No hot water from a gas tank heater usually means the pilot went out, and most modern heaters relight with a knob and a push-button igniter in about 15 minutes. Here is when it is safe to try, how to do it, and the smells and signs that mean you should leave it to us.
Smell gas? Do not relight anything. A rotten-egg smell near the heater means gas is already in the air. Do not flip switches, use a phone near the heater, or strike a flame. Get everyone out, leave the door open behind you, and call SDG&E at 1-800-411-7343 or 911 from outside.
Look through the small window near the bottom of the tank. No flame at all means the pilot is out. Then check the stove or dryer: if every gas appliance in the house is out, the problem is upstream at the meter or an earthquake shutoff valve, and relighting the heater will not help. Call us for that one.
Turn the gas control knob to OFF and walk away for five minutes so any gas near the burner clears. Come back and smell near the floor by the heater. Gas is heavier than air, so that is where it collects. Any smell at all, stop here and follow the warning at the top of this page.
Turn the knob to PILOT, then push it in and hold it (some models have a separate pilot button). While holding, press the igniter button every second or two until a flame appears in the window. Keep holding the knob for a full 60 seconds after it lights. That minute heats the thermocouple, the safety sensor that tells the valve the flame is real.
Let go slowly and check the window. If the pilot stays lit, turn the knob to ON and set the dial to about 120 degrees, which is the "Hot" or "A" mark on most dials. The main burner should light with a soft whoosh. Hot water takes 30 to 60 minutes to come back on a 40 or 50 gallon tank.
Stop and call us if: the pilot goes out again when you release the knob after three tries, the flame is yellow or orange and lazy instead of blue, you see soot or scorch marks around the burner door, water is pooling at the base, or the label with the lighting instructions is missing. A pilot that will not stay lit is usually a worn thermocouple or a dirty burner, and both involve the gas valve. If your heater is past 10 years old, frequent outages are one of the signs it is due for replacement.
Call and describe it. We will tell you what it likely is, what it usually involves, and how soon we can be there.
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Tell us what is going on and we will give you a real answer, a real timeframe, and an upfront price.
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