Has your heater pilot light gone out? If it has, you don’t have to go into panic mode even for a second. Solving the irritating “how to relight water heater” dilemma may be a lot simpler than you suspect. If you pick up on a substantial shift in the temperature of the water in your house, you don’t have to freak out. All you have to do is keep calm and proceed to relight the pilot light. Tackling water heater woes doesn’t have to be a difficult ordeal for you at all.
Switch Off the Gas
Switch off the gas before doing anything else. Take the time to find the gas control valve on your water heater. Once you do that, move it to “off.” Don’t do anything else for roughly 10 minutes or so. If you give it time, gas should be able to clear. Since gas is extremely flammable, you should take this part seriously.
Access the Pilot Light
Where is the pilot light? It’s typically located directly below the gas valve. This light may have a cover or a door, although it’s not necessary. The assistance of a standard flashlight may make tackling this part a lot easier and less stressful.
Turn the Gas Valve to ‘Pilot’
Move the gas valve to “pilot” mode. After that, press down a little bit. This will encourage the gas valve to offer sufficient gas for lighting up the pilot light. It isn’t uncommon at all for hot water heaters to be equipped with their own pilot buttons.
Turn Regulator Knob to ‘Pilot’
Turn your regulator knob to put the indicator dial on “pilot” mode. Press on the knob to in order to transfer gas over to the pilot. This part is to get it ready for the process of being lit.
Light the Pilot
How long has your water heater been around, anyway? Its age will decide how you go about pilot relighting. Gas water heaters that were manufactured many years ago do not need manual lighting. Newer water heaters, on the other hand, are a whole other story. If you have a gas water heater, it includes a manual spark generator. It’s similar to gas grills in this sense.
Maybe your hot water heater has a designated pilot light ignition button. If so, press this button to light up the light. Continue to hold after your pilot light has been set to “on” for exactly a full minute. Resist the temptation to stop holding prematurely. Once you release, you should check the flame. Is it there? Don’t fret if your water heater is free of a lighter. If it is, you can take the manual route and try a long lighter.
Switch on the Gas
Has the pilot light been ignited? If your answer is a positive one, you can switch the gas back on with total confidence. The bulk of your work is done here and you can breathe a sigh of relief.
Manual Lighting
Do you have a water heater that has to be lit manually? If it has to be lit manually, grab a long barbecue lighter first. Put its tip right in front of the pilot. Do this as you press down on the regulator knob. Keep the lighter right in front of the pilot. Wait for it to ignite. Once it ignites, you can take away the lighter.
Relight a Gas Heater Pilot Light Yourself vs. Hiring a Pro
Thankfully, you’ll probably be able to relight your gas heater pilot light using things that you already have at home. Don’t fret if you encounter any problems, though. If you encounter any difficulties whatsoever, you can request service from a professional plumber in your area. Search for services from a professional who has a lot of experience with water heaters. Search for a professional who has managed many water heater pilot light issues in the past. If you work with someone who genuinely grasps water heater matters, you can give yourself peace of mind. Hiring an expert for assistance can be particularly smart for people who have hot water heaters that call for manual ignition. In most cases, you won’t have to pay too much for services.
Reader Success Stories
If you watch YouTube, you may be able to get instructions that can simplify your water heater pilot light relighting project. Make sure to get instructions and links from credible sources exclusively. Look for a website that is trustworthy and easy to read and understand.
It’s okay if you don’t have any heater pilot light luck. If your pilot light efforts don’t work and your hot water heater has been in use for a minimum of 12 years, it may be time for you to invest in a brand new system. It’s not always beneficial to attempt to fix a water heater that has seen much better days. If you want to spare yourself a lot of stress, you can replace the water heater with a fresh one. Replace the unit with a new one that gets strong reviews across the board.
A pilot light is a massive component of any gas water heater. If it has any trouble whatsoever, it may stop you from being able to receive hot water easily and rapidly. No one wants that. Lack of hot water can be a huge hassle for any household. It can make handling food preparation and personal hygiene next to impossible. If you want to safeguard yourself from water temperature nightmares of all kinds, don’t simply wait for your frustrating light situations to disappear on its own. Take intelligent action to get the heat back on.
How can you identify lights that are out in the first place? The absence of hot water is a clue. Zero in on your gas control valve indicator as well. The indicator light may have switched colors.
The absence of a flame is yet another signal. If you don’t observe a flame, then you know something is wrong.
Call a Pro for In-Depth Water Heater Assistance
If you want to relight the pilot light without stress, you should reach out to a trusted company like the Emergency Plumbing Squad. Service from a capable pro can get you back in hot shower land again. It can help to speak with a pro who can talk to you at length about gas control valve matters, gas water heater dilemmas and water heater topics in general. Learn as much as you can about natural gas, gas pressure, gas leak risks, residual gas, valves, flow and everything else along those lines.
Do you smell gas? Don’t ignore it. We can fix or replace your water heater quickly and easily Being mindful can save you from water heater stress, explosion worries, malfunctioning gas valve headaches and more. Guidance from a gas company can go a long way at times.