If your pilot light on your furnace goes out, you may not know why or how to relight it. To ignite natural gas, a pilot light burns continuously in a furnace. You need to fix it right away to restore heat to your home when the pilot light goes out, it an essential part of any gas-powered heating system. Determining why the pilot went out in the first place is the first step. Today, we at Hal Mechanical would like to discuss how the pilot light works, what causes it to go out, and how to relight it.
How a Furnace Pilot Light Works
In the furnace, a furnace pilot light is a small flame that burns continuously. Igniting the burners and make sure they are ready for use is the purpose of this flame. It tells the furnace to turn on when your thermostat detects the temperature has dropped below the set number. The furnace releases natural gas, which ignites when it comes into contact with the pilot light to heat your home. The furnace’s burners and pilot light are 2 different things. The pilot light is a separate flame that burns continuously and when your heating system turns on, it only ignites burner flames.
What Causes Pilot Light to Go Out?
1) The Standing Pilot Light is Blown Out by a Draft. Check for a draft is the first thing to do. Relight the pilot light if you notice air blowing near your pilot light from a window or crack, stop the draft at its source to prevent it from happening again.
2) Faulty or Loose Thermocouple. From a small tube, your pilot light stays lit constantly thanks to gas. If your pilot light is not lit, this tube has a safety valve called a thermocouple that stops the flow of natural gas. Even if the pilot light is off, creates a dangerous situation where gas will continue to flow and leak into your home if your thermocouple fails. Since leaking gas is extremely hazardous and can cause major health complications, this problem calls for immediate repair. It may be time to replace it if you suspect that your thermocouple is not functioning properly.
3) Furnace is Filthy. Your pilot light may not be getting enough gas to stay lit if gas flow to the pilot light is obstructed with dirt or dust. Call a professional heating company to clean your furnace and restore gas to your pilot light if you relight the pilot light and it is yellow instead of blue.
4) The Gas Source is the Problem. It is important to first determine whether or not your furnace is the problem when the pilot light goes out and you’re not able to turn on your heating system. There are several things you can if you have a gas source and it isn’t working properly, such as:
– In the plumbing or gas valve, check for leaks.
– With incoming gas pressure, make sure that there are no issues.
It may lead to hazardous gas exposure if a plumbing leak can mean extinguished standing pilot lights. Your furnace may not be getting enough gas to function properly if your utility company is not providing gas at the appropriate pressure, or if the lines are overwhelmed by use. If you are concerned about incoming gas pressure, you can contact your utility company.
Forced Air Furnace Heating Services & More in Aliante, Centennial, Desert Shores, Eldorado, Enterprise, Green Valley Ranch, Henderson, Lone Mountain Village, North LV, Peccole Ranch, Paradise, Silverado Ranch, Spring Valley, Summerlin, Sunrise Manor, Tuscany Village, Whitney, Winchester & Las Vegas Nevada
If you are having problems with the pilot light in the Greater Las Vegas, NV area, call in the experts of Hal Mechanical. In addition to repairs, our experts can perform maintenance, replacements, and installation services.
