Tuesday, October 3, 2017

So Your Pilot Light Won’t Stay Lit

One of the most common gas furnace problems is a pilot light that goes out only seconds after being lit. Not only is this frustrating, but since it can keep your furnace from starting up properly, it can be quite distressing as well. Fortunately, this problem is often relatively simple to overcome. This article will teach you how to troubleshoot a pilot light that keeps going out.

How a Pilot Light Works 

The whole idea of a pilot light is that it stays lit all the time. When working, this is the result of the accompanying component known as the thermocouple. The thermocouple senses the heat from the pilot and sends an electrical impulse to the gas valve, telling it to keep the pilot light’s gas flow open. Should the pilot light go out, the thermocouple will cool down and the gas valve leading to the pilot tube will close. This is a safety precaution used to prevent gas from leaking out into your home.

Override Button 

In order to light the pilot, the flow of gas must be restored once more. This is done by pressing a manual override button on the gas valve. This button allows gas to flow up the pilot tube, despite the fact that the thermocouple is not telling the valve to open.

The most common reason for a pilot light to sputter and go out after being lit is that the override button was not depressed for long enough. In other words, the thermocouple simply hasn’t had long enough to heat up. Next time you try lighting the pilot, continue to hold down the override button for ten or fifteen seconds. This will greatly increase the likelihood that your pilot stays going.

As always, please feel free to call Blackie's Heating and Air Conditioning with any questions and/or service needs you may have.

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