I have a Reliance self cleaning gas 808 hot water heater. Had to turn it off to flea bomb the house but for the life of me, can't actually find the pilot light to re-light! The directions of HOW to light it are on the tank but no diagram for actually finding the thing!

Can anyone direct me on where to look or how to find a manufacturer diagram?

Thanks

There is usually an outter door and an inner panel right where the pipe leaves the gas valve and enters the heater base, remove both. Turn the knob to pilot, sit for a few minutes and hold the knob down while you reach in with a long match or ignitor.

The instructions should be on the water heater itself, but if they're not don't worry. The steps to lighting a pilot light are basically the same for each model.

Take the covers off the bottom as Bob has stated. Make sure that you turn the knob to Pilot before removing the covers, this will keep the water heater from kicking on while you're looking inside the bottom of the water heater.

Lit a long match or long lighters used for grills or fireplaces at the end of the tube and hold the reset button on the control valve down.
The gas will quickly light and you'll see the small flame at the end of the tube. Don't release the reset button yet, you'll need to hold it down for about a minute or so to make sure that the flame stays lit

Thanks,
I did not realize there was a second panel to remove. I thought is was just a metal lining around the pipes going into the opening. I will check it again. There is space around the pipes going through the opening behind the first panel. You have to lay on the floor with a flashlight to see but maybe I can get a long grill/candle lighter through the opening.

Thanks for your help

Once you get into the combustion chamber you need to light the pilot using a BBQ or candle lighter as you mentioned... then direct flame at the tip of the pilot tubing device (on bottom in picture below)... not at the thermocouple (on top in picture).

If direct the flame at the thermocouple for too long or with too strong a flame you can actually burn the thermocouple...

Anyway, depress the pilot button for 10 seconds then light the pilot as directed... it will burn into the thermocouple and that is fine... it is set to burn at a reasonable temperature and is necessary for gas valve to open.

Do not depress pilot lighting button for too long or can cause vapor issues and backfire directly at you when lighting the pilot... I usually light my BBQ lighter every 5 seconds just to be sure combustion chamber doesn't fill with gas... ;)

Good luck...

MARK

It may be hard for you to see the pilot. You have to lay down to see if your lighter is actually lighting up the pilot. Tip: use log lighter to light up the pilot.

Don't forget to reinstall both chamber covers, especially the inside one. It is a safety issue...