The practical guide to gas geyser auto ignition in Pakistan

Why does a gas geyser go out in Pakistan?

A conventional storage geyser keeps a small pilot flame burning so the main burner can light whenever the water cools. That pilot needs a steady gas supply. In Pakistan it regularly loses it, for four common reasons.

• Gas load shedding: supply to homes is cut or restricted for hours at a time, most often in winter.
• Low pressure: at the tail end of the SSGC and SNGPL networks, pressure falls when demand peaks on cold mornings and evenings.
• Gas compressors: households that pull gas with compressors lower the pressure for everyone else on the line.
• Wind and draughts: strong wind blowing down the flue can put a weak pilot out, especially on rooftop geysers.

Why the geyser does not relight by itself

When the pilot goes out, a safety part called the thermocouple cools down and the gas control valve shuts off all gas to the geyser. This stops unburnt gas escaping, which is exactly what you want. But it also means the geyser stays off when gas comes back, until somebody relights the pilot by hand.

That is the daily routine many families know: cold water in the morning, a climb up to the roof or a ladder in the bathroom, holding the knob down and clicking the igniter until the flame catches. The local phrase people search for, “geyser bar bar bujh jata hai”, describes it well.

What auto ignition changes

An automatic ignition unit takes over the relighting. With the Autopilot kit fitted and switched on, the burner is lit by an electronic spark once gas is available, with no pilot needed, and the geyser carries on heating water under its own thermostat. Nobody has to notice that the flame went out.

Its programmable socket also lets you schedule the geyser, with up to 20 ON/OFF times, and a Wi-Fi switch can be added for phone control. That turns a geyser that used to burn all day “in case the gas goes” into one that heats only before you need hot water.

Your options compared

Is your geyser compatible?

Look at the control on the side or bottom of the geyser. If it has a knob with Off, Pilot and On positions, it uses a conventional (unitrol-type) gas thermostat, and the Autopilot kit is designed for it. That covers most storage geysers sold in Pakistan.

Instant gas geysers usually light themselves with batteries whenever you open a hot tap, so they do not need a kit. Fully electric geysers have no flame at all.

Installation in practice

The kit attaches to the geyser body with magnets (brackets are also supplied) and works with the geyser’s own thermostat; nothing is cut or added on the gas main line. It is fitted by a plumber, and our step-by-step video means your regular local plumber can do it. You need a 220V socket near the geyser; the kit uses about 5 watts and includes a programmable socket for heating times. See the installation guide for the full sequence.

Safety in plain terms

• Keep the geyser’s own safety parts working: a thermostat that shuts gas when the pilot is out, and a clear flue.
• Never relight a geyser if you smell gas. Open windows, do not switch electrics on or off, close the gas valve and call a technician or your gas company.
• Do not install a gas geyser inside a closed bathroom without a flue to the outside; carbon monoxide can kill.
• Buy gas add-on devices with a real operating record and their own automatic gas shut-off. Autopilot has been in use in Pakistani homes for over three years with no safety incidents reported to us.

Does auto ignition save gas?

The pilot itself uses little gas. The real saving comes from no longer running the geyser all day. If your geyser used to stay on from morning to night, heating only for an hour or two before baths can cut the gas it burns considerably; the exact saving depends on your old habits and the size of your tank. Lower monthly use can also keep you in a cheaper slab on your gas bill.