How to light a water heater with electronic pilot?
Steps to Lighting a Water Heater With an Electronic Pilot
- Prepare your water heater. Locate your water heater’s gas control assembly. ...
- Adjust the water heater’s temperature setting to the lowest possible level. Locate the water heater’s temperature control knob and turn it counterclockwise (to the left). ...
- Turn the control knob or dial to ‘pilot.’. ...
- Press and hold the pilot button. ...
How to start the pilot light on my water heater?
How to Start the Pilot Light on My Water Heater
- Check the Pilot Light. First, check that the pilot light has indeed gone out by removing the access panel at the bottom of your tank water heater.
- Check for Gas Leaks. Before you attempt to relight the pilot, you should always check for a gas leak. ...
- Find an Ignition Source. ...
- Lighting the Pilot. ...
Does a water heater have a pilot light?
Water heaters, gas fireplaces and old gas stoves also often have similar pilot lights. If your furnace has a round knob on the gas valve with the words OFF/ON/PILOT, you have what’s known as a standing pilot ignition.
Do electric stoves have pilot lights?
The heat from the filament lights the gas. In this regard, do electric stoves have a pilot light? Stoves with electric pilot lights or electronic ignition do not have pilot lights that burn continually. These stoves are designed to light when the burners are turned on and the electronic ignition is activated.
Do modern heaters have pilot lights?
Most newer furnaces have electric starters, rather than pilot lights, but they're common in older systems. If your pilot light goes out, we highly recommend checking your furnace's owner's manual and following the manufacturer's instructions.
Do modern appliances have pilot lights?
The problem with pilot lights is that they waste a lot of gas. Therefore, most modern appliances do not have a pilot light. Instead, they use a piezoelectric spark to light the burner.
Does my hot water heater have a pilot light?
The pilot light on most water heaters is located at the base of the unit, below the gas control valve. Open the access panel or door to the burner chamber and look inside. There, you'll find the pilot light tube, which should have a steady blue flame. If you don't see the flame, the pilot light is out.
How do I know if my hot water heater has a pilot light?
It's usually right on the panel. Turn and hold the knob to “Pilot” and push the ignitor. You should hear it click, and probably also a “whooshing” sound. Check in that gap, and you should see the light on.
Which appliances have pilot lights?
A pilot light is a small flame that is kept lit in certain gas-fired appliances like your furnace, water heater, and gas fireplace.
Do all gas heaters have a pilot light?
Natural gas heaters all have a pilot light that ignites the gas burner. The pilot light must be lit for the gas heater to create heat.
How do I know if I have a pilot light?
Locate the front cover panel on your furnace. It should be a little door that's easily visible. Open it. If your pilot light is on, it should be easy to see – your eyes will be drawn to the little flame.
Can I manually light my water heater?
Lighting the Pilot Light on a Manual Hot Water Heater Turn the pilot dial to the off position and wait 5-10 minutes for any gas to dissipate. Then, turn the pilot dial until it says the word pilot. After that, set your temperate knob to low. Now, hold the pilot dial down while you light the burner.
How do you ignite a hot water heater?
Turn the water heat dial to Low and the On/Off/Pilot dial to Pilot. Then, turn the On/Off/Pilot dial downwards and push the igniter button at the same time. Let go of the igniter button, but keep pressing the Pilot dial downward for around 30 seconds. You should hear a "whoosh" sound when the gas is lit.
Can I relight the pilot light by myself?
If your pilot light goes out, your furnace will not be able to produce heat because its burners will not ignite. Often, homeowners can relight the pilot themselves.
What do you do when your hot water heater pilot light goes out?
What should you do when your water heater's pilot light goes out?Turn the thermostat to the lowest setting.Turn the on/off/pilot switch to the “pilot” position.Remove the outer and inner panels to access your pilot light.More items...
What causes the pilot light to go out on a water heater?
Lack of Combustible Air Your water heater requires air to keep the pilot light burning. Otherwise, the flame goes out. Ensure that the water heater is not surrounded by clutter, lint, or debris to increase the amount of combustible air. Keep the surrounding area as clean as possible.
Do new gas water heaters have pilot lights?
The use of standing pilots has been removed from most modern water heaters. They use an electronic device to start a fire. Don’t try to light the electronic ignition system on your own.
Do new heaters have pilot lights?
A traditional pilot light is not used in newer gas furnaces. They use electronic ignition systems that only light up when necessary. Constant flame heating systems can still be repaired in most cases.
Does my hot water heater have a pilot light?
There isn’t a gas or pilot light involved in electric water heating. If the power is off, you may need professional help with an electrical problem.
Where is my pilot light on my water heater?
Beneath the gas control valve is where the pilot light is located. You can look inside the burner chamber by opening the access panel. The pilot light tube has a blue flame and you can find it there. The pilot light isn’t on if you don’t see it.
