A furnace pilot light is both a critical safety indicator and the unit’s ignition source. As such, any issues of this sort should be of concern to homeowners in Northampton, PA. Here are a few reasons why your furnace’s pilot light might be going out.
Clogged Gas Valve
The simplest reason why a pilot light might either weakly flicker or not turn on at all is that no gas is reaching the furnace’s combustion chamber. In that case, there will be no way for the it to turn on. A heating maintenance technician will clean this as part of a tune-up.
Faulty Thermocouple
A thermocouple is a copper tube located near your pilot light that acts as a temperature and gas sensor. If it registers temperatures that are too high, it may block the flow of gas to your furnace’s combustion chamber. Broken, misaligned or soot-clogged thermocouples may also stymie the flow of gas.
Broken Gas Regulator
This is an especially serious issue that will adversely affect every single gas-powered appliance in your home. The purpose of a gas regulator, as its name suggests, is to regulate the pressure of all the natural gas that comes into your home, no matter the purpose for which you intend to use it. It is generally located somewhere along your home’s gas line and near your gas meter.
If the regulator is malfunctioning, too little gas will flow to your furnace to keep its pilot light lit. To truly confirm that this is the source of the problem, inspect other gas-powered appliances, like your water heater or your stove, to see how they’re functioning.
If your furnace’s pilot light goes out this winter, it’s a sign of trouble. Call Sullivan Oil and Propane, ask for our heating repair services in Northampton, PA, and let us diagnose and repair the issue.
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