Water Heater Pilot Light (Old Style)

older style water heaters.

Safety First
Stand beside your water heater. Do you smell gas? Now kneel down next to the gas/control valve. If you don’t smell gas your ready to light your pilot light.If you smell gas call GAC Plumbing Company.

707-538-8000

This is an older style gas
water heater.

Turn the temperature control
knob to the lowest setting.

Turn the on/off control
knob to the the pilot setting.

Remove both the outer
and inner access panels.

Press and hold the water heater pilot button down.

Your gas valve/thermostat may look different from the one
in the picture but they all work the same.

Some models don’t have a pilot button. The on/off control knob itself is pressed down when it is set on pilot.

The smaller silver tube coming out of the bottom of the gas control valve is the pilot supply tube.

Follow it to the end with a match and light the pilot.

Continue to hold the pilot button down for 20 to 30 seconds after the pilot is lit.

Slowly release the button. The pilot should stay lit. If it goes out re-light it and hold the button down a little longer.

If your gas has been turned off or if you have ran out of gas you will need to hold the pilot button down until all the air is out of the line.

If after lighting your hot water heater pilot light it goes out again or if it won’t stay lit, you may need to check your water heater thermocouple.

Ok got your water heater pilot lit? Great!

Don’t fire up your burner yet.

A lot of people have been burned
(usually in the face and eyes)
because of blowback/rollout
from the burner.

This is usually caused by rust falling off of the bottom of the tank and clogging the burner and/or the orifice. Gas will build up in the burner chamber before it reaches the pilot . The results is flame rolling out of the access opening when the burner is fired.

Never fire your burner with the access panels off.

Replace both the inner and outer access panels.

Turn the on/off control knob to the on position.

Turn the temperature control knob to the desired setting.

You should hear your burner fire up.