Electric Water Heater Pilot Light

You should hear a clicking noise until the pilot burner lights.

Electric water heater pilot light. Without it the water heater won t be able to maintain internal temperatures allowing the water to cool off. The water heater pilot light is a small flame that ignites the gas burner on your water heater. This will be located under the gas valve. Push in this knob and hold it while you press the spark ignitor button repeatedly or hold a long handled lighter to the pilot orifice.

While holding down the pilot gas valve or the red button with one hand you will use your other hand to quickly light the pilot. The furnace s electronic control board activates an electric igniter that uses a high voltage spark to light the pilot. Open the door cover over the pilot light access. The small burning flame from the pilot light lights the main burners.

The thermocouple device when heated provides a small amount of voltage to a pilot solenoid valve. While holding the gas knob or button down light the pilot. Need to hire a plumber. On some water heater models you press and hold down a separate red button to start the pilot burner gas flow.

If the pilot doesn t relight if it goes out right after lighting or if the pilot light keeps going out by far the most common cause is a bad thermocouple. Pilot light issues are some of the most common problems experienced with gas water heaters. When the main burner extinguishes the pilot light continues burning. Turn the knob on the gas control on the water heater to the off position wait a minute or two for gas to clear out of the burners then turn it to pilot.

The pilot in turn lights the gas for the burners. If the pilot light goes out the furnace or water heater will not work. Some water heaters just have an open gap instead where you can see the pilot light burner. The pilot light in your hot water heater does more than simply ignite the gas.

Light the pilot burner. Two small gas tubes will lead to it. When the water heater pilot light goes out first try relighting it following the directions on the water heater label. The pilot light flame and thermocouple together produce a tiny amount of electric power which is then used to power the main gas valve on the device.

If you have a new style water tank with a built in ignition switch press this button. Once the burn cycle is complete both the burners and the pilot turn off. If your model has a separate button for pilot mode press and hold it down. Use a flashlight or a headlamp to find the burner inside.

It works using a thermocouple device. Depending on the model of water heater you have you may have a red or black igniting button or you may need to light it manually with a long lighter.