My Propane Furnace Pilot Went Out: What Do I Do?

Written on: April 26, 2021

If you have an older propane gas furnace, one problem you may run into over the course of a long heating season is a burned-out pilot light.

The primary cause of pilot light outage is a draft (see below). But other, more significant problems could also be causing the pilot light to go out, including:

Why Pilot Lights Go Out

• A clogged intake valve – A buildup of dust or debris can cut off oxygen to the pilot light chamber, making it difficult for its flame to “breathe.”
• A damaged thermocouple – A thermocouple is an electrical switch that varies its output when temperatures change – on your gas furnace, it’s used to cut off gas supply as a safety measure. A qualified technician must repair or replace a damaged thermocouple; it’s not a DIY job.
• A slow leak – Insufficient fuel reaching the pilot light can cause your flame to glow yellow rather than blue – a yellow pilot light flame usually indicates a leak somewhere in your system. Your furnace responds to that leak by automatically shutting down for safety reasons. Do not attempt to repair heating system leaks yourself – contact us for service.

However, as we said earlier, most pilot lights simply blow out. Luckily, this is one of the easiest problems to fix.

When Your Pilot Light Blows Out

If your pilot light is out, try the following before you contact us to service your furnace. PLEASE NOTE: Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions if they say something different than below.

• Step 1: Find the gas valve in the pilot light assembly; it typically has “on,” “off,” and “pilot” settings.
• Step 2: Turn the valve to the OFF position and wait three minutes or more for It to reset.
• Step 3: After three minutes, turn the valve to the PILOT setting and hold a lighted match next to (not inside!) the pilot light opening. While holding the match, push and hold the reset button on the pilot control panel until you see the pilot light ignite, then set the valve to the ON position.
• Step 4: If the pilot light doesn’t light after several attempts, contact us for service.

Need expert propane furnace repairs in Pennsylvania? Trust the pros at Koppy’s Propane. Contact us today to learn more about expert propane heating repairs in PA!