Many home owners do not want the costly invoice of a contractor to come out just to light a pilot. We are going to go over basic steps for relighting a pilot if it goes out. Please keep in mind safety always comes first and should never be neglected. There are many different types of gas fired water heaters some do not have pilots.

Pilot operated units usually have a control that looks something like the one in the image below on the left. The most common reason for pilot outage are dirty pilots, in which the pilot assembly  would have to be removed to be cleaned properly or the other culprit could also be the thermocouple.

The thermocouple can be identified as a long copper tube extending down from the gas valve to the burner area. The end of the thermocouple is placed in the pilot flame where it would be heated to produce power for the unit to run. 

What is the thermocouple for you ask? This is a safety device. When heated, it produces a small amount of electricity equivalent to approximately 25 % of a 1.5 volt flash light battery. When the pilot goes out and the thermocouple is no longer being heated, the gas will be shut off to the burner area.

When lighting a pilot, extreme caution needs to be taken. Turn the temperature knob down to the lowest possible setting which is usually labeled as vacation. Turning this back up will be the very last step.

Open the door which leads into the pilot area. Long wooden matches are safest for this task. On the top of the gas valve control, there is a knob which controls the gas to the unit you are working on. It should say “On”, “Pilot”, “Off”.

Turn the knob so the word pilot is facing the front of the control. Beside the gas control knob is a button that can only be pressed when in the pilot position. Light your match and place it over the pilot area and then press the pilot button down on the top of the valve. The pilot should light within a few seconds.

Once lit, continue to hold down the knob for approximately 30 seconds to assure full heating of the thermocouple. Once released the pilot should remain on. The pilot should look blue in color and be reasonably sharp in shape. If the pilot looks yellow in color and as we would call it, lazy, then the pilot light would have to be cleaned before using the unit or leaving the pilot on.

If the pilot goes out, do not make an attempt to relight the unit for at least 5 – 10 minutes. Gas buildup in the chamber may occur. Putting a lit match in that area will ignite the residual fuel and flash back in your face and hands causing severe burns. Personal injury will be inevitable. Play it safe and wait.

If the pilot does remain on, is sharp in figure and blue in color, then you are ready to finish up. Replace the inner door and the outer door of the burner assembly before touching any controls. Next turn the gas control knob on the top to the on position.

Before turning up the temperature knob, move both your hands and face away from direct view of the burner area and off to the side in case of a possible roll out of flame.  Remember safety first. Last but not least, adjust the temperature knob up to the desired temperature.

You should hear the burner ignite. To view the burner with safety in mind, it is always best to use a mirror for inspection. The burner flame should also be blue in color.