Do water heaters have automatic pilot lights?
Home ownership requires you to understand how your heating and cooling systems work. The type of pilot light depends on the system. Older models are more likely to have a standing pilot light.
Do I have a pilot light?
A standing pilot light is a small blue flame that sits in front of a furnace burner. You have a standing pilot ignition if your furnace has a small knob on the gas valve that says off or on.
Can I relight the pilot light by myself?
The furnace won’t be able to produce heat if the pilot light goes out. The pilot can be relighted by homeowners.
Why is the pilot light on a tankless water heater wasted?
The pilot light of a tankless water heater is wasted energy because it is not heating water until demand calls for it and the main burner ignites. For a storage water heater, the pilot light serves as standby heat, keeping the water warm at times of no demand.
How does a tankless water heater work?
A tankless water heater, or on-demand water heater, has no storage tank. Opening a hot-water faucet creates a flow of water through the water heater. This triggers the ignition of the gas burner that heats between 1 and 5 gallons of water per minute depending on the make and model.
What is a spark in a water heater?
A spark produced from an electrical current ignites the gas in a pilotless water heater. Think of it as the equivalent of the sparkplug in the car igniting the fuel mix in the engine cylinder. The electricity for the spark is from a wall outlet or from an internal generator utilizing the movement of the water through the pipes to produce ...
Does Hunker have a pilotless water heater?
Hunker may earn compensation through affiliate links in this story. Natural gas water heaters that do not have a continuously burning flame or pilot light are said to be pilotless. This reduces the amount of energy needed by the appliance, conserving fuel and reducing emissions. The technology is limited to on-demand water heaters.
How does a pilot light work?
When the main burner extinguishes, the pilot light continues burning. It works using a thermocouple device. The thermocouple device, when heated, provides a small amount of voltage to a pilot solenoid valve. If the flame goes out, the voltage stops, and the pilot valve closes.
What is a standing pilot gas valve?
They are reliable and effective to safely light the main burners of a gas furnace, boilers, or water heaters. While the standing pilot gas ignition systems are prone to problems with proper maintenance, the standing pilot gas ignition systems are reliable for many years. Especially if proper and routine maintenance happens on these systems.
What is a problem with a pilot gas ignition system?
Most often, if there is a problem with the standing pilot gas ignition system, it is with the thermocouple or thermopile. These flame-proofing components need to replacing when that happens. However, there are situations where the pilot gas line gets fouled or clogged with debris or trash. In that case, the blockage will not permit the proper amount of gas to the pilot tip. A thorough cleaning of the pilot assembly is in order in this situation.
What is a standing pilot ignition system?
A standing pilot ignition system has a pilot light assembly and a thermocouple or thermopile. The two, thermocouple and thermopile are different but produce the same result. That is always proving the flame. The flame keeps the thermocouple or thermopile hot.
Which is more efficient, standing pilot or electronic ignition?
Electronic ignition gas ignition systems are more efficient than standing pilot gas ignition systems. The electronic ignition gas ignition systems utilize energy only when needed. These systems only utilize electronic ignition only on a call for heat or a call for the gas furnace, gas-fired boiler, or gas-fired water heater to fire. That makes electronic ignition gas ignition systems more efficient than standing pilot systems.
Do standing pilots need gas?
Especially if proper and routine maintenance happens on these systems. The downside to the standing pilot, gas ignition system, is they require a pilot light all the time to function. That means the standing pilot gas ignition system needs to use gas all the time.
Does a standing pilot light in a furnace add heat?
Another downside to the standing pilot, gas ignition system, is it adds heat to the system even in the summer. This will cause your air conditioner to work a little harder to remove the heat. The heat added by the continuously burning flame of the standing pilot light inside the furnace.
What is the difference between a pilot light and a furnace?
The difference is that the flame is only lit (by an electronic spark) when your furnace is ready for a heating cycle. When the pilot light is not needed, it is completely off, saving you money on gas. You can read more about furnaces.
What is the pilot light on a gas furnace?
If you have an older gas furnace, your heating unit relies on a little blue flame known as a pilot light to ensure ignition of the burners. Water heaters, gas fireplaces and old gas stoves also often have similar pilot lights.
What are the drawbacks of pilot lights?
Another pilot light drawback is energy waste. Since the pilot light needs to remain active, your furnace is always consuming some gas. It’s not a lot—usually just a few therms of gas a month—but that obviously adds up over time. There is a safety issue as well.
What is a standing pilot ignition?
If your furnace has a round knob on the gas valve with the words OFF/ON/PILOT, you have what’s known as a standing pilot ignition. As you probably know from experience, the biggest drawback to pilot lights is that they will get extinguished at times, causing you to lose your heat.
