How to Relight Your Furnace Safely

September 20, 2021
Relighting Furnace in Philadelphia, PA

You rely on your furnace to keep your family comfortable during the cold days of the year. When your pilot light goes out, you may think that you need to wait until you can call in a professional. In reality, you can likely relight your pilot light by yourself following the steps below.

Locate the Pilot Light Burner

You’ll want to start by locating where the pilot light burner is. This is typically at the bottom of the furnace, and it may be behind an access panel. You’ll know you’ve located the right spot when you see a reset button and knob.

The knob will have three different settings, “Pilot,” “Off” and “On.” Turn the knob to the “Off” position. This will stop the flow of fuel to the pilot light burner. You’ll want to give it a couple of minutes after shutting the fuel off so that any excess left in the air can dissipate.

While you’re waiting, now is a good time to find a lighter. You should get a grill lighter that is long enough to keep your hands away from the flame when lighting your pilot light. If you don’t have a grill lighter, an extra-long match will do.

Light the Burner

Go ahead and turn the knob to the “Pilot” position. Light the burner as you hold down the reset button, and make sure that you continue to hold down the reset button until the flame turns a solid blue color.

Once you reach that desired solid blue flame, let go of the reset button and turn the knob to the “On” position. You should hear your furnace kick on as soon as you do this. It’s best to stand there and watch the flame for a few minutes to ensure that it doesn’t go out or change to a yellow tint.

Helpful Heating Services

Peters Associates provides heating assistance to customers throughout the Philadelphia, PA, region. That includes installation, maintenance and repairs of furnaces and boilers. We’re also here for all of your cooling needs. Besides that, we can help with indoor air quality, ductwork and duct cleaning, water heaters and commercial HVAC needs. Call us today to discuss your situation.

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