Knowing how to light your furnace’s pilot light may not be information you’ll use everyday, but it’s still a good skill to have in the event you ever find yourself shivering in the cold because your pilot light went out. Best of all, the steps are short and simple!
Step # 1: Find The Instructions Label
Every furnace has one, and it will tell you exactly how your furnace needs to be lit. If it’s too dark for you to see, or there is something else obstructing you from reading the instructions, that’s okay too, the following steps are pretty universal.
Step # 2: Find The Pilot Light
Close to the bottom of your furnace you should see a small switch with three settings, “Pilot,” “On,” and “Off,” as well as a nearby “Reset” button. Turn the switch to off and wait a few minutes for all the built up gas to dissipate so you don’t accidentally cause a fire.
Step # 3: Light It Up
Once the gas is all gone, turn the switch back to pilot. Then, while holding down the reset button, use a long match or lighter (or long, tightly wrapped scrap of paper if you don’t have any) to ignite the pilot light along the opening. As soon as you confirm the pilot light is lit, you can let go of the reset button and you’re good to go!
Final Notes
- Always make sure your furnace is turned off all the way and that any and all residual gas has dissipated before attempting to relight your pilot light. Fire and gas is a very dangerous combination, and can lead to some serious consequences if mishandled.
- If you cannot get your pilot light to stay lit, and you’ve tried following the instructions a few times to no avail, there is likely something wrong. You should stop working on it immediately and contact a furnace repair professional, like ours at AFM Heating & Cooling, as soon as possible.
- Never try to take apart or perform any extensive repairs on your furnace unless you really know what you’re doing. Even so much as accidentally breathing in too much gas can be dangerous, and you wouldn’t even know it was harming you until it was too late.
If you think your furnace is broken, or you’re simply inexperienced and need someone to come take a look at it to make sure it’s in great shape for you, you can always reach out to our friendly and talented furnace service and repair professionals at AFM Heating & Cooling by calling 734.464.6700 for a free consultation, or simply fill out the form in the sidebar, today.
