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

Newer water heaters are more energy efficient and have much smaller pilot lights than older models. You may have to darken the room and look carefully through the sight glass to see 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 pipe thread seal 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).

IMPORTANT – Read and follow the printed Installation Instructions that came with your water heater. The printed Instructions and product labels contain model-specific information, important warnings and safety notices. If you lack the necessary skills to install, troubleshoot or repair the water heater, get help from a qualified person.