Gas Furnace Pilot Light

An operational pilot light in your furnace means safety from the possibility of a gas leak.

Gas furnace pilot light.

The pilot light in your gas furnace supplies heat to your home. A number of things can make an old furnace pilot light go out including a strong draft a faulty thermocouple or a loss of gas. On a typical gas furnace the pilot light is a small gas flame that acts both as an ignition source for a larger burner within the furnace as well as an indicator of whether your furnace is actually burning and producing heat. Once you are sure the pilot light is on release your pressure on the reset button.

This should light the furnace pilot light. Consult with a furnace professional to establish the best solution for your pilot. Small weak flames indicate a lack of gas pressure while high flames are an indication of high pressure that could blow out the flame. Standing pilot lights are common in older furnaces but many newer furnaces have intermittent pilot lights or hot surface igniters.

Water heaters gas fireplaces and old gas stoves also often have similar pilot lights. The flame is monitored by something called a thermocouple that is designed to shut off the gas valve to the pilot light in the event that it extinguishes or burns inefficiently. A pilot light going out can be inconvenient because it will completely cripple your furnace. A modern gas furnace usually has an electronic spark generator to ignite the gas when the thermostat calls for heat.

Inconsistent gas pressure can cause your pilot light to go out. If you have an older gas furnace your heating unit relies on a little blue flame known as a pilot light to ensure ignition of the burners. If the pilot light will not stay lit it needs to be fixed asap to supply heat to your home and for safety reasons. A gas furnace s standing pilot in which the flame is lit at all times is sometimes referred to as a pilot light.

An older gas furnace has a standing pilot that stays on all the time or at least it s supposed to. In these systems the pilot will only light in the case of hot surface igniters the igniter surface heats when the thermostat makes a command for heat.