Status light on Bradford White ICON gas control flashes 1 flash every 3 seconds; pilot will not stay lit.

Safety: Turn gas control knob to OFF and wait several minutes before working near the burner. Ensure area is well ventilated.

Steps:

• Clean pilot assembly: Remove the burner door and pilot assembly. Clean the pilot orifice with compressed air (do not use wire that can enlarge the orifice). Ensure the pilot flame will fully engulf the thermopile tip when lit.
• Inspect thermopile: Check for soot, corrosion, or a bent tip. Clean lightly with fine steel wool. Replace the thermopile if the tip is damaged.
• Check connections: Tighten the thermopile leads at the gas control valve. Loose connections reduce millivolt output.
• Test thermopile output: With the pilot lit, measure millivolts across the thermopile leads. Compare to Bradford White specs (often 350mV+ under load). Replace if low.

If the pilot still will not hold with a good thermopile and flame, the gas control valve pilot magnet is likely defective and the valve must be replaced by a qualified technician.