The gas regulator knob on your water heater has three positions: "On," "Off" and "Pilot." When it's turned to "Off," there's no gas powering the pilot light or the heating elements in the tank. When it's on "Pilot," the pilot light is getting gas but the rest of the unit is not.
Traditional or standard pilot lights have flames that burn 24/7. When the water heater comes on, it draws in gas from your home's gas lines and feeds it through piping to the pilot light. The gas ignites and helps heat the water in the unit's tank.
Yes it is safe to leave the water heater in pilot mode while flushing. You do not want the burner to fire while the tank is empty as this can damage the tank but the pilot will not cause a problem. Added: most gas valves with a standing pilot have the temp setting and ``pilot'' then off settings.
The whole point of the pilot on a hot water tank is to light the main burner when the temperature drops below the set level on the thermostat. That's why you'd want it on if you had a water tank - so you wouldn't have many many gallons of water that needed to heat up again before you used it.
The Short Answer Is: It is generally safe for a homeowner to relight a furnace pilot light, as long as they follow proper precautions and guidelines. To do it yourself, first, turn off the furnace's gas supply and wait for a few minutes to allow any lingering gas to dissipate.
In the end, keeping the gas fireplace pilot light on or off is a personal preference. The decision boils down to residual heat, gas usage, and the possibility of nesting spiders. Generally, we recommend turning off the gas pilot light during the summer months.
If the pilot light goes out, the gas will stop flowing and your unit will shut off. When heating is required, the gas control valve releases the gas into the main burner where the pilot light ignites the gas. Apart from lighting the main burner, the pilot light also provides warmth to the thermocouple.
Turn off the electricity to the water heater or turn the gas switch to pilot. Shut off the cold-water inlet to the water heater. Connect a garden hose to the tank's drain valve. Locate the draining end of the hose in an area that won't be adversely affected by the scalding hot water.
The Cost of Relighting the Pilot Light
A plumber can help reignite the pilot light. They will charge you an hourly fee of $40 to $150. This is usually a fairly brief project, and may just take an hour.
Many newer water heaters no longer use a standing pilot light and instead use an automatic intermittent pilot or some other type of ignition system. However, if your unit has a standing pilot where there is always a constant flame, the unit won't be able to work until you can get the pilot to stay lit.
This valve operates automatically and shuts off gas flow as soon as the pilot goes out, preventing any risks of excessive gas buildup. That said, even the failsafe system can malfunction, so any time your pilot is out, be sure to carefully check for any strong gas odors, like the scent of sulfur or rotten eggs.
If you are having trouble getting your water heater pilot light on, or you can't get it to stay lit for long, rely on a plumbing professional for water heater repair, maintenance, and replacement services.
Igniting a flame in the proximity of a gas leak can be very dangerous for you and your home. You should only reignite your hot water heater pilot light if you are sure there is no gas leaking from your unit.
How Long Will It Take to Get Hot Water Again? The average gas heater takes between thirty and forty minutes to heat a full tank of water. The exact time depends on the capacity. For comparison's sake: An electric heater takes at least an hour, usually up to 80 minutes, to warm up.
The EPA recommends 120 degrees because it's hot enough to keep diseases at bay but not hot enough to cause scalding. This setting will also supply enough hot water for most small families and is relatively energy efficient.
Relight the pilot light.
Turn the knob to “Pilot,” and let gas to flow to the pilot. Light a lighter or match, then push in the reset button. Hold your flame to the pilot light's opening. Keep the reset switch depressed until the pilot light is burning steadily.
If you have a gas water heater, you may need someone to light a pilot light, which costs $50 to $150 for a plumber's visit. A thermocouple costs about $150 to replace, while a gas control valve costs $350 on average. If you have an electric water heater, a tripped breaker can stop it from working.
So basically your pilot light is responsible for combusting your fuel source, which is how your furnace creates heat. If it goes out, the safety features of your furnace will not allow it to release gas into the burner, meaning that the furnace will not run at all.
If you are going to do maintenance on your water heater such as flushing your water heater, you should turn off your pilot heater to prevent heating an empty tank or if you are leaving for vacation or leaving the house vacant for a long time, it may be beneficial to turn of the pilot light to save energy cost and to ...
If the gas burner or electric heating elements come on during the flushing process, the water heater can be damaged, requiring repair or replacement. Some manufacturers will recommend turning the gas off completely during this process, others may recommend setting the gas valve to the “pilot” or “vacation” setting.
A pilot light is a small flame that is kept lit in certain gas-fired appliances like your furnace, water heater, and gas fireplace. When you turn on your appliance, gas is released to the main burner and the pilot light ignites that gas to turn on your appliance and provide heat.
The thermocouple is an apparatus that senses whether the pilot light is lit and triggers the gas control valve. Repairs typically cost about $150 to have it done professionally, though a new thermocouple itself only costs about $20 on average.
Another way to identify your water heater type is to look for a pilot (flame). To do this, you will need to locate the access panel on the unit and see if you can spot a bluish flame – if you do, then you are seeing a gas-powered unit in action.
Sediment buildup is a common cause of a pilot light on but no hot water. A rusty thermocouple can also cause your water heater not to yield the right water temperatures. Another cause includes a tripped breaker or blown fuse. Contacting a plumber near you is the safest way to troubleshoot a faulty water heater.