Maybe I'm the only person out there who genuinely fears blowing up their house when relighting their gas water heater's pilot light. But when we woke up the other day to discover we didn't have any hot water, blowing up the house was my exact and immediate fear. Despite Google, YouTube, and my dad telling me that repairing a gas water heater was easy, my DIY attempts included sparking cables, so I decided to call in the big guns (i.e. a professional plumber.)
When the plumber arrived the next day, it took him all of eight minutes to identify and repair the culprit: a loose igniter cable. While he worked, we chatted about gas water heater repair. I knew this wouldn't be the last time I experienced a faulty water heater in my life, after all, so I wanted to ask as many questions as I could while I had access to an expert (including whether or not a gas water heater could blow up your house).
In total, the eight-minute appointment ended up costing me roughly $200 (ouch) – but at least he answered every one of my rapid-fire questions.
Whether you're a renter or a homeowner, there's a pretty good chance that one day you'll need to do some water heater repair, as well. And although it's too late for me and my bank account, it's not too late for you and yours. For that reason, I'm sharing answers to all the questions I asked my plumber below.
When trying to relight the pilot, should I only press the igniter once?
No. You can press the igniter multiple times. Just keep an eye on the pilot light to see when it catches. You don't need to continue pressing the igniter once you have a flame.
After the flame ignites, how long should I continue pressing the pilot button?
Don't let go of the pilot button right away. Continue holding it down for about 30-45 seconds after ignition. If the flame goes out when you let go of the pilot button, wait a few moments, then try again.
How long will it take the water in the tank to reheat?
After igniting the pilot light, the entire tank will need about 30-45 minutes to reheat.
If I adjust the heat dial, will the water heat faster?
Adjusting the heat dial will heat the water faster. However, you run the risk of having too hot of water, unless you manually adjust the dial downward again.
How does this thing (i.e. a gas water heater) even work? Does that little flame heat the whole tank??
Long story short: Yes. The tank is filled with water, which the pilot light keeps warm. When you turn on the tap, warm water is pushed through the pipes.
Can a gas water heater blow up my house?
"Unlike the movies" (his direct words), you likely won't blow the roof off your house in a dramatic explosion. As long as you've set the gas to "off" and don't actively smell natural gas ("which you will smell!"), you'll be fine.