Pilot Light Problems: Why Your Furnace in Wise, VA, Won’t Stay Lit

The fall season is here in Wise, VA, and it’s time to turn on your furnace. However, your comfort might not come without frustration, especially if your pilot light keeps going out. Here we’ll discuss why your furnace won’t stay lit.

Faulty Thermocouple

A faulty thermocouple can cause your furnace to stop working. Also referred to as a flame sensor, the thermocouple is an electrical safety device that senses whether there are flames. If there’s no flame, it shuts off the flow of gas.

It does this to prevent the gas from escaping into your living space and compromising the indoor air quality. It also protects the furnace from overheating and burning out.

If the thermocouple is faulty, it’ll simply stop the furnace from working. To solve this, schedule a furnace service appointment to have it replaced.

Dirty Pilot Orifice

If your pilot light is going out, it might be because the orifice that allows gas to flow through has dirt. Sometimes dirt and debris easily find their way into the furnace and block the orifice. The best way to diagnose this problem is by looking at the color of the flame.

If it appears yellow instead of blue, the orifice is dirty, and you should call a professional service technician to clean it. A service technician will disassemble the pilot light and clean the orifice to ensure it’s clear. Don’t get tempted to clean it yourself because you might damage critical components.

Faulty Thermostat

A faulty thermostat can prevent your furnace from coming on. The thermostat communicates with the entire HVAC system and ensures it starts up at a set time. If it’s faulty or close to a heat source, it breaks the communication.

The problem might be dead batteries, which you can change yourself. However, if that doesn’t work, you should call a professional to check the wiring. If it’s old, you may have to replace it with a new programmable thermostat.

If you’ve tried everything to solve the problem and it still persists, call a professional to come over and fix it. For more information on all of our heating services, contact the team at Mid Mountain Heating & Cooling.

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