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Step 1
Set the gas-control knob to the Off position and turn the thermostat to its lowest setting (typically clockwise in both cases). Wait 5 minutes for any gas to clear. If after 5 minutes you smell gas, do not proceed. Call the utility company for immediate service.
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Step 2
Open or remove the outer and inner access covers for the burning chamber using a wrench or pliers. Use a flashlight to locate the end of the pilot-light tube that extends from the gas-control valve into the burning chamber. Adjust your position so you can comfortably reach this point with a wooden match and see what you are doing.
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Step 3
Turn the control knob to the pilot position and immediately hold a match near the end of the pilot-light tube. Depress and hold the reset button on the gas-control valve (see illustration). Remove the match as soon as the pilot lights, but keep the button depressed for about a minute.
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Step 4
If the pilot does not remain lighted, repeat all these steps. Otherwise, turn the gas cock on the control valve to the On position, set the thermostat to the desired temperature and replace the access panels.
Comments
huntdouglas said
on 5/10/2009 Thanks for this tutorial, I was trying to get my fiance back last night for always using the hot water, so I cut off the hot water long enough for her to get tired of the cold water. As soon as she got out, I turned the nob to "on" and jump in the shower. This morning I get up and we had NO HOT WATER. Her mother and grandmother are staying over my house so they were looking at me like "WTF Man? Can't pay a bill?" I rush downstairs to the basement and see that what appears to be instructions have been ripped off the water heater. This tutorial helped me light the pilot and get us running water in 40 minutes flat, plus I look like the man of the house!! LOL. Thanks, Douglas Hunt
annbw said
on 5/4/2009 I'm an old lady that was afraid to try to relight the pilot on the water heater.Thanks for the great video. And thanks to you, I have how water again!
quicksilvernhs said
on 4/19/2009 Thanks for posting this video! My husband and i just bought our first house and are a little unfamiliar with gas water-heaters, so we were a bit confused by the 7000 knobs and dials that go into making sure the gas itself is ON, the water is ON, the gas to the tank is ON, etc. After FINALLY figuring out what was "ON" and what was "OFF" (because our tank is a 1986 model that has long since lost its labeling), we couldn't figure out how to make it light! As soon as I heard the phrase "reset button" on the video, I knew that was the piece i was missing to the puzzle! So, after a little inspection, my husband discovered that the reset button is the knob itself (you have to push down on the knob and then turn it into the "ON" position once you've lit the pilot. Turns out that hulking behemoth in my garage really DOES work! Thanks so much, its going to be VERY nice to enjoy a hot shower after
fairybella18 said
on 2/13/2009 Thank you so much, How awesome to get very accurate simple instructions. I am afraid of gas, and worried I might blow something up trying to relight it!
fairybella18 said
on 2/13/2009 Thank you so much, How awesome to get very accurate simple instructions. I am afraid of gas, and worried I might blow something up trying to relight it!