Water Heater Pilot Keeps Going out - CLEAN THE FILTER GRATE! Most common issue!
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- čas přidán 7. 09. 2024
- This reset will work with most gas water heaters. Whirlpool, A. O. Smith, Rheem, Bradford White, GE General Electric, ao smith etc.
how to light a pilot light on a water heater
This should work with American water heaters, Rheem water heaters, A. O. Smith water heaters, and Bradford white water heaters
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THANK YOU ! I am a senior woman with a I’ll hubby who can not bend his back... and when the water heater went out I cried thinking how much these days it would cost me .. I shut down unit and went to bed and prayed for answer... woke up drank coffee and grabbed iPad ..went to Utube and searched and you can up and saved me ! Your videos are easy to follow and understand .. you will never know how much you helped me ...God Bless you
We've been without hot water for a couple of days in the middle of a cold, Canadian winter. Pilot wouldn't stay lit after following various instructions since yesterday. I was about to go out to try to replace the thermocouple, dreading probably having to pay hundreds of dollars to have someone come look at it and try to upsell a bunch of things I don't need if that didn't work... but then found this video! Nothing else I've come across mentioned the air grate! We have 5 cats, a dog and an unfinished basement, so as soon as I watched this video I knew what our problem was. Cleaned the grate, pilot stayed lit the first time I ignited, and the big whoosh happened as soon as I turned the heat up! Thank you for the help!
I had this same issue with the pilot light. Called my home warranty company (my home warranty company is one of the MAJOR home warranty companies in the U.S.). They sent out a technician to assess the situation. He told me I needed a new water heater. My home warranty company only covered the water heater and he said my out of pocket expenses would be almost $700! I quickly said no and decided to try youtube. Thank you so freaking much for this video. You absolutely saved me a TON of money and hassle.
Thank you so much. After a a 3 minute video, a trip to the dollar store, and 5 minute fix, my water heater is working like new. God bless you.
This video saved me time, money and extra hassle of either spending hours troubleshooting on my own or calling “professionals” just to learn that the entire water heater unit needs to be replaced. Thank you for your help!
Thank you for the donation. 👍😎
I thought I needed a new water heater, and was so bummed about cold showers, but then I found this video, and I fixed it!! I’m so proud right now😂 thank you so much!!
Thanks for sharing the video and creating a forum for us to share, learn, and help each other. I've had water heaters without air grilles in my house for many years and never experienced the pilot out issue before. But mom was an innocent victim of the pilot going out today. Mom had no hot water when she woke up this morning on her 2 year old Lochinvar water heater in the garage, and we were dumbfounded why the "new" water heater went out. I adjusted the temperature dial to try and force the burner on with no success and finally realized the pilot was out. I tried to relight the pilot following the instructions but I couldn't see a spark when I pressed the igniter, and didn't know exactly where to look for the pilot through the small glass window. Several hours later I somehow got the pilot working and the flame going and thanked God for helping me. I watched the flame and noticed there was blue then orange flame then blue and didn't know the cause. My smarter than me phone told there may not be enough air, and after a while I found the air grille/grate/filter/screen on the bottom. I vacuumed and cleaned everything all around the bottom and the flame was back to normal blue. Like I said I've never had a pilot go out on the older water heaters without grilles, but now I know the air intake grille at the bottom of new ones (AKA flame arrestor plate) can cause unexpected problems. The engineering safety improvement required for new water heaters made after July 1, 2003 solved a flammable vapor ignition resistance (FVIR) problem by a design change that called for an air grille intake at the bottom, but after reading stories here I can see how a dirty air/flame arrestor grille/screen that simply needs to be gently cleaned can become an unnecessary financial burden. Why couldn't the FVIR design stipulate little or no maintenance required? www.achrnews.com/articles/90837-water-heater-design-changes-in-the-works
worked! thanks for the video! Before watching this video I was going to change thermocouple!
My filter was not on the bottom, it was on the outside wrapped around the outside on the bottom. Cleaned it with a compressor, and Bam!..Got hot water again. Thanks for the tips.
Thanks for sharing👍😎nice job.
You sir are the hero I didn’t know I needed. Pilot light went out and I couldn’t figure it out. One toilet brush full of dust later and I’ve got water again.
Hot water was out lat last night. Tried to relight the pilot but it wouldn’t. Googled this morning and found this video. This worked GREAT! I cleaned the filters and my heater started up again. We have hot water again!! Thank you so much!!
