Pilot Light Issues and Heating Furnace Repair Riverside

The most common heating and furnace issue relates to the pilot light and thermocouple that is situated inside the unit for proper operation. These two components work together when bringing heat into your home. If your unit fails to operate correctly, you should first check to see if the pilot light is lit.

If your pilot light goes out, the unit will fail to run properly. In case this is the problem, you can either try to light the pilot on your own or call an expert in heating furnace repair. Riverside heating companies are available to assist you in repairing your furnace if you find it necessary. If you choose to try to light it yourself, simply follow these 5 steps in order.

• Turn the thermostat to the setting to demand heat and check to be sure that the setting on the thermostat is set to the position for heat.
• Locate the valve on the unit that says pilot on the furnace. It should look like a box that the main gas line runs into and will be situated somewhere close to the burners. The valve knob or gas cock will have three settings; on, off and pilot.
• Turn the gas cock to the position that reads ‘off’ before attempting to light the pilot. Give the unit about 4 or 5 minutes to clear away residual gas from the line. Get your matches ready for the next step. Fireplace matches or grill lighters are good choices to reach the pilot. If it is too far to reach with those, you can simply attach a match to the end of a wire hanger or stick.
• Once you are ready with the match, turn the knob to the pilot position and hold it down for a few seconds while placing the match by the pilot. Keep the pilot knob pressed down for about a minute to ensure the gas flow to the thermocouple is sufficient. Some of the pilots are located too far from the front to reach. In this case, heating furnace repair Riverside professionals can easily light the pilot for you if it is too difficult to reach.
• After lighting the pilot and making sure that it stays on, slowly let up on the knob. You should now turn the knob or gas cock to the position marked on. It should now ignite the burners. The gas flow will be regulated according to the thermostat setting that you have it set to and it should stay on until the thermocouple tells the furnace to shut off.

When the pilot is fully lit, you should inspect the flame for necessary adjustments or repairs. The flame should be continuous and bright blue for natural gas when it is properly working. For propane burning furnaces the tip should be bluish green in color. Both types of flame tips should have a small bit of a yellow tint to them. Inspect the flame to see if it waves or flickers, if it has a split in the flame or if the entire flame is yellow. These are all conditions that may need assistance from heating furnace repair Riverside companies or you can choose to adjust and fix the issues on your own.

There are two ways to solve these pilot light problems. The first suggestion is to fully clean the pilot tube. By gently taking a nail or needle through the pilot tube, you can remove any debris or dirt that may be causing the issue. Secondly, there may be some kind of draft that is making the pilot go out, so you would need to find the source and correct it. If all of your options do not work, then it may be time to call an expert in heating furnace repair in riverside.