Where is the pilot light on a floor furnace?

Category: home and garden home appliances
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A floor furnace is powered by gas and has a pilot light inside the furnace. The pilot ignites the burner when it is switched on to create heat. You must remove the grille on the floor and reach down inside the furnace to light its pilot light.



Hereof, how do I light the pilot on my furnace?

Once the gas has had time to dissipate, turn the knob to "Pilot." Then, hold down the "Reset" button and bring the flame of a long lighter close to the pilot light opening. This should light the furnace pilot light. Once you are sure the pilot light is on, release your pressure on the reset button.

Similarly, how do you light an old furnace? The Procedure to Relight a Pilot Light
  1. Open the gas valve on the supply line and turn the gas control knob to PILOT.
  2. Push in the knob and hold it in.
  3. Push the ignite button repeatedly if the furnace has one.
  4. Keep pushing in the control knob for about 20 seconds after the pilot lights.

Also to know is, how do I know if my furnace pilot light is out?

The pilot gas line is a small metal tube below the burner assembly and distinctive by the slight upturn at the end. It will be apparent, if the pilot is lit, by the small blue flame burning at the end. If you do not see a small blue flame burning, the pilot light is out.

How do you turn off a floor furnace?

To turn off your furnace completely, look for a valve in the gas line to the furnace. Simply turn the valve handle so it is angled 90 degrees to the pipe as shown below. If you like, you can check your furnace to ensure the pilot flame goes out.

38 Related Question Answers Found

Is it dangerous if the pilot light goes out on furnace?

Can a Pilot Light Outage Be Dangerous? The worry here is that when a pilot goes out, the gas valve that supplies the fuel for the pilot flame could still be pumping gas. This can mean a buildup of gas, and when the pilot is relit or relights itself it could result in a very serious explosion.

Why is my boiler not igniting?

Burner won't ignite: This is the most common cause of a boiler failing to provide heat. If the gas jets on the burner will not ignite, no heat will warm up the water in the tank. The trouble may be due to a failed electronic igniter/pilot light, or perhaps trouble in the gas line.

How do I reset my furnace?

How to Find My Furnace Motor Reset Button
  1. Turn off the power to the furnace at the circuit breaker. The circuit breaker is clearly marked.
  2. Lift up the blower compartment cover to access the blower wheel and blower motor.
  3. Look for a small red or yellow button on the side of the blower motor.
  4. Press the reset button down if it has popped up.

Do all gas furnaces have a pilot light?

For many years, furnaces used a small and continuously burning flame known as a pilot light to ignite the burners during every heating cycle. Although pilot lights are still present in homes with older systems, most newly installed furnaces use an electronic ignition instead.

Is it safe to relight a pilot light?


If you are trying to relight the pilot light, before turning the knob to the pilot position, wait for some time until the gas smell goes away. If you follow these instructions, it is safe to light a pilot light using gas lighter.

What is a pilot light on a furnace?

A pilot light is a small, continuously burning flame that is used to ignite the burners in older gas furnaces. The flame is monitored by something called a thermocouple that is designed to shut off the gas valve to the pilot light in the event that it extinguishes or burns inefficiently.

What does a furnace pilot light look like?

The color of a healthy pilot light flame can vary a bit depending on whether your furnace uses natural gas or propane as a fuel. A natural gas flame should be a bright blue with the tip of the flame having just a tinge of yellow. A propane flame should have a bluish-green flame with a tinge of yellow at the tip.

Can a pilot light cause carbon monoxide?

Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas produced during burning fuel. It doesn't leak from a pilot light that's gone out, but if the light keeps going out even after you relight the pilot, it can indicate that you have other problems.

Does gas leak if pilot light goes out?

When the pilot light goes out, it does not leak carbon monoxide gas. However, if the light goes out frequently there could be other issues.

Do I need to turn gas off if pilot light goes out?


This system will allow a small amount of gas to leak through the pilot tubing. If the pilot light is out, the gas must be shut off at the appliance isolation valve, normally located in close proximity to the appliance. Then you can follow the manufacturer's instructions to relight the pilot.

What causes a pilot light to go out on a furnace?

Thermocouple Malfunction
It is positioned very close to the flame, and when lit, the pilot light tells the thermocouple to keep the gas line open. A thermocouple that is dirty or malfunctioning will often shut off your gas supply in error, causing the pilot light to go out and your furnace to stop working.

What does a thermocouple look like?

The thermocouple looks like a piece of metal tubing smaller than a soda straw. To find it, first locate the gas control box. This is the box that the main gas line enters, where you turn the gas on in the furnace. The other end of the thermocouple sits in the flame of the pilot light.

What do you do when your pilot light goes out?

What Should You Do If Your Pilot Light Goes Out?
  1. Locate the pilot light assembly, including the gas valve with “On,” “Off,” and “Pilot” settings, and pilot reset button.
  2. Rotate the valve to the “Off” position, and wait several minutes.

Can a pilot light flame be adjusted?

Adjusting the Pilot Flame
If the pilot flame is too small, you may be able to make it larger by turning the pilot adjustment screw on the valve control counterclockwise with a screwdriver to open it. The cause of a weak flame may also be an obstruction in the pilot tube.

Are thermocouples universal?


Universal Thermocouples. Universal thermocouples, as the name implies work on most water heaters. They are available online and in home supply stores for a reasonable cost. The length and the thread type are the two concerns when purchasing one.

How do you test a thermocouple?

Turn your multimeter to millivolts to perform an open circuit test. Place one of the test leads of the multimeter on the side of the thermocouple and the other to the end that enters the gas valve. Ignite a lighter, or other heat source with a flame, at the opposite end of the thermocouple.

How do you relight a pilot light?

Relight the pilot light.
Turn the knob to “Pilot,” and let gas to flow to the pilot. Light a lighter or match, then push in the reset button. Hold your flame to the pilot light's opening. Keep the reset switch depressed until the pilot light is burning steadily.