Sunday morning, no hot water, coronavirus stay at home ordered, if I can get someone out it will be expensive and they may talk me into expensive repairs or replacement - BUT - thanks to CZcams and this very informative Check it Out channel I was able to diagnose the problem - a dirty air intake filter and re-start my pilot light. Thank you, thank you, thank you !!! Clear instructions, advice and precautions, well done. You’ve taken the mystery and fear out of trouble shooting and maintaining our gas water heater !
Thank you! That was perfect. As a water heater technical support representative I couldn't have done it better thank you this is 95% or better of my calls in the day
Thank you it’s been on ever since I cleaned it you saved me money that we needed. God bless you
Thank You this solved my problem of the pilot always going out had to run water heater on low for some time or pilot would go out, Nice to have hot water again especially since we are in November here in St. Louis ! I'm 62 and work 10 hours a day on my feet,A hot shower really hits the spot!
Found your channel because the Santa ana winds in SoCalif blew out my pilot light...followed your instructions and Walla Hot water 😁...
Now a Subscriber...👍
billy fatbowe Happy to help. Hopefully those Santa Ana‘s don’t start too many fires.
Thank you so much Check It Out !!! Now the hot water never goes out anymore and my family gets to shower happy
Thank you so much!! Have been fighting my water heater for weeks and finally came across your video. It lit immediately!!! Thank you so much once again!!
OMG! You just saved me $$$$! Had a plumber out a few weeks ago who pushed reset button here less than 10 minutes and told me if it kept happening I needed to switch to electric. Well that would have been big expense I'm sure. I think I am a good housekeeper but never thought of cleaning grate! After cleaning the grate pilot lit up no problem! Can't thank you enough!
Very good quick video on a no cost solution. You can't beat that.
You’re welcome, thank you for the kind comment 👍
Thank you so much for posting this video. My husband did what you said and it worked.
This was sooooo helpful. I think the cleaning out the grid was the problem. The resetting from the four blinks inhad gotten from another video last night when this first happened. Hope cleaning the gid means I won't be doing this again anytime soon!!
Great, great idea. I thought the burner needed to be removed and clean the filter from the inside, but if we can accomplish that with a brush from underneath, that saves a lot of time and trouple shutting the gas, and removing a couple gas connections. This is the same as cleaning under the refrigerator with that long black *bottlebrush looking" brush.Brush from underneath, then vacuum up eith a skinny vaccuum hose attachment.
Thx so much you saved me $1500 - $1800 a quote from a plumber.
didn't know there was a filter grate, you fixed my problem, thank you.
I would clean it every 3 to 4 months or so. It varies depending on how dirty the area is. Also how much your water heater is used. If you’re ever having problems with the hot water heater not working right, definitely try cleaning that area 👍
Check It Out !!! I just got a house with this exact model water heater, watched videos on how to ignite it and got it working so I was happy I had hot water! I put it in between low and hot and it worked great it stayed blinking my next question would be do u leave it on like that or does it eventually turn on or what? I just messed with it last night so I’m just worried about leaving it on or having to turn it on. The white light stayed blinking and worked great. Thanks!
If your clothes dryer is close to your water heater, you will be cleaning that grate every week or so. Sweeping up around the dryer after every use helps. The phone number on the water heater will get you a "filter" - a rectangular strip to wrap around the bottom of the water heater. But it's impossible for me to get it wrapped with the water heater already wedged into a corner.
This flippin' guy. The real MVP! Thank you. My pilot light went out so I had to rewatch your other video (thank you again!) During the 10min waiting period with it Off I decided to learn how to clean the filter. Off to do some scrubbin'.
Love this comment! Thanks for making my day.
Have a good one.
You seriously helped me SO SO much I am forever thankful. My mother passed her mass is tomorrow I go to take a shower and then it wasn’t getting hot I looked and saw pilot was out followed steps didn’t work. Then I watched you video on to clean and click the button back in (it was very dusty. Thank you so much!!!!!!!!
You are a savior! The only thing I can do to repay you is to point out that you accidentally misspelled the word "going" in the title of the video. :)
Thanks this helped me! No room for a brush but air hose worked!
Thanks for your video. I got my water heater working again.
Thank you for the great advice. Spot on! And it's Christmas weekend. No way to get a plumber! Rockstar!
