Do you know how to light a hot water heater pilot? This article will help you in learning the steps to light a pilot. You need to shut off the gas supply, find the pilot light in your water heater, and check the gas leakage before lighting it due to safety concerns.
Reduce the temperature to “low” and switch off the gas control valve for several minutes to separate excess gas. Then set your gas valve towards “pilot” mode. You can turn on the gas valve and light a pilot when everything is in order.
Lighting a water heater pilot is not tricky, but you need to take some safety steps to avoid bad things. The user can also check the product manual to light the pilot quickly. Well, this is just an overview; you must keep reading to learn the proper method to light a pilot.
What Does Pilot Light Do On A Water Heater?
How to light a hot water heater pilot? The pilot flame seems to be a tiny flame maintained ablaze for gas-fired devices like a heater, water heater, or gas stove. Gas flows to the main burner whenever you switch on the device, as well as the pilot light burns this gas to switch it on and generate heat.
Steps To Light A Hot Water Heater Pilot
Lighting a water heater pilot is not difficult; you just need to follow the below-mentioned steps carefully to know how to light the pilot light on a water heater.
Step #1. Inspect the water heater kind
The first thing is to find out what kind of water heater you’ve got. You must first determine if the water heater was automated or manual. To accomplish this, check out the silver box sticking out on the side of your water heater. There should be an oversized dial that says pilot on it. You have an automatic water heater if you see a button with the word ignition next to it. Suppose you do not see the ignition button.
Step #2. Cut off the gas supply
You need to ensure that the gas has been switched off. To do so, locate the gas controller lever. That valve, usually found on the water heater’s outside, connects the primary gas line to the hot water system. Turn off the valve and allow a few minutes for such leftover gas to dissipate. You may also be interested to know about the common water heater problem.
Step #3. Locate your water heater’s pilot light
A flashlight will almost certainly be required for this stretch. The water heater’s pilot bulb is usually found beneath the reservoir on the device. To get it there, you might have to disassemble the panel. The pilot bulb may well be buried behind a glass panel on some newer models. The pilot lighting should be contained within the shiny silver line. The lightbulb is presently on that when you notice a flame only at the head of such a tube, and then you’ll have to see a specialist to examine any other concerns with the hot water system.
Step #4. Inspect for gas leakage.
Before proceeding, double-check that there are no gas leaks or excess gas. Igniting a flame near a gas leak can be extremely hazardous to you and your property. Only relight the pilot light on the water heater if you are sure there is no gas escaping from the device. A simple scent test may be used to determine this: To begin, stand near the water heater and take a deep breath. Natural gas has no odor, so corporations add a chemical called mercaptan to make it detectable in the event of a leak.
The smell of leaking gas is similar to the scent of sulfur. If there’s no nasty smell odor in the water heater’s air, get nearer to sniff any one of the vents, pipelines, or connecting points. Also, keep an ear out for a hissed noise, and signal gas leakage. When you detect gas, even if it’s faint, get out of the home and call the plumber, who will advise you on what to do.
Step #5. Light your water heater pilot
After you’re sure that there were no leaks in the hot water system, one may ignite its water heater pilot flame. To do just that, press its regulating valve into the “pilot” mode and hold it there. The second red button, which controls a gas to a pilot flame, could be necessary on some models. Your equipment would probably be red or branded “pilot” when it has precision control. One may also check for instructions on the front of the machine to help you locate all the valves or buttons required to ignite the hot water system pilot flame.
You’ll need to give the spark to rekindle the pilot light once you’ve held the regulator valve down. Your water heater can include a red and black “activation” button if it’s a newer model. When you hold that button down, your pilot light turns on.
You’ll hear a click when it happens. If you have an older, manual type, you’ll have to relight your pilot flame with a spark. The safest way is to use a long lighter, often used for igniting grills. It is not recommended to ignite the pilot light with such cigarettes and match lighter because this enhances the danger of hurting the fingers.
It’s A Wrap!
Lightning, a water heater pilot, is sometimes harmful, but following the steps mentioned above will help you a lot in lighting a pilot. We appreciate you learning how to light a hot water heater pilot. Thank you, friends, for staying with us. You may also want to read about how to adjust temperature on hot water heater and how to light a gas hot water heater.