Bradford White Defender and ICON System gas water heaters use a piezo igniter — no matches required. The procedure is similar to other modern FVIR-compliant tanks with one Bradford White-specific note about the intake filter.
Lighting procedure
- Turn gas control knob to OFF, wait 5 minutes
- Turn knob to PILOT
- Press and hold pilot button
- While holding pilot button, press igniter button (smaller red button) repeatedly every 2 seconds
- Watch sight glass for pilot flame
- Continue holding pilot button 30-60 seconds AFTER pilot is established
- Release pilot button — pilot stays lit
- Turn gas knob to ON
If pilot won't light
Bradford White-specific FIRST STEP: clean the intake filter. A clogged intake filter is the #1 cause of pilot-won't-light on Defender / ICON units. See our intake filter cleaning guide.
If filter is clean and pilot still won't light/stay lit:
- Verify gas supply — is gas valve open? Other gas appliances working?
- Check igniter spark — press igniter while watching pilot. No spark = igniter failure.
- Replace thermocouple ($25-$40 DIY)
- Replace pilot assembly if thermocouple doesn't solve it
ICON System code 2 (pilot won't light) — most common BW issue
ICON LED flashes 2 times = pilot won't light. 60% of the time this is intake filter, 30% thermocouple, 10% other. Clean filter first.
Bottom line
Bradford White pilot lighting: standard piezo igniter procedure with the Bradford White-specific intake filter check first. For broader troubleshooting see our troubleshooting hub.