The pilot went out randomly twice in two weeks, this has to be the issue, thanks much!
The purpose for the "Tight" air intake screen on the underside of the water heater is to reduce chance of explosion---caused by external ignition sources--such as vapors. Note that the pilot area door is also air tight. I got this info somewhere. The burden now becomes a homeowners to make sure the air intake screen is free of debris--be it dust and whatever. Sometimes hard to manage in a very unfinished basement where dust is abundant. Most people would not even know this is now an issue. I learned of it by experiencing the problem. A Water Heater does not use the volume of air say an auto engine uses, but eventually, this will be a problem. Old water heaters had no such problem--ever. Next thing you know they'll be putting air filters on them.
Thanks a ton for this video. I've been struggling with this and thinking I needed to take it all apart to clean it and instead I've just been turning it on again daily. That same brush you used was basically right by my while watching your video. Got it done. Finally. So much easier than expected, I can't believe I didn't just find more videos in the first place. First video I watched suggested taking everything apart and it took me weeks to come back and find this one.
I have returned from watching your video oh about 20 minutes ago. I had to pull the burner unit out to get a brush to the silver filter cleaned it all out vacuumed everything out. I believe the problem is solved we will see at any rate thanks for making me aware that there was another filter actually on the tank it’s self. Seriously it was getting annoying vacuuming and cleaning the pre filter that my unit has.
Thank you so much! I watched your video and got my HW Htr running again.
The only issue I ran into is the instructions written on the unit don't mention anything about the Relay reset button. I called the manufacturer and they were pretty helpful.
Its funny how the instructions to light the pilot didn't mention anything about trying to clean the dust build up underneath either.
Maybe it's in the instruction manual.
Idk. The unit is an 11 yr old Whirlpool and your video saved the day.
In 11/16 2020 I purchased a rheem hot water heater which I thought was a quality product only to find out a inferior gas control valve was used to save rheem money(,Now I am getting a rheeming for the cost of a service charge and prior proven valve that should have been used in the first place.Thanks Rheem enjoy your savings I sure haven't.
I just canceled my order for hot water heater. Thanks for the tip.
I agree with everyone on here. You’re a blessing! Thank you so much!!!
I wacht this video it work perfect all most 3 weeks back to normal my heat tank thank you so much
Want to say thanks for the video? Use my Amazon link to shop. It’s free for you to use and Amazon pays a small commission.amzn.to/33i9exY
My hot water heater sits flat on the floor so how could I access its air filter? Its a Rheem Performance Plus. Thx for your help.
your brushing returned no dirt.
After working for 28 years for Gas/Electric Utility, never did I found dust, even at a dirt cellar, cause any problem. The prices for the new AGWH $500 and up for a tank to heat water compared to $250. Not to mention $5.00 for a new thermocouple.
Thank you for your video a friend of mine was always calling the repairman for her water tank because it was study going out I watched your video an now there is no problem at all 👍👍👍👍👍👍
I have to light my pilot every time to take a bath. It would heat the water but then the pilot would go out. I have an identical hot water heater like yours. I'm sure dirt is the problem. I'm going to buy me a brush tomorrow and do what you said. Thanks so much for making this vid. I know this is got to be my problem!
OMG.. that was it?!?!?!? thanks for making this video. Informational and straight to the point!
Thank you!!! Our basement flooded...thought we would have to replace it. Ours is way older but I though I'll give this a go!! It worked!!!
Your video was very informative, thank you. My pilot light goes out when we have a stormy windy day. It started being susceptical to the wind 13mos ago. My hot water heater is located in the attic. Good condition; installed in 2014. What to do? New water heater, new thermo-coupling, sensor?? Help!
Thank you very much. Water heater is back up and running!
thanks much. I was definitely able to get some visible light coming through the grate now. Hope this does the trick the long haul!!!
This did the trick! 🙌🏼
Thank you so much. This was very easy. Again, thank you.
Thank you for taking the time to make this video going to give it try when I get home.
A lot of these, like my 2009 Whirlpool, came with a cheesy foam and plastic filter assembly that wrapped/linked together around the support feet to "pre-filter" the combustion air before dust particles and such would make it to the metal grate under the pilot. These usually got tossed. My HWH is in the shop area of the basement which has all manner of wood chips and dust and has no bottom pre-filter. Using a flashlight as in the video, I could see the light shining through the grate. But using an inspection mirror reveals that the LED light was sufficiently powerful to shine THROUGH the dust bunnies. If you're on your belly, take a brush with you and clean it anyway. Mine's about 3" x 8" (50 Gallon) but make sure you have the heater off and let it cool for about 15 minutes.
