How to restart
your water heater.

How do I relight a water heater pilot light?

Turn the gas control dial to OFF and wait 10 minutes (longer if the label on your heater says so) for any gas to clear. This step is non-negotiable. If you smell gas at any point, stop, leave the house, and call SoCalGas at 1-800-427-2200 and 911 from outside. Then turn the dial to PILOT, press and hold the dial down, and hit the igniter button repeatedly until you see a flame through the viewing window. Keep the dial held down as long as your heater’s label says (on newer heaters with a status light, until the light starts blinking), then release. Turn the dial to ON. If it won't stay lit, the thermocouple or flame sensor may have failed or a safety shut-off may have tripped; call or text Sweetwater.

Step by step: relighting a gas water heater pilot

Most gas water heaters have a push-button igniter, so no matches are needed.

Before you start: If you smell gas, don't light anything. Leave the house and call SoCalGas at 1-800-427-2200 and 911 from outside. Follow the lighting instructions on the label on your heater; they're specific to your model. If anything below differs from your label, follow the label.

1. Find the gas valve at the bottom of the water heater. It has settings: ON / OFF / PILOT.
2. Turn it to OFF and wait 10 minutes so any gas can clear.
3. Turn it to PILOT.
4. Push and hold the gas valve down (or the separate pilot button, if your heater has one) while you press the igniter button (often red) about once a second.
5. The pilot should light. Keep holding the gas valve down as long as your label says (this lets the thermocouple heat up). On newer heaters with a status light, hold until the light starts blinking.
6. Release. The pilot should stay lit. If it goes out, turn the valve to OFF, wait 10 minutes, and repeat. It sometimes takes 2-3 attempts.
7. Once the pilot is lit and stays lit, turn the gas valve to ON.

If the pilot won't stay lit after 3 attempts, the thermocouple or flame sensor is probably bad. Stop and call (909) 312-4516 or text (909) 247-6791 for a water heater repair.

Electric water heater: reset

1. Turn off the breaker: Switch off the water heater's breaker at the electrical panel. Don't skip this: the reset button sits next to live 240-volt wiring.
2. Open the upper panel: Remove the upper access panel and fold back the insulation. Don't touch the wires or terminals.
3. Press the reset button: Press the red reset button firmly. You may hear a click.
4. Close up and restore power: Put the insulation and panel back, then switch the breaker on and give the tank time to reheat.
5. If it trips again, stop: If the breaker or the reset button trips again, leave it off and call or text us. It usually means a failed thermostat or heating element.

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