Today I installed an new in box Bradford White natural gas water heater. It has a white Honeywell control valve with piezo igniter and LED. I verified that there is gas to the control valve, but the heater will not light. I do not hear any gas flowing when I press the gas control valve in the pilot position, and do not smell gas at the bottom of the heater. The heater has numerous wires and connectors and doesn't appear as though it is meant to be disassembled. Any help is appreciated.

Do this...

1. Close gas valve at the water heater
2. Unscrew gas flex at the thermostatic valve at the water heater
3. Slowly turn gas ON
4. Once you smell gas coming out of the gas-flex, close valve
5. Reattach gas flex to the thermostatic valve
6. Wait 5 minutes
7. Turn knob to PILOT, press it down and hold while repeatedly pressing the ignator . It may take a minute before pilot is lit.
8. Once pilot lit. turn know to ON, thermostatic valve to FAT RED mark and heater should be working

Sometimes it happens that new heaters take few minutes to start up. Be patient. Take your time...

Thanks Milo. You're a genius, that worked. I guess I just gave up too soon when it didn't light the first few times. I was going to call a plumber in the morning and miss a days work, which I was trying to avoid by installing it myself. Wouldn't I have looked like a fool when he showed up... Thanks again.

Milo not sure when you wrote this but you must be a plumbing genius. I never thought to take the thermostatic valve apart from the gas supply to the pilot. I did that and bam pilot lit hot water now I can go home.

Yes he is no doubt about it, Thanks.

John

I was doing some maintenance on my Bradford White Defender water heater today. When I was finished, I spent several hours attempting to reignite the pilot to no avail. I had the same issue when we first moved into the house and the water heater was brand new.

I knew I had spark (I could see it) and after accessing the burner area, I knew I had gas - I could hear and smell it. Regardless of thermocouple issues, if there was gas and spark, I should have a flame.

It's a tight fit, but I got my hand into the burner area and slightly bent the end of the piezo igniter so that it was closer to the pilot line opening. After that, it fired right up.