I just lit the water heater!
I was doing some dishes and noticed that the water was just not getting warm. So, my first thought was "oh, shit, now what", then I thought "oh nevermind, it'll fix its self" and then I was like "OH NO YOU DIDN"T" and I went to the basement to investigate.
First I checked the gas gauge, to see if it was moving - it wasn't (Humm...did we pay our gas bill). Then as I was fiddling w/ gas levers to see if it would change anything, the furnace kicked on - OK, we paid our gas bill! Well, since that was burning, I decided to turn off the lights and see if I could see a pilot light on the water heater. Low and behold, there wasn't one. So I grabbed a screw driver, opened the access panel and stared blankly at the guts.
I've never seen a water heater's insides before.this just isn't a common sense skill for me. So I naturally turned to the directions posted directly above the access panel - Damn it! They’re in German...and not just "Hallo, wie geht's" German. No, it's technical, mechanical; don't blow yourself up, German. UGH! I must have missed that day in German class.
Well, I read what I can (mostly conjunctions and pronouns - not very helpful) and I try to follow the 1, 2, 3 instructions.....
Now, I’m not sure if these are the 1, 2, 3 instructions on how to light the pilot or how to initiate E.T. first contact.
I lucked out! I turned knobs, I pushed buttons, and I didn't end up w/ 2nd degree burns on my arms or ankles! Now I should have hot water in 20 min. or so.
The mystery remains thought, how'd it go out in the first place?
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