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what would cause pilot light to go out gas heater

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5 Reasons Why Your Pilot Light Keeps Going Out

Troubleshooting Problems with your Furnace Airplane pilot Calorie-free

Here'south Why Your Furnace Pilot Low-cal Keeps Blowing Out

  1. The thermocouple is bad. More >>
  2. The pilot orifice is dirty. More >>
  3. The gas regulator is bad. More than >>
  4. Gas availability is fluctuating. More >>
  5. A draft is blowing the pilot out. More >>

Y'all awake on a cold winter morning and cast the covers aside. A fierce, freezing draft sends shivers down your spine. Something'south wrong. The furnace stopped working at some point during the night.

Attempts to re-lite the pilot light are futile. It won't stay on. Maybe the airplane pilot stays on for a moment and the furnace attempts to burn, only almost immediately shuts down. Why does this happen?

Before conceding the price of emergency repairs and calling an HVAC professional, read ahead for some of the about common reasons why your furnace pilot light won't stay on. You lot may exist able to fix the trouble on your own if you've got the tools and the wherewithal.

Delight fix my furnace RIGHT At present!

Of grade, if you lot want to make sure the job is washed right with the to the lowest degree corporeality of hazard, contact experienced professionals at Hot Point for furnace repairs ASAP.

i) Faulty Thermocouple

If your airplane pilot light won't stay lit, the thermocouple is very likely the culprit.

Gas furnace with bad thermocouple

Pilot calorie-free won't stay on? Read on for reasons why, and what you tin practise to set up it.

The thermocouple is the copper rod the pilot flame directly hits. Sometimes information technology'southward referred to every bit the "flame sensor." It's a safe machinery 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 become into your dwelling. The thermocouple safeguards confronting a catastrophic buildup of gas.

DIY Fix - How to Locate the Thermocouple

First off, grab a flashlight and a screwdriver before inspecting your furnace. Y'all'll have to remove the encompass, and chances are the lighting won't be working in your favor. The only thing more frustrating than a busted furnace is the hundred trips to the garage for tools when you lot're trying to set information technology.

For safety's sake, close off power to the furnace by switching the billow to the off position, and close the gas valve.

The thermocouple isn't too hard to find. Locate the airplane pilot calorie-free and look for the tip of a copper rod very nearby. That's the thermocouple.

Can't Detect the Pilot Light?

If you're having trouble locating the pilot or thermocouple, double-check to make sure your unit of measurement actually has a standing pilot light. Standing airplane pilot lights are common in older furnaces, but many newer furnaces accept intermittent pilot lights or hot surface igniters. In these systems, the pilot will only light (in the case of hot surface igniters, the igniter surface heats) when the thermostat makes a command for rut.

No matter the pilot configuration, the thermocouple will be nigh the burners—expect for a removable metal rod nearby.

Thermocouple on a gas furnace

Locate the copper rod nearly the burners. This is the thermocouple.

Thermocouple behind furnace burners

If you await very closely, you'll find the thermocouple tucked in behind the burners.

Why the Thermocouple Fails

The thermocouple needs to detect the flame, otherwise it will shut the gas valve, and your furnace will not function correctly. There are three reasons why your thermocouple might exist malfunctioning:

It's Broken

A cleaved or burned out thermocouple won't discover the flame properly, effectively closing the gas valve until you replace it. Replacing a broken thermocouple is cheap and relatively like shooting fish in a barrel if you're mechanically inclined. Contact professional furnace repair technicians at Hot Point for thermocouple repairs if yous aren't so confident. It won't price you much.

It's Dirty

Soot buildup on the thermocouple may block the flame. Under constant exposure to a hot flame, a thermocouple wears down over fourth dimension. Even a slight residue tin brand the thermocouple malfunction. The fix here is every bit piece of cake as removing the thermocouple, cleaning it with a wire brush or something coarse (even an ordinary dollar neb works), and replacing.

If removing and cleaning the thermocouple is something you're comfortable doing, perform this routine maintenance annually. This is DIY furnace maintenance you tin can perform on your ain to extend the life of your furnace and avoid emergency repairs.

It'due south Not Lined Up

The pilot lite flame needs to completely envelop the peak of the thermocouple rod so it knows the flame is on. If the thermocouple isn't lined upwards correctly, it won't read the flame, and will shut the valve for the gas.

If you try to repair or replace the thermocouple on your own, remember to close the gas valve and shut off ability to the furnace by flipping the billow first to avoid an blow.

two) Airplane pilot Orifice is Dirty

If y'all can manage to get the pilot low-cal lit for just a moment, audit the flame. The airplane pilot lite is supposed to exist a strong blueish cone, non a weak yellow flame. A weaker flame won't envelop the thermocouple properly. The pilot orifice may be total of dirt. Cleaning out the pilot orifice ways disassembling the pilot and immigration out the debris using a needle or compressed air. If y'all're not eager to start tampering with crucial parts of your furnace system, furnace repair experts at Hot Point are just 1 telephone call away to help y'all out.

iii) Bad Gas Regulator

A bad regulator in your natural gas meter exterior your home will affect all of the gas appliances in your dwelling, including your furnace, dryer, stove, etc. Your furnace may not be getting enough gas to keep the pilot lit. If you discover pilot problems in several of your household appliances, this may be the culprit. Contact your utility visitor immediately.

iv) Fluctuating Natural Gas Availability Based on Demand

At that place could be nada wrong on your end. When natural gas consumption peaks, the "gas grid" in your area may be nearing its chapters and lower the gas pressure intermittently. Even the slightest hiccup in gas supply to your furnace could be plenty for the pilot to get out. Inquire around your neighborhood and discover out if anyone else has had problems with their natural gas. Make it touch with your utility visitor if the problems persist.

5) Improper Air Flow, or a Stiff Draft, Blows the Airplane pilot Out

If your pilot light re-lights easily afterward going out overnight, it's possible information technology was diddled out by a draft. This tin can happen on excessively windy days or nights. A leak in the output duct of the furnace could cause air to blow into the area. Proceed every intake air annals in your dwelling house open and articulate to avoid a "vacuum" effect in the inlet.

Waukesha Furnace Repair Pros Help Y'all Diagnose and Repair Airplane pilot Lite Problems

Practise-it-yourself maintenance and repairs can simply get so far, unfortunately. If your furnace is yet malfunctioning subsequently you've repaired or replaced the thermocouple and adamant the flow of gas isn't a problem, you'll need the aid of an experienced professional to figure out what's wrong with your furnace.

Hot Point Heating and Air Conditioning offers flat charge per unit pricing on all of our Wisconsin repairs, meaning we charge exactly what nosotros quote and don't devious from it. Many HVAC techs will effort to apply shady, scammy tactics to go the nigh money out of you. Hot Betoken furnace repair experts guarantee integral and trustworthy repair services. Every fourth dimension.

Contact furnace repair professionals at Hot Point today to permanently fix issues with your pilot light.

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Source: http://www.hotpointheating.com/HVACMaintenanceTips/PilotLightGoingOut

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