When the pilot light goes out , gaseous state furnace , water heaters , and other gas gadget wo n’t work .
Getty Images / Gregor Bister
Gas appliances , like cooking stove , furnaces , water heaters , and even dryers , give heat by burning natural gas , propane , or another alternative fuel . furnace use this heatto strong up the sign of the zodiac , water heaters fire up the water in the tank , and dryer heat up the dress as they tumble around inside the tympan . Stovetops and ovens also rely on this heat source to fix and broil .
Credit:Getty Images / Gregor Bister
For these gas appliances to operate effectively , they use a small pilot light that act as an ignition source for the gas . While manymodern flatulence applianceshave electric starters or ignitors , sr. appliances typically have a suffer pilot light that needs to remain light for the appliance to generate heat .
If the cowcatcher light fail out , the appliance wo n’t function right and accelerator pedal could gradually establish up in the home , so it ’s crucial to learn how to light a pilot light to mend the normal social function of the widget . apply this guide to get hold out more about how a pilot light functions , what causes it to go out , and how to safely light it if necessary .
What Is a Pilot Light?
A airplane pilot Light Within is a pocket-sized blue flame in a accelerator pedal - burning appliance that is fueled by a modest amount of petrol . Pilot lights are used as an lighting origin for large burners inside furnace , stoves , water supply smoke , wearing apparel dryers , oven , andgas fireplaces . suffer pilot light lights are usual in older appliances that are not equipped with electronic ignition switch , but if the pilot program light pass out then the burner wo n’t ignite and the appliance will not work properly .
For instance , in a furnace the pilot light fire up a larger burner at the rootage of a heating cycle , then the passion produced by the burner is spread throughout the home by an internal rooter and a series of duct and vents . likewise , the pilot light in a gas water system heater ignites a burner when the temperature of the water supply inside the tank drop below a certain threshold . The heat from the burner increase the temperature of the water to the set temperature before shut out off .
This flaming may go out as a result of an errant draft , dirty valve , or wrong thermocouple ( the guard gadget that shuts off the gas to an gismo when it detects that the flaming has go out ) .
When Would I Need to Light a Pilot Light?
householder only take to interest aboutlighting a pilot lightif it happens to go out . buffer lights may be extinguish by a firm picnic , like the wind generated when someone close a door too hard . Open windows , open doors , and draughty basement or crawlspaces may also produce enough of a zephyr to blow out a fender ignitor .
Pilot brightness level can also go out if the gas valve is dirty , choked , or damaged . to boot , the pilot twinkle can be get rid of by a faulty thermocouple . A thermocouple is a safety twist intended to cut off the catamenia of petrol if the pilot goes out , but if this component part is not run properly , it may shut off the gas while the pilot light is still ignited , extinguish the flame . If you suspect a trouble with the gas valve or thermocouple , shut off the gas to the appliance and take a professional to inspect and revivify the way out .
What You’ll Need
Equipment / Tools
Materials
Instructions
How To Safely Light a Pilot Light
Check the User Manual to Locate the Pilot Light
The easy room to find the pilot light is to bring up to the user manual that came with the contraption . The manual will also provide important prophylactic warnings and steps for how to fall the pilot light on the specific make and model of appliance .
On a furnace , the pilot light is ordinarily located near the bottom . Similarly , the pilot light for an over is also often at the bottom , while on a water hummer it ’s typically covered by an access dialog box that you will need to move out with a screwdriver . Four - burner stovetops will typically have fundamental fender light ports under the stovetop chapeau located on at the left-hand and right side of the kitchen stove .
Turn Off the Gas
Typically , a gas pedal furnace or throttle water supply heater will have a simple transposition with preferences grade " off " , " on " , and " pilot " . When a fender light goes out , gas can ooze out into the domicile , so before you undertake to reignite the cowcatcher lighter , turn off the gun and wait about five to 10 minute for any residuary gas to pull in .
If the appliance does not have an electric pilot light ignitor , then you do n’t need electricity to relight the pilot light , so you could turn the appliance off at the circuit breaker or at the thermostat . But if the gadget does has an electric pilot Inner Light light , you will require to keep the appliance on for the lighter to work decent .
Light the Pilot Light
After the gun has had enough clock time to clear , turn the appliance to the " fender " setting . On newer gizmo with an electric pilot light igniter you should be capable to relight the pilot film light by pressing and oblige the red reset button for about a minute .
On old appliances that do not have an galvanising pilot light ignitor , you will need to illume the pilot ignitor manually . Press and hold down the red reset button , then at the same time employ a long - handled low-cal or a prospicient match to safely reignite the pilot light . expel the reset clit once the pilot light catches flame , then observe the pilot lighter for a few minute to ensure it persist lit .
If the pilot light goes out right away or goes out after a few seconds , then there is potential a trouble with the portion of the appliance . ferment off the gas and contact a prepare professional person to address the issue .
Turn the Appliance Back On
When the pilot sparkle is burn consistently , you could switch the mount to " on " . If you turned off the appliance at the breaker or thermoregulator , you may now turn it back on to fix electrical energy to the gismo . It ’s also worth checking the arena around the widget for open window , doors , or other origin of drafts that may have have the pilot film light to go out , so you could take activity to prevent this from happening in the future .
Pilot Light Safety Tips
Since gas appliances need a pronto available source of gas and a flame to run , it ’s necessary to take appropriate safety gadget precaution when working with these appliance . Consider these straightforward safety tips when relighting a cowcatcher visible light .
