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the pilot light won't light on my water heater. How do I repair it?
Already Tried: I called the gas company to make sure the water heater was working properly
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hello
The pilot light wont light,....or it wont stay light?
It wouldn't light.
Is the gas on to the building?
yes
Does the heater have a open or sealed burner?
open
when you put the lighter by the pilot in the burner with the pilot button pushed does the flame from the lighter move?
Has the heater been worked on recently?
no
Has the gas been off?
it was recently turned on
has the heater been lit since it was turned on?
The gas company came out and lit all of the gas appliances. This one wouldn't light at all.
how far is the heater from the gas meter?
the meter is outside...its a good 10 feet
does the heater have a flexible gas line connected to it from the gas line?
no, i don't think its flexible
does it have one of these?
not to sure
where would I find it?
sounds to me like there is air in the line.
the air will have to be bled out of the line before the pilot will get gas and light
do i need to tap on the pipe leading to the heater?
no that wont help
you need to undo a connection by the heater to bleed the air out
do you need tools to undo the connection?
try this first
hold down the pilot light button while holding a flame next to the pilot
it may take a few minutes for the air to clear from the line
2 to 5 min ?
do it until it lights
might take a few minutes
if it lights, that means the line is cleared of air?
follow the instructions on the heater for lighting it
if it doesn't, should I just say to hell with it and replace it?
if the tank on a heater isnt leaking water it can be repaired
It isn't leaking...however it is more than 10 years old
they usually last 15-20 years
but, its your call on that one
I'll try your advice and see what happens. Thanks for your help.
you are welcome
good luck
I appreciate it.
same here
please hit accept so I can get credit for this
by the way, are there any maintenance things I should know to keep my water heater working once I get things going?
just make sure the burner compartment is clean before you light it. vacuum it out good and blast the burner with compressed air before you light it. other than that keep the area around clear of flammable items
Ok..I'll do just that. Thanks again.
Thank you
Experience: Fifteen years in the residential service industry and new construction