An unhealthy yellow pilot flame is more like a “candle”. It will shoot straight up in the air and will not engulf your sensors. If the flame is not healthy, your thermopile or thermocouple could be perfectly fine, but they will not have enough direct heat to signal to the main control valve to turn the fireplace on.
Can a pilot light flame be adjusted?
On some fireplaces, there will be a “Lo-Hi” button that allows you to adjust the flame upward or downward. On others, there will be a screw that you can easily adjust with a screwdriver. Turning the screw clockwise will lower the flame, while a counterclockwise motion will turn it up.
What should pilot light look like?
Inspecting a Gas Furnace Pilot Light Flame A natural gas flame should be a bright blue color with a small amount of yellow at the very tip. A propane flame will have more of a bluish-green flame with a tinge of yellow at the tip. The flame should strong enough to cover about 1/2 inch at the end of the thermocouple tip.
Can a pilot light be too high?
A: There is a way to control the height of the pilot light flame. … The pilot flame should touch the thermocouple at a specific level. If the flame is blue and weak, and barely reaches the thermocouple, it needs to be stronger. If it extends well above the thermocouple, it’s too strong.How big should my pilot light be?
A pilot flame should be blue with a yellow tip and strong enough to cover about 1/2 inch at the end of the thermocouple tip. If the flame is too strong and adjusted wrong, it will be loud and cause improper furnace operation.
What color should a gas fireplace pilot light be?
The color of the pilot light should be blue because that means that only natural gas—without any other condensates—is reaching the pilot light through the gas main. The principal chemical compound found in natural gas is methane, and methane burns blue.
Should I keep the pilot light on my gas fireplace?
Should the pilot light always be on in a gas fireplace? Most gas fireplaces rely on a “continuous pilot light,” a type of pilot that remains lit so long as gas is flowing to the unit. … If you have a continuous pilot light system, you should always see a pilot flame unless you have manually turned the system off.
How high should the flame be on a gas fireplace?
Then, turn the gas on and light the pilot. Turn the burner on and set the flame height to high. Take a reading. This time, you want to see an ideal reading of 3.5 inches or the pressure rating indicated in the manual.How do I make my pilot light bigger?
If the pilot flame is too small, you may be able to make it larger by turning the pilot adjustment screw on the valve control counterclockwise with a screwdriver to open it.
What color should a pilot light be?Pilot lights should burn blue When your furnace is functioning normally, the pilot light should burn a deep blue color. This is the natural color of a flame that is receiving an adequate amount of oxygen.
Article first time published onWhy does my pilot light keep blowing out?
The most common reason that your pilot light on your water heater keeps going out is a damaged, bent or dirty thermocouple.
How much gas should a pilot light use?
Just how much gas does a pilot light consume? Most pilot lights will consume about 600 BTU’s of gas/hour. With 24 hours in a day, that’s roughly 14,400/BTU’s each day. Figuring 30 days, a pilot light will use approximately 432,000 BTU each month.
How long do I hold the pilot light on my gas fireplace?
Hold the pilot button down for about 20 seconds to give the thermocouple time to heat up, then release it. The pilot should stay lit, but if it doesn’t, relight it and hold the button a little longer.
Are pilot lights supposed to stay on?
Leaving the gas on keeps this compound moving out of the tubes. Keeping the pilot light on will also keep moisture out of the unit and in turn, help prevent corrosion. … As you can see, it’s probably best in most cases to extinguish the pilot light in your gas fireplace during the months when you don’t need heat.
Should a pilot light make noise?
There is usually no reason to be alarmed if your gas fireplace is making noises. Do some investigation, however, if you hear a new sound and experience an operating problem at the same time. … If there is a roaring sound that occurs when the pilot light is on, it is usually because the flame needs to be adjusted.
Should a pilot light be orange?
The flames from traditional pilot lights should burn a bright blue color. If your pilot light’s flame is orange or yellow, it is burning inefficiently due to a lack of oxygen. The thermocouple should sense when this happens because the heat from the flame will not be as hot as it should be.
Should gas fireplace burn blue or yellow?
Healthy Flames A healthy gas flame will burn steadily with a yellow or orange. If the flame is not yellow or orange it may be a sign that your gas fireplace needs adjusting or cleaning, which should be done by a qualified technician, such as those we have at Kozy Heat.
How long should it take to light a pilot light?
To light a pilot light, first turn the gas control valve to off and wait 5 to 10 minutes until all the gas fumes are gone. Once you’ve made sure there’s no gas coming out, hold a lit barbecue lighter or long match next to the pilot light tube inside your furnace while turning the gas control knob to pilot.
How long should you hold the pilot light button?
After the pilot lights, keep the pilot button held down about 15 to 30 seconds to warm up the thermocouple and ensure that the flame stays lit.
How big should a hearth be for a gas fireplace?
Basic Hearth Dimensions To keep fire, ashes and embers a safe distance from the floor in front of a fireplace that has an opening 6 square feet or smaller, the hearth should extend at least 16 inches in front of the fireplace opening. The hearth also needs to extend 8 inches to each side of the opening.
Why doesn't my gas fireplace have big flames?
Make sure you have the proper fireplace installed. A propane fireplace will not operate correctly on natural gas and vise versa. The orifices in the burners are sized according to the gas type. The wrong gas attached to the burner can affect the size of the flames.
How do I stop the wind from blowing out my pilot light?
You can prevent a faulty pilot light from wind by fixing your thermocouple, gas release, protecting against downdrafts, capping your chimney, and checking your firebox cover.
Why is my pilot on but no heat?
The Pilot Light (Faulty Ignition Sensor) The pilot light or ignition sensor is usually the most common issue when your furnace will not ignite. This is typically the problem if you can hear your furnace click on but it does not fire up. … Put the front panel back on, turn on the gas, and then turn the furnace back on.
Is there always a small flame in a gas fireplace?
The little flame you see in your gas fireplace after you have turned it off is called a pilot light. A Standing Pilot Light runs constantly, whether your fireplace is on or off. … What that means is that you don’t have a pilot light burning in your fireplace year around. When your fireplace is off, it’s all off.
