Why does my furnace pilot light go out all the time?

An older gas furnace has a standing pilot that stays on all the time — or at least, it’s supposed to. 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.

How do you relight a pilot light on an old furnace?

After waiting for 10 minutes, use the following procedure to relight the pilot light: Open the gas valve on the supply line and turn the gas control knob to PILOT. Push in the knob and hold it in. If the knob won’t go in, fiddle with it until it does. The controls on older furnaces tend to wear out.

Why does my furnace not ignite when I Turn on the heat?

5. The Pilot Light (Faulty Ignition Sensor) The pilot light or ignition sensor is usually the most common issue when your furnace will not ignite. This is typically the problem if you can hear your furnace click on but it does not fire up.

What to do if pilot light on gas heater is not working?

Turn the thermostat to its lowest setting. Turn the gas knob to the OFF setting and wait 5 minutes to clear out any gas. If you smell gas, don’t continue to light the gas heater and call a professional heater repair person. Locate the the pilot so you will know where to put the fire when it is time to light the gas heater.

What happens when the pilot light is on but furnace won’t start?

If the furnace doesn’t recognize that the pilot light is lit, it won’t engage the furnace or shut down shortly after starting. If it is burning but doesn’t think it is, I have a serious fire hazard. True, as is a gas leak that looks like a lit pilot light but turns into a big problem when the furnace does engage.

5. The Pilot Light (Faulty Ignition Sensor) The pilot light or ignition sensor is usually the most common issue when your furnace will not ignite. This is typically the problem if you can hear your furnace click on but it does not fire up.

What to do if your furnace won’t stay lit?

Get a needle and scrape the inside of the pilot tube. Any blockage in the pilot tube will cause the furnace to not stay lit. So cleaning it is an easy solution without having to replace any parts. Once cleaned out, put everything back in place and test out the furnace. You may need to replace the thermocouple on your gas furnace.

Why does my pilot light keep going out?

The pilot light may be going out if the pilot tube (burner) is blocked, dirty, or clogged. A dirty pilot tube will not be as reliable than if it is clean. A dirty pilot tube may be causing your pilot light issues. It is difficult to determine if the pilot tube is clogged or dirty as it is almost impossible to see inside of it.