To have a proper circulation of warm and hot water, a water heater regardless of its type is capable of doing this job effortlessly. However, there are times when the heater does not light or take time to start. The reason behind this is that the pilot might not be burning or it is flashing out. In this blog, we are sharing a guide for our readers regarding how to light pilot light on water heater (electronic and gas).
Things to keep in mind
The water heaters are fired through three different methods that will help to light them. This includes
Standing Pilot Electronic Lit
The new models of water heaters need an electronic pilot. The status light indicates the working of the pilot with a small ignite button usually with the design of a lightning bolt symbol.
Standing Pilot Manual Lit
The older versions of the water heater might not have the feature of the electric pilot. In such units, there would not be any lighting or ignition button. You have to contact the professionals for your unit to either fix it or replace it.
Electronic Ignition without the Pilot
The latest models usually do not have the standing pilot light, the one that is always lit. it turns on only when water heating is essential. They also might not have the ignition button. In case the heater is not lighting then there must be some issue with the thermocouple or the gas valve control.
How to light pilot light on water heater
Obviously, the first thing is to check where is the pilot of your water heater is located. After knowing that you have to follow some steps.
- Look out for the electrical wiring of the fan. In case there isn’t any, then find out the circuit and make sure if it is on.
- If you are using a gas water heater then turn on the gas valve if required.
- Dial or rotate the gas control knob to the pilot position.
- Hold down th gas control knob and depress it.
- Right after a second, press the ignition button till the status light begins to blink every few seconds. This indicates that the pilot of the water heater is lit.
- This whole process will take approximately 1 minute for a newly installed unit.
- When the pilot is lit turn on the gas knob from hot to hotter as per your requirement. Now, only check if the gas burner is at the fire. You just need to have a close look to observe the flame from the small window.
How to Light a Water Heater with Electronic Pilot?
If you are using an electric water heater and it is not working or liting the fire after a lot of struggle, here are some struggles that you have to do. All you have to do is add two more steps or you can say are a recommendation.
- The pilot light goes out sometimes before you turn the knob to set the temperature. This is because a component called a thermocouple is not heated properly. In such a situation, there is nothing you can do except wait. Just wait for 10 seconds and adjunct the gas control knob from the pilot to set the temperature.
- If this does not work and still the issue is there, all you have to do is search out for a small button to reset. Most of the time it is located at the base of the unit with the wiring attached. Hold the button for five seconds and repeat the process.
What is a Thermocouple?
The thermocouple is a flame sensor that is found in the new water heaters. If the pilot light is out then there are possibilities that the thermocouple might be bent, broken or is dirty.
In case the thermocouple is bent and it is not near the burner then, you can easily shut off the gas and move it over, lighting the pilot again.
Reason for Electric Water Heater Pilot Light Malfunctioning
Whenever there is any kind of malfunctioning, the only thought that comes to mind is either the unit is broken or malfunctioning. When the electric water heater does not light the pilot, there is some issue with it that might have many reasons behind that.
- The reasons for the electric water heater’s pilot light malfunctioning include
- The pilot’s light might not be working because of the loose wires
- Power supply might not be appropriate for the unit
- The thermocouple is damaged
- Bad control of valve
To finally check what is the main reason, you need to start your water heater. In case of an intermittent appliance, make sure the pilot is lit before turning it on. Now, wait for some time before lighting the heater and observing the gas dispersion and giving it a try again.