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Light the Heater — Set the Water Heater Control Knob to 'Pilot'

Beginner45 mins

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How to Relight a Gas Water Heater Pilot Light: A Step-by-Step Guide · Step 2 of 5

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In this video

To light the heater, push the control knob down and turn it to the 'Pilot' position. Continue to hold the knob down while pressing the ignition button until the pilot light ignites. Hold the knob for a few seconds, then release. Turn the knob to the desired heat setting, such as 'Low' or 'High', to start the main burner.

Goal: Safely ignite the propane heater

  • It may take several attempts to light the pilot, especially when it's very cold. Be patient and repeat the process if necessary.

Used in this video

  • Portable Propane Heater (brand: Mr. Heater Big Buddy, Tool Type: HVAC, Power Source: Propane, Material: Metal, Plastic) — Providing directed heat to thaw the frozen pipes.
37.5K views1782 minutes
Roger Wakefield Plumbing Education

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FAQs

What should I do immediately if I smell gas at any point during this relighting process?

If you detect any gas odor, stop immediately. Turn off the main gas supply valve to your water heater and evacuate the area. Do not attempt to continue the relighting process, and contact your gas company or a qualified plumber for professional assistance to locate and fix the leak.

I've lit the pilot, but it goes out as soon as I release the control knob. What's the problem?

This common issue typically points to a faulty or insufficiently heated thermocouple. Try holding the control knob in for the full 60 seconds (or even a little longer) to ensure the thermocouple has enough time to heat up. If the pilot still won't stay lit, the thermocouple may be dirty, misaligned, or need to be replaced.

Do I need the specific Husky screwdriver and Scripto lighter mentioned, or can I use different tools?

No, the specific brands mentioned are just examples. Any standard Phillips or flathead screwdriver that fits your water heater's access panel screws will work. For lighting the pilot, any long-reach lighter, such as a BBQ lighter or even a long wooden match, is suitable.

The project is marked 'beginner' and '45 minutes,' but I'm finding it difficult or it's taking much longer. What should I do?

The difficulty and time estimates are averages; it's perfectly fine if it takes you longer, especially if it's your first time. If you're struggling with any step, feel unsafe, or simply can't get the pilot to light after several attempts, don't hesitate to pause and call a qualified plumber for assistance. Safety is paramount.

Transcript
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and that's it, same on both sides, so now we just got to light it. Right so on the top here you have your off, the knob is in the off position, we're going to do it to pilot, you depress it, turn it and there you go, there are lights, that's the pilot light, then you can let up. That's sometimes that takes several times before it gets lit. If that didn't light the first time, just go back and keep going like this and holding it, go back again, hold it until it finally does light. Once the pilot lights lit, you let off and then we'll just move the dial to low to get started and there you can see what basically it's doing one side. So it's an actual flame that's that's lit, the propane comes out against that element there and it's lit and then if we move it to high and there's high and that'll be both sides. Right so that right now you can feel some heat coming from that and it's not blazing but it's definitely very warm, it's enough to do the job that we wanted to do. Now that this is lit, we're just going to go ahead turn it around and put it back here against

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