How do I turn off the pilot light on my furnace?

Is it dangerous if the pilot light goes out?

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.

Does turning off a furnace turn off the pilot light?

Should I Turn Off My Pilot Light In The Summer? If you have an older furnace, turning off your pilot light can be an excellent idea. A continuously burning furnace pilot light will generate heat and moisture throughout the summer months – in a small amount to be sure, but still undesirable once the weather heats up.

Can a pilot light relight itself?

If your pilot light goes out, your furnace will not be able to produce heat because its burners will not ignite. Often, homeowners can relight the pilot themselves.

Can a pilot light cause carbon monoxide?

A yellow or orange pilot light will produce carbon monoxide – an odourless, colourless gas that can fill your home and cause carbon monoxide poisoning. Symptoms of this condition include dizziness, headache, fatigue, nausea, unconsciousness, brain damage and death.

Should you leave your pilot light on?

Reasons to leave your pilot on:

When you turn off your pilot light, the light’s tubes will maintain a trace level of mercaptan, and that will attract spiders, who will spin webs that can clog the pilot light system. Keeping the pilot light on will also keep moisture out of the unit and in turn, help prevent corrosion.

Should the pilot light always be on?

Generally speaking, it is safe to leave your continuous pilot light on at all times, assuming it stays lit (more on this in a moment). While it does cost more to keep your pilot light on in between uses, it can actually have some benefits to your system.

What happens if you turn off your furnace?

A furnace can encounter problems if it’s turned off. These problems include the build-up of moisture which leads to rust forming. Corrosion can also happen, due to a build-up of water and soot.

Does leaving the pilot light on use gas?

Most pilot lights consume around 600 BTUs of gas every hour. If you leave your pilot light on for an entire day, it would roughly consume 14,400 BTU’s every day. Each term is equal to 100,000 BTUs of energy. This means that you will be using BTU’s equivalent to 4.3 therms of gas.

How do you relight a pilot light?

Does a pilot light use a lot of gas?

Just how much gas does a pilot light consume? Most pilot lights will consume about 600 BTU’s of gas/hour. With 24 hours in a day, that’s roughly 14,400/BTU’s each day. Figuring 30 days, a pilot light will use approximately 432,000 BTU each month.

Does the pilot light stay on when the power goes out?

If your gas water heater uses a continuous gas pilot light, it is likely that your gas water heater will continue to function normally in the event of a power outage. Even gas water heaters with electric pilot lights can continue to work as they don’t necessarily rely on mains electricity.

Why does a pilot light go out?

What does pilot light look like?

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.

Do I need to turn off gas when power goes out?

How can I get hot water without electricity?

Inspecting a Gas Furnace Pilot Light Flame

A natural gas flame should be a bright blue color with a small amount of yellow at the very tip. A propane flame will have more of a bluish-green flame with a tinge of yellow at the tip. The flame should strong enough to cover about 1/2 inch at the end of the thermocouple tip.

How can I heat my house when the power is out?

When a power outage happens, you might wonder, does gas need to be turned off? Simply, you don’t need to turn off your natural gas source when a power outage happens, as it may still be used to power some of your appliances. It is entirely safe to keep it on.

Can you shower if the power is out?

A woodstove or fireplace can be a lifesaver during a power outage, and not only as a general source of heat. You can also boil water as you would over a campfire, with the pot placed atop a woodstove, or via the built-in water reservoirs some models include.

Does water go out when power goes out?

7 Ways to Heat Your Home When the Power Goes Out
  1. Use a Generator.
  2. Get an Indoor Propane Heater.
  3. Use a Wood Stove or Fireplace.
  4. Increase Heat If You Know Power Might Go Out.
  5. Don’t Open and Close Outside Doors.
  6. Insulate and Block Drafts.
  7. Let Sunshine Through Windows.

What should I unplug during power outage?

In order to shower during a power outage, your home has to be equipped with a traditional tank-style water heater. Additionally, it needs to have hot water already in reserve, which it should but might not. So yes, if you have a tank water heater and the power went out recently, you’re probably good to take a shower!