How Do I Light The Pilot On My Wall Furnace

The first thing you need to do before you try to light the pilot light on your furnace is shut off the gas so there isn t any chance of causing a fire or an explosion.

How do i light the pilot on my wall furnace.

Most furnaces have a small valve near the bottom of the furnace that have 3 positions labeled on off and pilot. 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. The pilot light is typically in the bottom of the furnace near a small knob. The pilot light on older gas furnaces must be lit manually and stays on continually while newer models use an electronic ignition system that is safer and uses less gas as the pilot light is lit automatically only when the furnace switches on.

A gas furnace s standing pilot in which the flame is lit at all times is sometimes referred to as a pilot light but no matter what you call it its purpose is to serve as a small ignition flame for the gas burner when the thermostat signals for gas to be delivered from the gas valve to the burner it is the standing pilot that ignites the gas flowing to the burners to heat the air in the. If your pilot light goes out all you need to. In most cases this knob has three distinct settings. In turn the pilot lights the gas for the burners.

Once the burn cycle is complete both the burners and the pilot turn off. A modern gas furnace usually has an electronic spark generator to ignite the gas when the thermostat calls for heat. The furnace s electronic control board activates an electric igniter that uses a high voltage spark to light the pilot. Adjusting the pilot light flame on a gas furnace is the best place to start if it appears that your furnace is not getting as hot as it used to or if it seems like the flame goes out a lot.

The pilot light on your gas furnace utilizes a small flame for the purpose of igniting the gas burner when your furnace switches on. An older gas furnace has a standing pilot that stays on all the time or at least it s supposed to. This is a very simple process and will only take a couple minutes. When your furnace fails to ignite the first place to look is the pilot light.

In this episode of repair and replace vance shows how to relight the pilot light in a standing pilot furnace. Pilot off and on if you are unable to locate this assembly or knob refer to the user manual for your furnace and try to locate a diagram that can tell you where the knob or switch is on your specific unit.