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How to Tell If the Pilot Light Is Out Locate the front cover panel on your furnace. It should be a little door that’s easily visible. If your pilot light is on, it should be easy to see – your eyes will be drawn to the little flame. If you don’t see a flame, your pilot light is out. If there is a flame, check the color.
What happens when pilot light goes out?
If your pilot light repeatedly goes out, this is a likely culprit. If this flame sensor should fail, gas will continue to flow even after the pilot light has been extinguished, causing a safety hazard, and requiring immediate repair.
What causes pilot light to go out on furnace?
Thermocouple Malfunction 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.
Does gas leak when the pilot light goes out?
When the pilot light goes out, it does not leak carbon monoxide gas. Some of the possible serious reasons for pilot lights to go out include loose or broken gas valves, thermocouples or heat exchangers, faulty venting, low gas pressure, or high winds.
Should my pilot light always be on?
Generally speaking, it is safe to leave your continuous pilot light on at all times, assuming it stays lit (more on this in a moment). While it does cost more to keep your pilot light on in between uses, it can actually have some benefits to your system.
Can I relight my own pilot light?
If your pilot light goes out, your furnace will not be able to produce heat because its burners will not ignite. Often, homeowners can relight the pilot themselves.
How much does it cost to relight a pilot light?
Most service providers will charge a standard fee per visit that typically covers the cost to relight a gas water heater. This service call price can range from $80 to $100.
Is it normal to smell gas when pilot light is on?
Gas is not something to mess with. Note that it is totally normal on automatic pilots (pilots that do NOT stay lit all the time) to smell a little natural gas when the are first turned on. A little gas will escape as the pilot and burners light on your heat or appliance.
What does it mean when your pilot light won’t stay lit?
If your pilot light won’t stay alight, it might be the thermocouple. Sometimes dust buildup collects on the thermocouple and blocks the sensor. Try cleaning the thermocouple and then relighting the pilot light. If it continues to go out, the thermocouple might need to be replaced.
Does a pilot light give off heat?
Most pilot lights consume around 600 BTUs of gas every hour. If you leave your pilot light on for an entire day, it would roughly consume 14,400 BTU’s every day. Each term is equal to 100,000 BTUs of energy. This means that you will be using BTU’s equivalent to 4.3 therms of gas.
What does the pilot light look like?
A proper pilot flame should be blue with a yellow tip and should be strong enough to cover about 1/2 inch at the end of the thermocouple tip. If the flame is too strong and improperly adjusted, it will be blue but may be noisy and lift off the thermocouple, causing improper furnace operation.
Why is my furnace not blowing hot air?
Heater Not Blowing Warm Air Because of Thermostat Settings. Make sure you check the thermostat which controls your HVAC system. If your thermostat is set correctly and your heater is still not coming on, you may have a faulty thermostat. If these fixes do not work, a call to an HVAC professional is in order.
Why is my furnace not starting?
Ensure your furnace filters are clean: Your furnace won’t start up if it does not get enough airflow. Check your pilot light: If you have a gas furnace and gas supply is stopped your pilot light will go out. Check your blower motor: If the blower motor is not working then your furnace won’t pump out warm air.
How do you know if pilot light is lit?
If your pilot light is on, it should be easy to see – your eyes will be drawn to the little flame. If you don’t see a flame, your pilot light is out. If there is a flame, check the color. Pilot lights should always be blue.
Does the gas company light pilot lights?
PG&E gas service professionals relight appliance pilots at no extra cost. “We want every family that we serve to be safe and warm this winter,” said Laurie Giammona, PG&E’s chief customer officer.
How much is a pilot light for a furnace?
Monthly costs of running a pilot light range from $4.49/month (natural gas) to $11.34/month (propane). Pilot lights that run on propane are about 2 times more expensive to run than pilot lights running on natural gas (that’s because natural gas is cheaper per produced BTU – British Thermal Unit).
Can hear your furnace click on but it does not fire up?
The Pilot Light (Faulty Ignition Sensor) The pilot light or ignition sensor is usually the most common issue when your furnace will not ignite. This is typically the problem if you can hear your furnace click on but it does not fire up. If the sensor or ignitor is dirty, it will need to be cleaned.
When did furnaces stop using pilot lights?
Why New Furnaces Don’t Have Pilot Lights? Up till about 2010, most furnaces came with pilot lights. After 2010, the trend shifted to electronic ignition systems (intermittent pilots or hot surface pilots).
