A newly installed gas water heater will have some air in the gas line. It may take several attempts to light the pilot. Make sure the gas supply valve has been turned on.

This new, advanced design has different lighting instructions compared to older models. Follow the lighting procedure on the water heater’s label. The pilot is lit and the water heater is working when the Status Light is flashing once every three seconds. If the Status Light glows solid red, the Pilot is shutting down. Wait 10 minutes before attempting to relight the Pilot.

If you are replacing the water heater yourself, get an Installation Kit. Most replacements require the use of common plumbing tools, pipe joint compound or Teflon® tape approved for potable water and fuel gas. If your house has copper pipes, consider flexible connectors and compression fittings.

For non-professionals, compression fittings are easier to use than soldering copper pipe. If you do plan to solder copper pipe, be aware that the water heater connections may contain non-metallic parts which can melt. Don’t solder copper pipes directly attached to the water heater. Instead, solder about a foot of pipe to an adapter first, then attach the adapter and solder the pipe at least one foot from the water heater’s inlet and outlet connections (and cool the adapter with wet rags).