Get Your Water Heater Pilot Light Back On Safely

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Relighting your pilot light is a simple household chore, but it isn't the safest thing your will do today. Any time natural gas or propane is involved you need to be extra careful not to create a gas explosion in your home. These safety steps will ensure you can get the heat back on and still have a utility closet afterwards.

Make Sure You Don't Have a Gas Leak

Lighting a match in the presence of a gas leak may not produce a result as spectacular as a TV explosion, but it still is far from safe. Before you do anything with your water heater, you should be very sure that the pilot light didn't go out because of a gas leak. Since natural gas and propane are both colorless, careful observation is required. These gases don't have a natural smell, so one is added. If the room smells even faintly of rotten eggs, you should stop and call a pro instead of proceeding. In addition, you should listen for hissing sounds that could indicate a leak that you haven't smelled yet.

Set Up The Furnace And Light The Pilot

Before you try to light the pilot light you should check the manual for your model and make sure you are following the correct directions, but most systems for the same way:

  1. Find the dial that controls the gas flow. It should have three positions, "On", "Off", and "Pilot". There should also be a button labeled "Reset".
  2. Turn it off for a few minutes so any residual gas is released from the system.
  3. Switch the valve to "Pilot".
  4. Hold the "Reset" button on the side of the machine while you hold a lit match to the pilot light.
  5. If you can't get the pilot light to stay lit, try poking a bit of wire around to hole to see if something is blocking it.
  6. If you are still having trouble, it's time to have the water heater serviced. Something deeper in the system is preventing the pilot from staying lit.
  7. Finally, once the pilot light is going strong, turn the valve back to "On" to get water heating again.

Now that you know how to relight your pilot light, you don't have to worry about whether or not to call for repairs for this task. This is a normal maintenance task that is completely safe as long as your appliance is well maintained and you take the proper precautions.

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