Safety valve magnet weak When a new thermocouple still cannot hold the valve open, the valve's own magnet is failing. The valve is replaced and leak-tested. [Fixed by pizza oven gas valve and thermocouple repair](https://pizzaovenrepair.center/services/pizza-oven-gas-valve-and-thermocouple-repair/) ## What else it could be. Most often confused with gas pizza oven won't light: clicks, gas hiss, still no flame, then pizza oven gas smell near the burner or supply line: act first. [All problems](https://pizzaovenrepair.center/problems/) Codes that come with it - [`Er6` Fontana Forni · Ignition and flame](https://pizzaovenrepair.center/error-codes/fontana-forni-er6/) - [`Rapid clicking but the burner does not light` Kalamazoo · Ignition and flame](https://pizzaovenrepair.center/error-codes/kalamazoo-rapid-clicking-no-flame/) - [`RADIANT BURNER FAILED` Wood Stone · Ignition and flame](https://pizzaovenrepair.center/error-codes/wood-stone-radiant-burner-failed/) Also related - [**Pizza Oven Not Getting Hot Enough to Bake a Crisp Crust** 7 causes](https://pizzaovenrepair.center/problems/pizza-oven-not-getting-hot/) ### Gas Pizza Oven Won't Light: Clicks, Gas Hiss, Still No Flame 7 causes Gas, fire or smoke at the oven ### Pizza Oven Gas Smell Near the Burner or Supply Line: Act First 6 causes ### Deck Oven Temperature Drifting Away From the Dial Setting 6 causes ## The makes it happens on. 16 makes on this site; pizza oven pilot won't stay lit once the knob is released can show up on any of them. Each mark opens that make's own page. [All 16 brands](https://pizzaovenrepair.center/brands/) ## Pizza Oven Pilot Won't Stay Lit Once the Knob Is Released, where we come out. 9 metros, each with its own page. 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Constant door opening, drafts from the kitchen and flour dust in the orifice all weaken a pilot. If it fails only under that pressure, the pilot flame and the thermocouple are the first things to check. ### Is it safe to keep relighting a pilot that keeps going out? A couple of tries are fine if there is no gas smell and you wait between them. Repeated relighting through the day means a part is failing, so book rather than keep at it. ### Can a pizza oven thermocouple be replaced by the owner? It sits in the gas safety circuit, and its connection at the valve must be sealed and tested afterward. That work is for the technician. ### Does a hybrid wood and gas oven have a pilot too? Many do, or they use a thermocouple beside the main burner. Ash from the wood side can coat it, which is a common reason the gas side stops holding. --- **[Read on the site: Pizza Oven Pilot Won't Stay Lit Once the Knob Is Released: Causes and Fixes](https://pizzaovenrepair.center/problems/pizza-oven-pilot-wont-stay-lit/)** **[Book a visit with PizzaOvenRepair.center](https://pizzaovenrepair.center/schedule/)**