Why does the pilot light on my furnace keep going out?
Why does the pilot light on my furnace keep going out?
The thermocouple is the copper rod the pilot flame directly hits. Sometimes it’s referred to as the “flame sensor.” It’s a safety mechanism that shuts the gas off should the pilot go out. If the thermocouple fails to shut off the gas, all the gas flowing through the furnace could get into your home.
What does a pilot light on a gas burner do?
A pilot light is a small flame inside the device that is lit at all times. This flame is used to restart the main burner and prevent gas leaks. If you have a newer appliance, don’t panic if you don’t see a pilot light. Many new devices use electric ignitions in place of pilot lights.
Where is the thermocouple on a furnace pilot light?
No matter the pilot configuration, the thermocouple will be near the burners—look for a removable metal rod nearby. Locate the copper rod near the burners. This is the thermocouple. If you look very closely, you’ll find the thermocouple tucked in behind the burners.
Why does the thermocouple shut off the gas in a furnace?
Sometimes it’s referred to as the “flame sensor.” It’s a safety mechanism that shuts the gas off should the pilot go out. If the thermocouple fails to shut off the gas, all the gas flowing through the furnace could get into your home. The thermocouple safeguards against a catastrophic buildup of gas.
The thermocouple is the copper rod the pilot flame directly hits. Sometimes it’s referred to as the “flame sensor.” It’s a safety mechanism that shuts the gas off should the pilot go out. If the thermocouple fails to shut off the gas, all the gas flowing through the furnace could get into your home.
How do you turn off the pilot flame on a gas furnace?
Turn the furnace dial to “pilot” position. Press and hold the thermocouple bypass button (otherwise no gas will flow since the thermocouple will detect that there is no pilot flame). While holding down the bypass button, hold a lit lighter or match at the location of the pilot flame.
A pilot light is a small flame inside the device that is lit at all times. This flame is used to restart the main burner and prevent gas leaks. If you have a newer appliance, don’t panic if you don’t see a pilot light. Many new devices use electric ignitions in place of pilot lights.
No matter the pilot configuration, the thermocouple will be near the burners—look for a removable metal rod nearby. Locate the copper rod near the burners. This is the thermocouple. If you look very closely, you’ll find the thermocouple tucked in behind the burners.
Why does my furnace turn off when there is no flame?
A flame sensor lets your system know there’s a flame when the gas valve is open. If there isn’t a flame, the sensor will shut off the gas valve to keep the gas from getting into your house. If the flame sensor is dirty or has become corroded, the flame won’t register and will turn off the gas valve, which, in turn, causes your system to shut down.
What should I do if my gas furnace goes off?
If all else fails, check the furnace’s gas valve to make sure that it hasn’t somehow been turned to the “Off ” position. Any gas furnace has a “gas cock” that has to be located within six feet of the furnace, Bonner says. This is usually never touched, but you could check it.
Why does my Furnace Fan keep running all the time?
Why Does My Furnace Fan Keep Running? When your thermostat is set to AUTO, your furnace fan should blow only when your furnace is in the middle of a heating cycle. But if your fan runs constantly, regardless of whether your furnace is heating, that’s not normal.
Why does my furnace pilot light keep going out?
If your furnace pilot light keeps going out, it’s likely you have a broken thermocouple in your gas furnace. The thermocouple is a rod that comes into physical contact with the flame in your system. This component will deactivates the gas when the pilot light goes out.
Should you turn off your furnace pilot light?
It isn’t a good idea to turn off your pilot if your hot water is heated with gas. In some cases, ice could form and break some of the smaller pipes in the furnace. Keeping the pilot light on will cost money, but it can also melt any ice around the heater.
Why does the pilot light in your Furnace go out?
The furnace pilot light may keep going out in your home due to a wind draft from your ventilation system. If your HVAC system isn’t airtight and windy weather comes to town, a strong gust could create a breeze all the way through the vents to your furnace.
Why is my furnace pilot not staying lit?
The most common reason the furnace pilot light won’t stay lit. Bad Thermocouple. A furnace thermocouple is a safety feature that regulates gas flow to your system based on whether the pilot light is on. In simple terms, the thermocouple checks to see if your pilot light flame is lit and turns off the gas flow if it senses that your pilot light is off, so you don’t have gas building up in your home.
What does the flame sensor on a furnace do?
It’s often called the “flame sensor” because its job is to detect whether the pilot light is lit or not. If it can’t sense a flame from the pilot light, it prevents the gas valve from opening and sending more gas into the combustion chamber.
How do I restart my pilot light on my furnace?
Turn the knob to the “Pilot” setting, which will re-start the flow of gas to the pilot. Strike up your match or lighter. Depress the reset button, and while it is depressed, hold the match flame near the pilot opening. When the pilot is burning brightly, release the rest button. The furnace will then start, automatically.
Why do pilot lights go out on furnace?
Often times, pilot lights go out because of something that goes wrong with the furnace’s thermocouple. If your thermocouple malfunctions, you might need to have it replaced by Jerry Kelly . Dirt buildup around the pilot light. Dirt buildup is problematic for many parts of your furnace, including the area around your pilot light.
Why is the pilot light on my water heater not working?