This video helped out alot, solved my problem. Thank you 👍
Happy to help!👍
It worked!! Yes!!! Was just about to pick up a new controller!
Am going to try this tomorrow
This video is LEGIT i promise.... thank you so much man!
Wow . An other great tip . Thank you very much for posting this video .
Well done!
I dont know if this helped but it was pretty dusty under my water heater and i cleaned it and staryed it up and now its working , thanks man
Yooo thanks bro's, your video is really a life saver out of all the videos I saw!
I'd like to add my own experience to this IN CASE anyone has their tank sitting flat and flush to floor, for which case you cannot even access from below with a Scotchbrite:
I rocked the tank a little and kicked a wood shim just enough for maybe 1/4" gap between floor and tank. Unscrewed the cover of Pilot assembly and pulled it up past the bend in gas pipe. Then, I used a 1-2 Punch combo of air compressor with a nozzle blower on hose, along with a strong new HEPA vac I got using a car-crevice vacuum tool. I just alternated between the two, as all the iron rust flakes blew all over the place, and also blew and vac'd under the gap on floor. The Pilot was touch and go for a couple years. Seems that very heavy windy days or if I swept dust around floor would knock it out, and I could light it again. This should rule out bad Thermo. NEVER knew about dust, filter, debris and such, and after this process I managed to get light on first attempt. I use a handy clamp to hold pilot button down for a minute and when I came back it fired up! Best part about success in these matters...is the steam coming out of your shower when you finally wash away the frustrations.
My pilot light would not stay lit so I check all things out and thought it was the valve. I took the valve a part and found pilot solenoid wire broke loose from the pin solder it back on put back together and work great.
Nice job!
Vacuum very well after including the grate
Mine is doing the exact same thing, I hope it works, it should, it's only like 6 months old
I worked you are awesome! 🎉🎉🎉🎉
Thanks really appreciate this video
Wooo excelente aplicación, justo lo que buscaba, gracias 👍❤️
You are a life saver.
ive been searching for an answer to this bht i guess i was wording it wrong cause i cant believe i hadnt seen this before. mornings waking up to the hearer being off and no hot water or very little sucks so bad.
This helped very much. Thank you
Thank you! Thank you!!!
Thank you so much
Bet you right dam thing keeps going out I cleaned the filter that yours doesn’t have but I’m sure mine has that filter under the pilot also
Wow! Thank You! 🙏
Great video Thank you I have the same heater! Do you know if the thermostat is replaceable on our model?
I replaced the module on mine before. It's not as easy as replacing the pilot but not too hard
Bro let me tell you your the MAN!!!
Dude awesome 👌....I removed filter cleaned it. It works. Awesome A+
Got it thanks for detailing it out here in this video!
wow. really? this is the 1st vid on this potential fix. been struggling with this honeywell for 2 years now. this might be the fix. I installed this w.h. in 2011.
Let us know if it works!
Well thank you. I will give this a try. I have a fresh air intake in my mechanical room
and have been trying to fashion a charcoal filter over it to filter the stinky air from my neighbor.
I have a 20x25 filter and thought it would be enough surface air to allow enough air. I went and
looks at the air intake you showed us and will be cleaning that and giving it a try.
Thanks
You're a lifesaver!
Happy to help 👍😎
Your video helped out just now same type of tank thank you !!!!
Thank you for info. I tried multiple times turn on the water heater. It’s on pilot and fire on, then the fire turned off itself after 1 min. Please let me know what can I do the next step. Thank you so much!
My hero!
Thank you so so much 🏆🏆🏆😀
Thank's...
Thank you so much! I can't believe how easy it was 😂
The video I was looking for... thank you! Fix my problem
What error code were you getting when the red light was blinking...
Nice work man, thanks!!!
this was hepful, thanks!
You're the best!!! Thank you so much 😭😭😭
You're welcome!
Thank you!
Your welcome 👍
Thank you! It worked!!!!
No Problem! I’m happy to help!👍😎🎉
Thank you for this video!! Very helpful
I cannot believe this was all it took
My water heater is sitting on a water retaining pan, and there is no room to insert a brush underneath. I will figure out if there is another way to clean the filter grate.