What causes a pilot light to not light?
Common Reasons Your Furnace Pilot Won’t Light There are several possible reasons why your gas furnace pilot won’t light: an ongoing draft, a faulty thermocouple, an accumulation of dirt, or an inefficient supply.
What causes a pilot light to go out on a gas boiler?
The thermocouple on your heating system is a safety device that determines whether or not your furnace pilot light is lit. A thermocouple that is dirty or malfunctioning will often shut off your gas supply in error, causing the pilot light to go out and your furnace to stop working.
What happens when the pilot light goes out?
Can a Pilot Light Outage Be Dangerous? The worry here is that when a pilot goes out, the gas valve that supplies the fuel for the pilot flame could still be pumping gas. This can mean a buildup of gas, and when the pilot is relit or relights itself, it could result in a very serious explosion.
How do you fix a yellow pilot light?
If you notice that you pilot light is burning yellow instead of blue, contact Jerry Kelly. The issue can typically be fixed by cleaning out the air intake valve to the pilot light, which should only be done by a professional who knows how to access and repair the part.
How do you reignite a pilot light on a boiler?
How to Relight a Pilot Light: 5 Steps
- Find the pilot light assembly and its reset switch. The furnace’s pilot light is usually positioned at the bottom of the unit by a knob.
- Set the reset switch to off. Turn the knob to the “Off” setting.
- Wait a moment.
- Relight the pilot light.
- Observe the furnace.
How do you fix a pilot light that keeps going out?
Once The Flame Is Lit, Turn Gas Control Valve to “On” Once the pilot light is ignited, you can release the reset button after 30 seconds and turn the gas knob to the “On” position. At this time you should hear the main burner come on. Now your pilot light should hold a flame and hot water should be restored!
Why won’t my pilot light stay lit on my boiler?
If it’s not staying lit though, then you’re probably dealing with a thermocouple issue. The thermocouple of a boiler system is a long metal wire that acts as a heat sensor for the pilot light. If the pilot light goes out, then the electrical current stops, and the gas valve closes.
How do I fix my pilot light?
Relight the pilot light. Turn the knob to “Pilot,” and let gas to flow to the pilot. Light a lighter or match, then push in the reset button. Hold your flame to the pilot light’s opening. Keep the reset switch depressed until the pilot light is burning steadily.
Should my pilot light always be on?
We recommend that you turn off your gas fireplace pilot light seasonally. Turning off your gas fireplace’s pilot light can save a substantial amount of energy and money. It is important to remember that not all gas fireplaces have “standing” pilot light, or, a pilot light that is “always on”.
Why is my pilot flame yellow?
A yellow flame is caused by lack of oxygen and incomplete combustion. If the pilot light is a weak yellow flame it will not get hot enough to heat the thermocouple to the temperature needed to enable the gas valve to open. This is often caused by a dirty pilot tube tip.
Why is my boiler flame yellow?
If you have a yellow, orange, or red burner flame, this usually means that your burner is not receiving enough air for complete combustion. Besides wasted gas, higher energy bills, and more soot, the main danger of improper combustion is the increased amount of carbon monoxide (CO) produced by the combustion process.
How do I know if my boiler pilot light is out?
Manual Boiler Pilot Light Ignition. 1. Turn the gas control knob to the “off” position and set the thermostat in your house to the lowest setting. The gas control knob box will be gray and situated near the floor at the front of the boiler. The knob will be situated on top. If you smell any gas, allow the smell to dissipate for 15 minutes.
Why is the boiler pilot light keeps going out?
However, the nature of these appliances means there are some more dangerous issues with your boiler. For example, pilot lights could go out if there are high winds/drafts and low gas pressures but it could also be faulty, loose or broken vents, valves, thermocouples or heat exchangers .
How do you light a pilot light on a gas stove?
Light a standing pilot on a gas stove by holding a lit match near the gas outlet. Most gas ovens have a round hole in the floor of the oven labeled pilot, but some require accessing the unit through the broiler drawer.
What to do if a gas furnace pilot light won’t stay lit?
If you have an older model furnace with a standing pilot light, you can follow this basic procedure to relight the pilot flame. Make sure the thermostat is in heat mode. Locate the pilot valve. Turn the valve knob to the off position. Get your match ready. Once the pilot stays lit, turn the pilot valve to the on position.