Water Heater Question

Well after about 7 years of flawless use the water heater decided to crap out. I can get the pilot light going and it will stay lit for about 5 min or so, but if I turn on the burner, the burner fires and both the pilot light and burner go out. If I don't turn the burner on the pilot light will stay lit for about 5 min then flame out. I watched the pilot light burn out and it almost looks like it is getting a draft or something which is either blowing out the pilot or cooling the thermocouple enough that it turns off the gas.

I pulled the burner with pilot light, starter, and thermocouple out. I cleaned the pilot and installed a new thermocouple and the same thing happened again, the pilot starts and will stay on but if I turn on the burned and both the pilot and burner go out.

I actually checked the old thermocouple on the stove and it puts out 25mV so I think it isn't the problem. I am starting to run out of options besides replacing the thing as if the problem is a with the thermostat it basically makes the unit BER (beyond economical repair).

Any tips or suggestions are appreciated, the user manual is pretty useless and keeps referring to a "qualified installer" or some other nonsense. Taking a cold shower is a bit of a sobering experience and I don't need any of those.

Thanks folks and hopefully I get this thing going pretty soon.

Okay, it has a new thermocouple. BTDT. That's definitely the first place to start. It's possible the valve is full of corroded gunk from years of use, that's the next place I'd go.

Remove n blow out the pilot gas tubing w/ compressed air if possible. If the pilot flame was yellow or orange it needs adjusted by the pilot screw on the main valve till it's burning blue. There should be a pic in the manual for proper flame envelope around the thermocouple.

Make sure the connector from the thermocouple to the control unit is seated and tight. I think my OE thermocouple nut was reverse thread and the new one was not or some other such wierdness.