Water heater not lighting: what to do
When a gas water heater will not light, check three things first: whether the flat has gas (does the hob light?), whether the igniter batteries are flat, and whether the hot tap is fully open. If all three are fine and there is still no flame, do not open the appliance. Call Reparon24 on +351 928 286 711, at any hour, anywhere in Greater Porto.
First: can you smell gas?
If you smell gas, stop trying to light the heater. Close the gas valve, open the windows and do not switch any lights or appliances on or off. If the smell is strong, leave the building and call 112, the European emergency number. Only once the flat is aired and safe is it worth thinking about the fault.
What you can check without opening the appliance
In most Porto flats hot water comes from a small gas water heater on the kitchen wall or in the enclosed balcony, called an esquentador. None of these checks involve taking the cover off.
Is there gas in the flat?
Light a ring on the hob. If it will not light either, the problem is the gas supply, not the heater. If you use a gas bottle, check it is not empty and that the regulator is clipped on and open. With mains gas, check that the valve by the meter and the one under the heater are open, as they are sometimes left closed after building work.
The igniter batteries
Many water heaters light with batteries, usually kept in a small compartment at the bottom of the unit. When they run down the click gets slower or stops. Fit new batteries of the same type. If your heater has a plug, check it is switched on and the socket works.
Enough water flowing
The heater only starts when water flows through it, so open the hot tap fully, ideally the shower. If the water is weak at every tap, the cause may be the supply pressure; if only the hot water is weak, limescale may be to blame.
It lights, then goes out
If the flame appears and dies after a short time, a safety system is cutting the gas on purpose. The flue may not be clearing the fumes, or a part may no longer be reading the flame. Do not keep switching it on and off. Turn it off and call a technician.
What not to do
Do not take the cover off or touch the gas connections: a badly reassembled gas appliance puts the whole building at risk.
Do not block the kitchen air vents or the flue outlet, even on cold nights. Do not use the heater if the flame burns yellow, if black marks appear on the casing or if water drips from underneath.
If anyone gets a headache, dizziness or nausea while it is running, switch it off, open the windows, get outside and call 112. It may be carbon monoxide, which has no smell.
When to call for water heater repair and how the job goes
If the hob has gas, the batteries are new, the water flows well and the heater still will not light, the fault is inside the appliance. What you need now is water heater repair in Porto, done by someone who can open the unit and test the ignition, the gas and the flue. If you are looking for hot water repair near you late in the evening, we take emergency water heater repair calls at any hour.
The first call
Call or WhatsApp +351 928 286 711. A person answers. Give your address and what you have already checked and, if you can, send a photo of the heater. On the phone we agree the arrival time and how you would like to pay.
Diagnosis and a free quote
The technician tests the gas, the water, the ignition and the flue until the cause is found. You then get a free quote: what needs doing, what it costs and how long it takes, and nothing goes ahead without your approval. If you rent, you can forward it to your landlord first.
Repair and test
Once the part is replaced, we test the heater in front of you with one and then two taps open. If the part has to be ordered, we tell you how long it will take rather than inventing a date.
The invoice
The invoice lists the work and the parts used. That document is your guarantee and what entitles you to complain if anything fails.
Gas water heater repair or water heater replacement
Not every water heater is worth repairing. We look at its age and condition, whether the part is still sold and how often it has failed lately, then give you both options with a quote for each. The decision is yours.
If your appliance also heats the radiators, it is a boiler, and what you need is boiler repair in Porto. If your hot water comes from an electric tank, the right service is hot water cylinder repair.
Questions about a water heater that will not light
It clicks but will not light. What is wrong?
The heater may not be getting gas, the batteries may be flat or the part that makes the spark may have failed. Check the hob and change the batteries first. If that does not fix it, the fault is inside the heater.
Can I keep using it if it lights and then goes out?
Do not force it. The heater is cutting the gas for safety. Switch it off and have a technician find out why.
Can you give me a price on the phone?
Not without seeing the appliance, because the same symptom can have very different causes. The quote is free and given on site, before any work starts.