How To Start Pilot Light On Water Heater

If y'all have a gas or propane-fueled water heater, chances are the pilot light has gone out at some point during its heating operation. Don't panic — instead, read this guide to larn the steps to take to relight information technology.

Disclaimer: The data included in this mail service is for advisory purposes only and should non be taken as legal, fiscal, or DIY advice. We highly suggest consulting a professional earlier attempting any DIY home improvements or repairs.

Pilot Lights Explained

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A airplane pilot low-cal is a pocket-size flame remains on at all times inside a water heater. It doesn't warm the water directly. Instead, information technology acts every bit a match or lighter, helping to ignite the principal burner, which then heats the h2o.

If the pilot lite burns out, the burner won't be able to light up, leaving y'all with cold water. Simply h ow practise you relight it if it goes off? Don't worry — we'll show you how to get upward and running again in our consummate guide beneath.

Common Pilot Calorie-free Problems

As stated earlier, one of the signs your pilot light is out is a lack of hot water. That said, the cold-water effect could be due to other reasons, such as the burner not working properly or an interruption in the gas supply. And then you'll first need to do some troubleshooting. Signs that show the flame has gone out include:

No Flame

If y'all do a visual inspection through the glass window of the heater, you should be able to spot the flame. No flame means the pilot light is out.

Gas Control Valve Indicator

A gas control valve usually gives error messages or communicates via blinking lights to prove any problems that arise with the arrangement. If the pilot calorie-free is out, it'll betoken the problem using its blinkers, and you can deduce the meaning by reading the sticker with the blinking light error codes on the side of the tank.

What Causes the Pilot Light to Go Out?

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Several factors can cause the airplane pilot lite to go off. These are the near mutual ones:

Damaged Thermocouple

A thermocouple is a safety device responsible for detecting if the airplane pilot calorie-free is on or off. If it detects that the pilot low-cal is out, it shuts off the gas menstruum to the flame so that unburnt gas doesn't accumulate inside.

Over time, the thermocouple might outset to malfunction, and if this happens, it accidentally might shut off the gas supply to the airplane pilot light after detecting it's off.

Bent or Dirty Thermocouple

Apart from malfunctioning, the thermocouple tin accumulate dirt inside, which will hamper its power to sense the pilot light. It might also bend away from the pilot light, which will get in difficult to detect the flame. Either manner, such a thermocouple will cut off the gas supply to the pilot light, causing it to go off.

Blown Out by The Current of air

If your water heater has an open combustion bedroom, a current of air draft tin blow out the flame. Additionally, since the pilot light is a pocket-size flame, it might get off if you place the heater near a potent draft.

Alter in Gas Pressure level

The gas pressure might change from the supply lines, and this can cause the flame to become off (especially if the pressure goes too low).

Lack of Enough Combustible Air

Fire needs fuel and oxygen to burn. If yous've placed the water heater in an enclosed location, such as in a closet, there might not be enough air to proceed the fire called-for continuously. Such a situation is besides a safety take a chance because the gas might not combust fully to release CO2.

Instead, information technology'll produce carbon monoxide, leading to CO poisoning, suffocation, and maybe death. Yous need to place the heater in a well-ventilated location to avoid this trouble.

Is Information technology Dangerous If the Pilot Light Goes Out?

Information technology might seem dangerous, but gas water heater manufacturers build safety features into the appliances to bargain with such scenarios. They usually have gas control valves and thermocouples to control and halt the fuel flow if the pilot light goes out.

Our Tiptop Pick

The just danger is if the flame is not getting enough air. As stated earlier, this scenario can produce carbon monoxide (a poisonous, odorless gas) instead of carbon dioxide.

Even if you place the heater in a well-ventilated space, the only way to know for sure that you are safe is past using a carbon monoxide detector. Install it close to the heater, and information technology should alert you if the carbon monoxide levels rise to dangerous levels.

How to Relight a Water Heater Pilot Light

There are ii main types of hot water tank systems: sealed and open.

