My Martin vent free fireplace pilot light is a foot long . Looks like a torch light. Do I need a new pilot assembly

You need to get a new thermal couple for that water heater or get a universal couple that will take care of the problem.

If your getting a spark the generator should be ok I would clean the pilot injector and re try

With just the little information you left, my first reaction is that your propane tank is empty, but I don't know if it's propane or nat gas. It is also possible you have a dirty filter screen. Some brilliant engineer decided to install these on the bottom of today's water heaters and then require they be cleaned every 6 months. If you don't and they get dirty, which they always do, then the pilot goes out and it will not relight. Cleaning the fine mesh screen below the burner is what is needed to prevent this from occurring. Other brands are replacing the existing burner assembly with a new burner assembly that has a reset switch built into it. You may call Whirlpool and see if this applies to your water heater. They will need your model # and serial #. Hope this helps. Douglas

If you still have your owner's manual, you will need to call the manufacturer. They will need the model # & serial #. Your water heater may have a fine mesh filter screen on the bottom (below the burner) that gets clogged and causes irregular pilot outages. They have a recall in which they will send you a new burner assembly with a reset switch built-in to it. They will send it to you for free, but you will need to hire your local propane co (at your expense) to install it and also clean the filter while they have the burner assembly out. Good luck. Douglas

If you still have your owner's manual, you will need to call the manufacturer. They will need the model # & serial #. This particular brand has a fine mesh filter screen on the bottom (below the burner) that gets clogged and causes irregular pilot outages. They have a recall in which they will send you a new burner assembly with a reset switch built-in to it. They will send it to you for free, but you will need to hire your local propane co (at your expense) to install it and also clean the filter while they have the burner assembly out. Good luck. Douglas

need more propane?

Rick, if the tank is normally plumbed for a horizontal position, and you have it standing vertically, then you are feeding liquid propane to your pilot light, hence the frosted hose etc., and a tendency for the pilot light to go out as it has too rich of a fuel to burn. There should be no vent to allow air in as propane is pressurized, and only attains zero pressure at 40 below zero farenheit. The valve you speak of should have been the liquid vent valve which is used during filling only, and is closed during any other use. Your supply valve should be in the wide open position. The pressure relief valve is only operational when the tank has been overfilled or overheated. You should have a pressure regulator between the tank and the appliance you are trying operate. Hope this helped. Marvin

change the gas valve, if the thermocoupling works and the piliot stays lit then it has to be the gas valve check to make sure the screen is clear also,, you said it's propane, check to make sure it is all the way turned on, and has the right pressure it might have a bad regulator on it, but will let other things in the house run good luck

it sounds more like the ignitor thats messing up, if you are able to remove it and get a new one that would probobly do it for you

First Clean the ignitor assembly and make sure the flame is reaching the flame sensor strongly.

You may need to replace the flame sensor.