Before you troubleshoot the plot light, remember that it is always on and the flame needs to be blue. Adjust it if it's yellow. You should make sure that the tank is full of water before you light the pilot light.
But if the pilot flame goes out, then the gas would still be released. After a while, the gas could collect in your home and become a health hazard. However, if there's an issue with the thermocouple, the safety valve will shut even if the flame is still lit. Use the schedule service button to get back in hot water!
When a gas fireplace is turned on, the gas going into the fireplace hits this flame. In doing so, the pilot light serves as an ignition point for the entire fireplace. The pilot light needs to run continuously because, without it, the gas going into the fireplace would not have an ignition point.
The pilot light, however, is an actual old-fashioned flame inside your furnace. This flame is supplied by your gas line and should always be lit.
If your furnace's pilot light won't stay on, the furnace won't work. Some common causes include issues with the thermocouple and pilot tube. The thermocouple detects the pilot light via sensors. A faulty thermocouple may arbitrarily determine that the light is off when you want it on and vice versa.
If the pilot light goes out on a storage or instantaneous hot water heater, space heater or a ducted heater, you will not have a gas leak. This is because all modern gas appliances with pilot lights have a fail-safe device that closes off the gas to the appliance in the case when the pilot may go out.
The most obvious sign of the failure of a pilot light will be a lack of hot water or warm air since the burner assembly can't light and do its job of heating these substances. In many systems, a broken pilot light will prevent the appliance from working at all.
Check the Gas Levels
If the pilot light is tiny or won't stay lit, check your gas levels. You may not have enough gas in the furnace's reservoir. You can check to see by looking at the pressure gauge on the supply tank.
Pilot lights can be a source of carbon monoxide because the by-products of combustion are released inside the home rather than vented to the outside.
Open the access door or panel to the burner chamber and take a look inside. You should be able to see the pilot light tube. If there's a steady blue flame, your pilot light is operational. If there is no flame, the pilot light is out and you'll need to call a professional.
You can save gas and conserve energy by switching off the pilot light during summer. There is continuous use of gas to keep the pilot light on—turning it off will help save energy. While it may not be a significant drop in your energy or gas bill, remember, every dollar counts.
On the other hand, when your pilot light is off, you save money and help to conserve energy. The constant use of gas to keep the pilot on is estimated to cost somewhere between $7 and $10 monthly if you are using natural gas and as much as $24 monthly if you are using propane.
If you switch your pilot light off, your air conditioner won't have to work as hard to reverse the heating effect of the pilot light. Your furnace only uses a small amount of gas to power the pilot light. Turning the pilot light off, only saves a few dollars each month.
The Pilot Light is the heart of your water heater. It's a small blue flame that burns petroleum gas to produce heat. Without this flame, there would be no heat, and thus no warm water.
If you have a faulty thermocouple is the most common reason that your pilot light is malfunctioning. Over time your water heater will collect dirt, dust and other kinds of debris. Build up on your thermocouple can cause a malfunction. This is and easy fix, simply let it cool down and brush off the dirt or debris.
A pilot light that is unlit for an extended amount of time can leak gas into your home, eventually causing a fire.
Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include headache, dizziness, blurred vision, drowsiness, or muscle weakness. If you smell an exhaust odor or experience symptoms, act quickly: Turn off the heater, open air vents and windows, and use supplemental oxygen if you have it.
If the pilot has a weak, orange-yellow flame or barely reaches the thermocouple, it's too low. If the flame extends well above the thermocouple, it's too high. Pro Tip: Test the thermocouple with a multimeter with a DC volt scale. If the thermocouple reads more than 25 millivolts, it's not the source of the problem.
It's easy to replace and a new one costs $5 to $10. Rather than trying to unfasten the thermocouple inside the water heater's burning chamber, it's easier to remove the whole burner and thermocouple assembly.
If your thermocouple goes bad, there is only one thing to do: Replace it. If you hire a professional plumber to do this, it may cost up to $200 total. This is another repair you may wish to attempt on your own. The part itself should only cost $20 or $30.
If it won't burn blue, you may have incorrect gas pressure, or a misaligned or dirty burner causing your pilot light problems. Flame flickers or spits – A draft in the room can cause your flame to flicker. Spitting is often caused by a dirty gas orifice or tube.
A healthy pilot light should shine a bright blue color. If the flame is more of a yellow or orange color it is an indication that there is a problem, and something isn't working properly. The color of the pilot light is always indicative of it burning either efficiently or inefficiently.