When your gas furnace or water heater suddenly stops working as it should, this is often caused by a pilot light issue. Your pilot light is a crucial component of your heating system, so it’s important to make sure it’s functioning properly at all times! If your pilot light is out, here is some handy information you might want to know.
Is it better to turn pilot light off or on?
Keep in mind, your furnace only uses a little bit of gas to power the pilot light. Turning the pilot light off will only add up to a few bucks of savings a month. If you don’t mind spending a few cents a day, don’t mess with it.
Why is my pilot light not staying lit?
The primary reason a pilot light won’t stay lit is simply equipment malfunction. If you’ve checked everything else and the light continually goes out, this is probably the cause. In this case, you may need to replace your pilot light. A pilot light can also keep going out because of a problem with the thermocouple .
Do you need a propane boiler to heat your home?
If you heat your home with steam or hot water and live in an area where natural gas is not an option, you probably use a propane boiler to heat your home. Propane, or liquid petroleum gas (LPG) as boiler manufacturers refer to it, is a type of fuel delivered to the home and stored in tanks.
How are furnaces and boilers rated for efficiency?
Furnaces and boilers are rated by Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE), calculated by dividing how well a unit converts energy to heat by the amount of fossil fuel energy it consumes over the course of a heating season. A British Thermal Unit (BTU) is the amount of energy needed to heat one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit.
Can a pilot light go out on a gas boiler?
Owners of older boiler models may be familiar with pilot lights, but this doesn’t stop a number of issues arising which result in a boiler pilot going out. When it comes to flames, gas boilers and how to ignite a pilot light, you can never be too cautious.
After cleaning, make sure you check on the thermocouple’s position. Also, check if it’s slightly bent. The thermocouple needs to be near the pilot light for it to receive heat and open the gas valve. If it’s too far away, heat will not be received and, therefore, an electric current will not be produced.
Why does my water pilot keep going out?
Therefore, a dirty thermocouple might be the reason why your water pilot keeps going out. A layer of dirt and grime can hinder the electric current from reaching the thermocouple. As a result, the gas supply will be cut off and the pilot light will go out.
After cleaning, make sure you check on the thermocouple’s position. Also, check if it’s slightly bent. The thermocouple needs to be near the pilot light for it to receive heat and open the gas valve. If it’s too far away, heat will not be received and, therefore, an electric current will not be produced.
What happens if the pilot light is not lit?
Once the thermocouple detects that the pilot light isn’t lit, it turns the gas off as a safety measure. An unlit pilot can also stem from a dirty thermocouple as the dirt may be obstructing the current signal, which would also lead to a gas outage.
Therefore, a dirty thermocouple might be the reason why your water pilot keeps going out. A layer of dirt and grime can hinder the electric current from reaching the thermocouple. As a result, the gas supply will be cut off and the pilot light will go out.
How to troubleshoot a travel trailer gas furnace?
Many new RV furnaces have replaced the pilot light with a direct spark ignition system. If your furnace is struggling to keep the pilot light lit, check the thermocouple to make sure it’s positioned correctly. A malfunctioning regulator on your propane tank could also result in an irregular pilot light.
How do you light the pilot light on a gas heater?
Here is how to light the pilot light on a gas heater Lighting the pilot light on a gas heater is simple to do. Turn the thermostat to its lowest setting. Turn the gas knob to the OFF setting and wait 5 minutes to clear out any gas. If you smell gas, don’t continue to light the gas heater and call a professional heater repair person.
What should I do if my furnace pilot light is not working?
If your thermocouple is dirty, get some fine grain sandpaper and clean it off. This should clean the thermocouple and get it to operate properly therefore getting the pilot light to stay lit and to supply heat to your home. Gas furnace thermocouple and pilot light location Step 4 – Visually Inspect The Pilot Tube (Burner):
Many new RV furnaces have replaced the pilot light with a direct spark ignition system. If your furnace is struggling to keep the pilot light lit, check the thermocouple to make sure it’s positioned correctly. A malfunctioning regulator on your propane tank could also result in an irregular pilot light.
Why does my furnace pilot light burn orange?
The flames from traditional pilot lights should burn a bright blue color. If your pilot light’s flame is orange or yellow, it is burning inefficiently due to a lack of oxygen. The thermocouple should sense when this happens because the heat from the flame will not be as hot as it should be.
What does it mean when your fireplace shuts off and pilot goes out?
When your gas fireplace shuts off and pilot goes out, usually it means that the thermocouple is bad or on the way of being bad. Table of Contents. The thermocouple is a component of a gas furnace. This component usually is located not far from the pilot light burner.
What do you need to know about pilot light?
The pilot light flame needs to completely envelop the top of the thermocouple rod so it knows the flame is on. If the thermocouple isn’t lined up correctly, it won’t read the flame, and will shut the valve for the gas. I’m not touching it. Help me!
Where to get a pilot light for a gas furnace?
If you have any questions about a gas furnace’s pilot light, or if you’d like a heating system serviced or installed in your home, contact Jerry Kelly, your St. Charles heating and cooling contractor. We service the St. Louis area, including towns like Dardenne Prairie, Des Peres and Frontenac.