How to Re-Light a Gas Hot Water Heater Tank/Lighting a New Water Heater  

There are many reasons you may find yourself needing to relight your water heaters pilot. Relighting a water pilot is really a simple task that just about anyone accomplish. You do need the ability to bend over and kneel next to the water heater if it located on the floor. In extreme cases, you will need to lie next to the water heater to view the pilot light. If you are not comfortable with your abilities, please contact you gas supplier or a plumber to light your water heater’s pilot. Setting your water temperature above the manufactures recommended setting will increase the risk of scalding; especially children. These lighting guidelines are for new tank-type water heaters with a sealed combustion chamber.  

1.      Remove the front or outer cover from the waterheater combustion chamber located under the gas control valve. In most cases, you will be able to remove the cover by hand. Use caution, some covers are made of metal; they can be sharp on the edges. 

2.      Confirm that the main gas supply valves turned to its on position. 

3.      Turn the gas control valve’s on-and-off knob on the top of your water heaters gas control valve counterclockwise to it off position. Wait a few minutes and allow any excess gas to escape from the heating chamber through the flue vent. 

4.      Rotate the control knob dial on top of the gas control valve until the half-round notch lines up with the round reset button to its left. This is the pilot lighting position. 

5.      Turn the large dial on the front of the gas control valve to the left (counterclockwise) until the vacation setting lines up with the bar or arrow straight above it. This is where you want to light the pilot safely. 

6.      Press down on the reset button to the left and hold, at the same time; press down firmly on the Piezo pilot lighting button to the right of the control valve until you hear a click. The click sound is the Piezo creating a spark inside the water’s combustion chamber next to the pilot light orifice. Release the reset button. 

7.      Look for a small blue flame inside the combustion chamber. There should be a small glass viewing port to the right side of the inner chamber door. It is not at all easy to see the flame if your water heater is sitting on the ground. You will need to lie down almost flat on the floor and look into the viewing port at toward the center of the water heater to see the flame. If you see the flame, turn the control knob to ON, and the temperature dial to your desired heat setting.  

8.      If you do not see a flame, repeat the steps 1-6. 

9.      Sometimes you will just not be able to see the pilot flame. You water heater’s pilot light may still be lit. Try turning the temperature control dial to your desired setting. If you hear a muffed roar, that should be your water heater lighting. Check to see if the draft-hood is getting warm by placing your hand near, NOT Under the draft hood, on the top of the water heater. If you smell gas, and feel not heat, immediately turn the gas-valve control knob back to off position and temperature dial back to vacation. Repeat steps 1-6 after a few minutes, unless you still smell gas; in which case you need to wait a few more minutes.  

10.  If the main gas supply has removed or disassembled, it may take several attempts to relight your pilot. The air in the line must pass through the tiny pilot light orifice before enough flammable gas is present.  

If the gases smell, does not go away or dissipate after 5 minutes, shut of the gas supply to the water heater, and then call a professional repairperson licensed to work on your water heater. 

Contact a plumber or your gas supplier if the control knobs and/or dials will not turn, or if there is no click when you press on the Piezo igniter.   

These are general guideline for relighting most any gas water heater. You should always fallow the manufactures lighting instructions provided with your water.