I'm recently having trouble with a water heater. The pilot light with ignite just fine, but will go out after releasing the reset button, even after holding it for over a minute. That makes me think the thermocouple is bad.
In addition to that, the hole where the brass nut that holds the thermocouple in place is stripped out. I cannot get the nut into the hole. I tried holding the thermocouple in place with my hands and also with strands of duct tape and the pilot would still not stay lit.
But would the pilot stay lit if the bolt were not in place, or does the bolt serve a purpose other than securing the thermocouple that allows it to function?