I have just purchased a 71 rear bath Sovereign. Im having no luck getting the pilot light on the water heater to light and the unit has two thermostats but I do not know where to light the heater. Can anyone help? forgot to mention that gas is getting to the water heater, just cant get pilot light on
cabbage,
Welcome to the forum.
The water heater pilot might be plugged up from spider webs or other small critters. You will most likely have to remove the pilot assembly and clean it out before it will work reliably.
We're assuming you use instructions on how to light it.
The furnace has asmall access door, and when you open it, there should be lighting instructions inside this door.
Good luck,and be careful with gas!
On my 75 Sovereign, rear bath, the furnace is underneath the stove. The thermostat in th bedroom is for the heat, and the one in the front is for the AC. My furnace is self lighting, if the gas is turned on, just set the thermostat and away it goes. Not sure if this is the same for a 71 or not. The HWH is a b**ch to light the first time out. Especially if there is no LP in the lines. I usually have to hold the button down with a lighter against the pilot for a good 4-5 minutes before enough LP gets thru to stay lit.
I leave one or two burners on the stovetop lit for a minute or two before I try to light the hot water heater. Leaving the burners lit try lighting the hot water heater. I can usually get mine going with one match.
It's all about purging air from the line like Aaron said.
Sometimes, if my water heater pilot won't light, I just hold the flame to the pilot capillary element, the fat part above the pilot light. The gas is turned to on.
Once the element becoes hot, the burner will start, and this brings mucho gas through the lines. Then it's a good idea to check once the burner goes off, to see that teh pilot is indeed on.
My 1971 has a smallaccess door on the front of the furnace. Inside is a reset pushbutton, a screw top to access the pilot, and a piezo button.
Inside the door are lighting instructions. I have never used the furnace because of fear of explosion or dying, or both, but that's where it's at.
i will have to pull out the furnace and get it safety checked.
See the thread on furnace recall, and see if yours falls into this category before you try and use it.
A search with the words furnace recall shoud bring up the thread in question.
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