Please Help With Gas Furnace!!!

[Martoch]

Hi everybody!


Ok, here's the deal...the pilot light on my gas furnace keeps going out and it's driving me crazy! Just within the past 2 hours I've had to relight it 3 times...and this happens very often. I have no experience with this sort of thing as I haven't had a gas furnace in my house since I was about 12 (16 years ago). It will work fine for about 20 mins, then the "heat" will kick back on and all I feel is cold air.

The furnace is in my garage and both the garage door and the house access door are always closed so there's no steady wind or gusts blowing in. This is not a new furnace, I'm renting this house...if you need specifics on the furnace and/or pictures I can provide those in about 1/2 hour.

I wake up in the middle of the night freezing...it's cold in here right now because of the dang pilot light.

So any thoughts on this?

Thanks!
Mike

Maybe it's not getting enough fuel to stay lit, or uhhh, something? If there's no breeze, I can't imagine what else it would be.

[kenyg]

call ur landlord - I don't like messing with gas.

mine went a few years ago and I had it replaced - the pilot that is.

Keeping in mind your 'freezing' is probably early summer temps here which means shorts and t-shirts.

[Knothead]

Hey, Martoch? The pilot light is a sometimes thing. Usually, there is a lever that you hold down, and light it---but you have to keep that lever down for a long time--- do you have directions pasted on the heater cover somewhere?

Anyway, what kind of furnace? Forced-air? Floor? Wall furnace?

Wanna help, buddy!
Edit: DOH! I re-read your post, it's a forced-air.

[Wizzard~Of~Ozz]

Hehehehe, actually there is a little "saftey switch" that if it blows your furnace will not work, Do not try to bypass it, it is there to detect if there is a pilot light, if there isn't one, then it shuts off all the gas, The only way to fix it is to have someone come in and fix it, BTW How cold can it be in Florida, and I'll trade ya your place with no het for my place with it (bet yours is warmer)

[Knothead]

I think what Wizzard is referring to is the Pilot control...without seeing what you've got, I suspect you have either a Thermocouple, or a Pilot Generator.

This prolly means absolutely nothing to you.

Here's the deal:

A) Have the landlord bring somebody out to meter the pilot assembly to determine which problem you have, and fix it.

If this works, COOL! If you do not have a responsive landlord, then you can:

B) Look at the part where there is a button on top, which you push to light. This is the pilot assembly.

Shut OFF the gas valve. Take a 7/16" wrench for the nut at one end, and a 1/2" wrench for the nut at the other...remove the entire assembly and take it to your appliance parts store. The copper wire lead is what you wanna examine. (Note: leave the aluminum gas line where it is.)

If you have a Thermocouple device, it'll be about six bucks for a new one.

If you have a Pilot Generator, a bit more. But anyway, the guy will advise, and sell you the part you need, and if he's a kindly soul, (and those guys usually are) he will advise you on any particulars.

Take the assembly back and re-install. You have just saved about $75 to 150!

[Brainchild]

It prolly the thermocouple, it is what allows the pilot to stay lit. It's easy to replace,and under 15-20 bucks.

Heres a link to help some

[pickel]

Replace the thermocouple that controls the pilot light. Relatively inexpensive part. Shut the gas off before you start working on it

[RedFury]

I had the same problem with a hot water heater. Replaced the Thermocouple ( very easy thing to do once you actually look at how it's set up ) and got it up and running no problems. However, a short time later the unit died ( had the problem you describe, wouldn't stay lit ).

I'm wondering, since you say that it lights, but goes out when the furnace starts, that you don't have a problem with the gas control valve. Something is getting tripped when the main gas line opens the floodgates to get the burner going I'm thinking here.

Replacing the Thermocouple is a cheap fix, if it works. If it doesn't, you aren't out much effort or money. I'm thinking along the lines that you should pick up a cheap ceramic heater for the night and get your landlord to send someone out ASAP.