The pilot light in a furnace that ignites the burners is so much a part of our collective understanding of how gas furnaces work that some homeowners find themselves surprised when they discover their new furnace doesn t need a pilot light.
Does my oil furnace have a pilot light.
Some could mean a mechanical issue but it could also be something harmless like a strong draft during a windstorm or temporary interruption in gas service.
However this may have happened you will need to relight it.
How can i re light it when it goes out it s a question installers often hear from customers.
In these systems the pilot will only light in the case of hot surface igniters the igniter surface heats when the thermostat makes a command for heat.
Instead they have some type of electrical ignition system.
There are many reasons for why the pilot light could go out.
Well the answer is yes and no.
All of these problems are not an issue when you have a modern furnace which uses electronic ignition instead of an old fashioned pilot light.
This system uses a pilot flame but the pilot lights only when there s a call for heat from the thermostat the furnace s electronic control board activates an electric igniter that uses a.
Most furnaces with electronic ignition have a device called a hot surface igniter.
There s no sticking a match into the machine to light the oil or a pilot light but if it is not igniting you can check a few things to make sure.
If your furnace is located by a door leading to the outside or you had a fan running near your furnace the breeze could have extinguished the pilot light.
When the furnace kicks on the pilot light is used to ignite the burners which produce heat for your home.
If you have a newer furnace or one with an afue rating above 80 it most likely has an electronic ignition system.
This is typically the problem if you can hear your furnace click on but it does not fire up.
This is a small electronic device that receives an electrical current whenever your.
It s important to note that automatic ignition furnaces do not need to be relit.
In the past this was.
While a furnace supplies a reliable form of heat that doesn t mean you won t have to deal with some of the common oil furnace problems.
The pilot light or ignition sensor is usually the most common issue when your furnace will not ignite.
However with proper care regular maintenance and a good understanding of how to fix basic issues your furnace can provide years of reliable service.
Standing pilot lights are common in older furnaces but many newer furnaces have intermittent pilot lights or hot surface igniters.
A true oil furnace or boiler does not not normally have a pilot light.
Oil furnaces will heat automatically.
Once the oil is hot the heat is propelled through the house by way of a furnace fan.
One type of electronic ignition is an intermittent pilot.
