What If The Pilot Goes Out On A Gas Heater?
When gas heaters have the pilot go out, this can be frustrating. You may not know the actual cause, but it may be one of the several reasons why the pilot is no longer lit. If the pilot isn’t lit anymore, then the heater won’t be able to keep the water warm, and you may experience cold water when you take a shower or try to get hot water from the tap. Usually, cold water is a sign that the pilot has gone out, and many will go to check the heater to see if the pilot is no longer lit. Once the pilot goes out on a gas heater, then it needs to be relit, but it’s best to do safety checks and go through a ritual before relighting the pilot.
Better yet, a plumber in West Covina, who is very knowledgeable about water heaters and licensed to maintain and fix them, is the best person to have relight the pilot as well as checking to see why the pilot went out in the first place. The pilot can be located behind an access panel, or in a newer water heater, the pilot may be seen through a small glass window that doesn’t allow the pilot to be touched by human hands but can still be lit with an igniter.
Check For Any Gas Leaks
Once it’s determined that the pilot is out, the next step is to check for any leaks. Although the thermocouple on the gas heater is supposed to sense the heat from the pilot in order to keep feeding it gas, if it’s malfunctioning, then it will cut the gas to the pilot, which will then cut off the pilot light. Since the thermocouple regulates gas going to the pilot, it should cut off on its own if the pilot ever goes out, but that’s only if it’s functioning correctly. If the thermocouple isn’t working properly, then it’s possible that it’s allowing gas to leak into the very room where the heater is located. This can be very dangerous if the pilot has been out for hours, and the gas has been leaking the whole time.
Always check for a gas leak before the pilot is ever relit. Checking for a gas leak is easy enough, just sniff around to see if you detect a bad smell that smells like eggs rotting. All natural gas smells the same, so it’s easy to detect a leak. If you smell a gas leak in the air, make sure to turn off the gas to the heater, and contact the gas company for further instructions.
In certain cases, there’s no need to have the company come out, since the problem can be fixed within a matter of minutes or with a few steps. If everything is okay and no gas leak is present, then that’s a green light to go forward with relighting the pilot after taking a few more steps.
Start The Process Of Relighting The Pilot
Instructions on how to relight the pilot should be located on the heater or within a door panel that’s located on the heater. These instructions will specifically help a person to relight the pilot safely and correctly. After finding the instructions, it’s necessary to look for the temperature control gauge and set it to “low” or to the lowest setting possible. The temperature gauge will be located on a box shaped surface that is located outside of the heater, and above the temperature gauge should be the on and off knob, which also should have the “pilot” setting on it as well.
Located on the same box like structure should be the regulator valve, which may be on the top portion of the structure. After turning the temperature down, turn the gas knob to the “off” setting, and allow the heater to sit for 10 minutes without being disturbed. Any gas that may have been in the room should be dispersed, and then it’s okay to come back and finish relighting the pilot.
With all the models of water heaters out there, it may be difficult to determine which one you have, but just observe if you have a new heater or an old one. If you have an old heater, then you likely are going to have to light the pilot by putting fire to it. A new heater doesn’t need fire to light it, but an ignition switch can easily light this type of heater, which makes it much easier to light than the old style heater.
Those that have an old heater in their West Covina home will need to get something to light the pilot with, and it shouldn’t be a match or any type of lighter because this can be dangerous. The space where the pilot is, is very tight, and putting a hand in there can cause the person to get burned when using matches or a lighter, especially since they have to get so close to the pilot. It’s best to use a wand lighter, which can light the pilot with a spark, even if no fire is present in the wand lighter.
Get a wand lighter if the pilot must be relit manually. Go to the box that has the valves, and then turn the gas valve from the off position into the “pilot” position. Once the valve is in the pilot position, then use the other hand to reach down with the wand lighter towards the pilot. Push down on the valve to allow gas to go to the pilot right away, and light the pilot with the wand lighter. In some cases, the heater doesn’t allow the gas valve to be pushed downwards, so the regulator valve must be pushed instead. Once the pilot is lit, it’s necessary to wait for about a minute before determining if the pilot will stay lit, and the regulator valve can then be released.
As long as the pilot stays lit, then it’s okay to close up any door or access panel to the heater. The heater needs the main burner to be reignited, so turn the gas valve to the “on” position, and then it’s necessary to adjust the temperature from the lowest setting. The temperature should be at 120°F or 49°C, which is a recommendation from the Consumer Product Safety Commission. The heater should be working properly again, and it will take up to three hours or so for the water to become hot, especially if it’s a 50-gallon water heater.
Consider Water Heater Repair
When water heaters are manufactured, they are made to last for years, and some can have 10 years or more of use, but maintenance is the key. Those who haven’t considered getting water heater repair need to look at the functionality of their heater, especially if it’s been malfunctioning lately. Whether the heater is gas or electric, get maintenance on the heater every year, and get water heater repair when it’s needed.
Your water heater can be maintained or repaired by Daniel Cordova Plumbing, Drain & Sewer in West Covina, CA at (626) 962-0885.