Has the Hot Water Vanished? Time to Relight Heater Pilot

Have you ever woken up ready for a nice hot shower only to find cold water flowing through your pipes? Odds are the water heater pilot light has gone out, and you need to relight it.

Relighting is a simple job that anyone can do with a little instruction. Here’s how:

* Find the control valve, usually at the front of the heater tank toward the bottom.

* Turn the small control knob on top of the control valve from “on” position to “pilot” position.

* Remove the sheet metal access panels at the bottom of the tank to expose the lower service hatch. There is an outer and an inner panel.

* Locate the pilot flame orifice. Follow the tubes down from the gas control valve through the lower hatch to their terminus, where the pilot flame is located.

* Light the pilot. First find the red “pilot activation knob” on top of the control valve and push down as far as it will go. Now light a match or extended lighter and place it just below the pilot orifice. A blue flame should appear.

* Continue to hold the red knob down for a full minute before releasing it. The flame should continue to burn.

* Carefully reinstall the sheet metal access panels at the bottom of the water heater.

* Turn the control knob from “pilot” to “on.” You should notice an audible “whoosh” as the main burner ignites.

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Gary Abrams is a general contractor. Comments and questions can be sent to him at thehomedoc@aol.com.