Posted: 1/25/2007 6:34:36 PM EDT
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Temp is dropping here and I noticed the furnace hadn't kicked on. I checked the pilot light and it had gone out sometime between this morning and tonight. A little odd it was out but no biggie, I lit it following manufacturer instructions. I had the temp set way down to keep it from kicking on until the pilot light had set. After a few minutes, I heard a click and the pilot light was out again. Sounds like something kicked it off. I lit a second time and it is still burning. What would have made it kick off? Do I need to be concerned about running it tonight? |
 Well shit. That's what i was afraid of......I was hoping it would be an answer like, "Your thinglebamble is bad, go to Lowes and get one...."Thanks for the response. Time to call a professional. |
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Thermocouple, about $10 easy as heck to change. It's the copper line going from the pilot assy to the gas valve, has a screw end and a rod end. The pilot flame impinges on it and keeps the gas valve safety open. The click is the safety snapping closed. You CAN change it, call a pro and it'll cost you about $125-$150 for the call. Turn the gas and power off to the furnace, loosen the thermo from the gas valve, pull it down and out of the pilot assy [some ARE that easy] and get one that is the same length. They come in 24, 36, 48 inch lengths. Put in til the top 1/2 is in the pilot flame. Relight. Sit back and buy ammo with savings!!!  Meh, if he has to light a pilot, it's an older unit, first thing I would look at and replace. |
Trouble is, there are many different types.Look up the make and model online. You should be able to find a PDF of the manual. They usually have a trouble shooting section. |
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Well, its running right now. After the second time lighting the pilot, it stayed lit so I cranked her up and it's working. I will see if I can find a manual for trouble shooting. I'm sure it's gonna happen again. Can the thermocouple be picked up at a home improvement store or a specialty shop? Any concerns about letting it run while we're sleeping? |
No concerns, if it goes out the safety will snap off the main gas supply. You can buy a thermocouple at Lowes, home Depot or any half ass hardware store. You probably don't need a manual, I'd bet it's a thermocouple problem, they do tend to go bad after so long. [I fix furnaces as part of my job FWIW] |
BIG +1 It's probably just a thermocouple but it never hurts to take apart the pilot assembly and use a pipe cleaner or small gauge wire to clean out the small orifice inside the pilot assembly. Good luck. |
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My gas water heater "failed" a couple of weeks ago. I had just read a thread here where someone else's thermocouple had died, which causes the pilot light to go out. I went down, bought myself a new thermocouple ($8), and had it installed and working in less than 10 minutes. -Troy |