It sure is frustrating when all you want is a soothing hot shower – and all you get is a stream of cold water. But have you checked that hot water pilot light before calling a plumber or ordering a new hot water system?
The gas hot water pilot light may play a small role in the effective operation of your gas system, but if it’s gone out, the main burner won’t light when you turn that hot tap and request lovely hot water.
Now, it’s always possible – quite rare if your system is still in warranty – that the gas pilot light went out because of a technical problem. These include:
- An unclean or faulty pilot or flex tube
- A dirty/kinked/broken thermocouple
- A faulty main control valve
- A faulty pilot button
- Bad electrical wiring.
But truth be told, perhaps it just blew out. Again, this is pretty rare with modern systems, as very clever and effective ventilation measures usually protect the gas pilot light. Luckily, in most cases, if that pilot light has blown out, it couldn’t be simpler to re-light.
First, what sort of gas hot water system do you have?
For an instantaneous gas hot water system:
- Turn off the power and unplug the system.
- Wait 1 minute, and then power the system back up. This should reset the system.
- Check a hot tap to see if the problem has been resolved.
- If it hasn’t been resolved, ask a family member or friend to turn a hot tap on while you listen at the unit for a quiet clicking sound – the system’s normal operation trying to light the burner. If it’s not clicking, you’re either out of gas or you’ll need a plumber for hot water repairs to assist.
For a gas storage system:
- Find the control knob, and turn it to the ‘O’ mark.
- After waiting 1 minute, turn the knob to the ignite symbol – usually a stylised lightning bolt. Hold the dial down, and at the same time, press the igniter button.
- Do you see the pilot light now?
- If so, keep pressing the dial for 30 seconds before releasing it and moving it to the normal operating position.
As is the case for both gas hot water technology types, the sound of a pilot light trying to do its thing is a discernible ‘click’. If that’s absent completely or these easy instructions are giving you no joy, you’re either out of gas, the gas supply itself is not working correctly, or you have another issue that a licensed gas plumber can help you with.
Hot Water Pilot Light Trouble? Call Ezy-Plumb!
Here at Ezy-Plumb, we care that you have a steaming hot shower to wake up or come home to every day! That’s why we’ve put together what we think is the best, most experienced and friendliest team of gas hot water technicians and plumbers in Bayside, Melbourne and beyond. Don’t suffer for a second longer in the cold; instead, call Ezy-Plumb today to help with a fast fix.
