Reliant gas water heater pilot

my water heater is now two years old.. I purchased it 2006, 2007 it stopped heating, the pilot kept going out... I called reliant, they sent me a new pilot unit that the plumber reinstalled, the plumber charged me, well it didnt help.
Called reliant again,, now they want me to poke a hole in my roof, well i ran a pipe from an existing pipe down into the water heater room, didnt help!

It seems to go out after it heats the tank, than I have to go restart the pilot.

Do you have any suggestions?

thank you
Dreamweaver

Please explain the hole in the roof thing.

FVIR water heaters are susceptible to lack of adequate combustion air. This is not related to the flue, which must be proper for any gas appliance. Where is your WH located? In the garage, or in a closet?

Have a plumber check the maintenance manual for your water heater. It may be the type which needs to have the lint screens cleaned inside every year.

Could you post a picture of your exhause flue pipe set up?? I don't like the sound of what you describe/

heater

We cannot tell where the heater is installed, but if it is not getting proper air flow to it, that will cause many problems.

You could run a fresh air duct 4" to supply to gas fixtures.

You are very vague about that "hole in the roof" and what the existing pipe that you connect to was. It sounds to me like Reliant felt you were not getting enough air to the burner and wanted you to add a air inlet from the roof. That could be the problem especially if the heater is in a basement with limited fresh air supply, but from the description you give, it could also be the thermocoupler.