Sealed Combustion Pilot

A sealed combustion hot water tank organization encloses the main and pilot light burners to limit access. There is usually a glass window through which you tin view the flame. To relight your water heater, follow these steps :

Remove the burner compartment comprehend, which should expose the glass window.
Try to scent for gas and if you lot get that scent, get out the heater for around v minutes for the leaked fuel to disperse. You don't want an explosion as you lot effort to relight the flame.
Twist the gas control knob from the "off" to the "pilot" position.
Press and hold down the control knob to allow the gas menstruation to the pilot light burner.
Press the electronic ignition button until you hear information technology click. If there is air in the gas line, you might have to printing the button a few times before the pilot light begins burning.
Confirm visually through the glass window that the pilot light is on.
Keep holding downwards the control knob for most a minute to let the pilot lite to heat the thermocouple, which volition and then confirm ignition to the control module's thermostat. If you lot do not give information technology fourth dimension, the thermocouple will not heat up, and the flame will go out.
Release the command knob and confirm through the window that the airplane pilot light is still on.
Turn the gas control knob from the "pilot" position to the "on" position. If the heater was out for long, the primary burner should light up within seconds to oestrus the h2o. However, if information technology was out for a short catamenia and the water has not cooled, the burner volition not plough on.

Return the comprehend, and that's it! If your light is nevertheless not on, move on to the next stride.

Open Combustion Pilot

Please Note: Mixing gas and fire is extremely dangerous. We highly suggest calling a professional person plumber to light your pilot light.

Open combustion hot water tank systems form the older generation of heaters because they don't have electronic ignitions to spark the flame. Instead, their burner compartment (chief and pilot low-cal) under the tank is open up and accessible.

This enables you to relight the pilot light using a friction match or lighter. To do that, you lot need to follow these steps:

Remove the burner compartment cover.
If there is any gas olfactory property, leave it to disperse for around five minutes.
Plow the gas control knob from the "off" position to the "pilot" position.
Press and hold the command knob to permit the gas flow into the pilot light.
Use either a lighter, friction match or candle to provide the flame required to relight the airplane pilot light. Identify this fire source under the orifice of the pilot supply line to ignite the gas.
Confirm visually if the pilot light has turned on. If on, continue pressing the control knob for almost a minute to oestrus the thermocouple.
Release the control knob and confirm if the pilot light is still on.
If still on, turn the gas control knob to the "on" position, and so return the compartment cover.

After these steps, if your light continues to go off or doesn't function properly, you tin can try the steps below.

What If the Problem Persists?

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When the flame goes off, you only have to relight it using the steps to a higher place. Withal, if it keeps going out, and then 1 of the components is not functioning as required. The nigh common culprit is the thermocouple.

How To Change the Thermocouple

Luckily, you tin can modify the thermocouple. Here'southward how:

Shut off the gas inlet valve. Plow it quarter fashion so that it becomes perpendicular to the gas pipe.
Remove the burner compartment embrace, and then unscrew basics on the gas, pilot, and thermocouple lines to remove the pilot burner assembly.
Unscrew the damaged thermocouple from the airplane pilot burner assembly and replace information technology with the new one.
Fit the pilot burner associates back to the tank, and then reconnect the gas, pilot, and thermocouple lines.
Reopen the gas inlet valve and cheque for leaks by pouring a mix of dish soap and water into the joints.
If in that location are no leaks, relight the pilot lite, and you are good to go.

One time you've followed these steps, check again to see if the pilot light comes back on.Note that you might have to call an proficient to change the thermocouple when dealing with a sealed tank system.

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Relighting Your H2o Heater Airplane pilot Low-cal

Relighting the pilot low-cal is an easy process that should have you lot about a infinitesimal at most. Be sure yous follow the steps in a higher place when dealing with either a sealed or open hot h2o tank system. And of course, when in doubt, be sure to call a plumber. They'll accept the experience and tools to get your hot h2o heater support and running in no time.

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