When your water heater pilot light extinguishes the moment you release the control button, it is almost always caused by a faulty, soot-covered, or misaligned thermocouple that fails to generate enough millivolt electricity to keep the gas safety valve open. When you press the button down manually, you physically force the gas valve open; however, once released, the safety magnet relies on the thermocouple's electrical signal to stay open. Verification: Check the thermocouple millivolt output with a multimeter or clean the tip with fine sandpaper to ensure stable signal generation.
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