What Is A Pilot Light And How Does It Work?

Posted: December 26, 2022

Pilot Light and its Working Principle-PartsFe

What is a pilot light?

Did you ever faced an issue with a gas appliance and been advised to check the pilot light? Let's look at what is a pilot light, it’s importance, and what to do if one of your appliances goes out in more detail.  Some gas-fired equipment maintains a small flame known as a pilot light. 

You can purchase OEM pilot lights from Vulcan and Garland for your commercial cooking appliances at an affordable price from PartsFe. 

How Does it work? Gas is released to the main burner during the operation of the appliance, where it is lit by the pilot light to start the main burner and provide heat. Users don't need to manually supply a flame every time their equipment needs to be heated up thanks to a standing pilot light. 

So now that you know what is a pilot light and how it works, let's see what appliances have pilot lights. Gas-fired appliances including ovens, stoves, ranges, and griddles consist of pilot lights. The benefits include time savings and a safer option to manually lighting the apparatus, which frequently requires bending over and craning one's body to reach into tight spots with a match or lighter.

A pilot light's convenience comes at a very significant expense. Up to 80% of the entire amount of gas that is burned by a piece of gas equipment is consumed by pilot lights.

Table of Contents:

How to light a pilot light?
What is a gas stove pilot light?
How to light stove pilot?
How do you know if your pilot light is working or out?
How to adjust an oven pilot light??
How to fix pilot light on a gas oven?
How to clean a pilot assembly on a gas stove?
How to light a pilot light on a furnace?
How to light water heater pilot light?

How to light a pilot light?

As we discussed earlier, a pilot light is an ignition source for gas appliances with a little blue flame. The majority of modern gas appliances include electric starters or igniters. In certain older natural gas appliances, the pilot light may go out due to draughts, dampness, or mechanical problems. If you have an older appliance, you ought to be able to relight a pilot light. Here's how to ignite the pilot light in a stove, oven, furnace, water heater, etc.

If you're ready, relighting a pilot light is simpler. Locate the pilot light while the natural gas appliance is operating regularly. Use a flashlight, headlamp, or the light from a smartphone to locate the pilot light valve if your appliance is situated in a dim area. Pay attention to its location and appearance.

  • If your stovetop or other appliance has a ventilation fan, switch it on when starting the pilot.
  • The pilot might need to be lit multiple times. If you run the gas for a few seconds but it doesn't ignite, wait a while to allow the gas to dissipate before attempting again.
  • After numerous tries, if the pilot light still won't light, you might have a mechanical issue.

First, check your pilot light if you're having difficulties cooking or getting hot water. The pilot light is typically out when a gas appliance doesn't work. Relighting a pilot light is often an easy fix for older gas appliance models that aren't working. In fact, most recent models of natural gas appliances have electronic ignition systems, so standing pilot lights are rarely required.

What is a gas stove pilot light?

Gas stove pilot light is a small, but very important component of a gas stove. It is used to ignite the gas and cook food.

Gas stove pilot light is an electric spark that ignites the gas on your stove. It uses an electric spark from a match or lighter to create this ignition. This process happens in two stages:

The first stage is when the pilot light ignites the gas in the burner tubes, which then ignites the main burner. The second stage happens when the main burner ignites and heats up all of the air around it. This air heats up and creates a convection current that circulates heat around your kitchen.

How to light stove pilot?

A pilot light, which is a little light, should always be on in older gas stoves. Larger flames on your stove top burners are lit with the help of this little flame. That light may occasionally go out for a variety of reasons, including being covered in debris, being blown out by a blast of wind, being an older model, or simply becoming finnecky with time. When that occurs, the burners won't light, so you can't cook your food. Fortunately, lighting a pilot light again after it has gone out is not too difficult. How? Read on.

Turn off everything and check that there is no gas odour in the kitchen. Which may be present if you have been attempting to light the stove for some time without success. If there is a gas odour, make sure the burners are off and open the windows to let fresh air into the kitchen before attempting to fix the issue. If you have one, consult the user handbook for instructions. If not, carry on.

Take the burners out: Remove the burners if your stove top won't ignite. Maybe let them soak in the sink. 

Open the cooktop: Depending on your oven, the entire top may pull up from a hinge, holding it in place once it is open. Alternately, your drip trays will be detachable so you can see the stovetop's operation.

Track down the pilot port: There will be two gas lines linking the right-side burners and the two burners on the left-hand side underneath. Each of those pipes has a pilot port in the centre, which is where the pilot light, a small blue flame, can be seen when everything is operating as it should.

Make sure there aren't any oil, dirt, or obstructions in the region by cleaning the pipes and opening. If anything is visible, carefully remove it with your microfiber cloth.

Turn on the pilot light. You should ignite each of the apertures with your lighter. A tiny blue flame ought to emerge.

Change the components and inspect the burners: Replace the burners and close the stovetop's top. PartsFe is the best place to find genuine commercial kitchen equipment parts and accessories from well-known manufacturers. That's it! Your burners should now light up without a problem!

How do you know if your pilot light is working or out?

How do you know if you have a pilot light outage when your stove stops working? Check your pilot light by following these steps:

  • Find your device's front cover panel. It should have a little door that is prominently shown. Unlock it.
  • If your pilot light is on, it should be simple to spot because your gaze will naturally gravitate toward the tiny flame.
  • Your pilot light is out if there isn't a flame visible.
  • If there is a flame, look at the hue. Always use blue pilot lights. If it has an odd hue, the burner assembly may be rusted or unclean and has to be cleaned.

How to adjust an oven pilot light?

Even though electronic ignition mechanisms have gradually replaced Oven pilot lights, they still provide the flame that starts your ovens. Oven Pilot lights rely on a thermocouple's electric signal to remain on, and the thermocouple relies on the heat of the pilot light to deliver that signal. Here’s how to adjust an oven pilot light:

Check thermocouple operation

The thermocouple is a heat-sensitive electronic component that, when a specified temperature is reached, produces a small electrical signal. A tiny electric current tells the gas valve to stay open when the pilot is lit and the flame heats the thermocouple probe to its critical temperature. You typically need to manually hold the valve open by pressing a button for 20 seconds in order to wait for the probe to reach this temperature after lighting the pilot.

Changing the thermocouple

The thermocouple can malfunction and fail to keep the gas valve open for one of at least three causes, which is why the pilot needs to be adjusted frequently. It might be too far away from the pilot flame, the flame might be too dim or sporadic, or the thermocouple might be broken. The first issue can be easily fixed. Simply turn off the gas, reach under the burner, and push or pull the probe to adjust its position. Remove the thermocouple by unscrewing it from the burner and pulling it out if it's broken. Installing a new one requires the opposite process.

Making changes to the pilot flame

If the pilot flame is too small, increase it by using a screwdriver to open the pilot adjustment screw on the valve control. A blockage in the pilot tube may also be the reason for a poor flame. By shutting off the gas, removing the pilot tube from the valve control, and blowing compressed air into the tube, you can frequently clear such clogs. A needle can also be used to prick the pilot tube's aperture.

How to fix pilot light on a gas oven?

The pilot light on your gas oven may go out for a variety of reasons, but it can be fixed in a few minutes.

If the pilot light on your gas oven goes out, here's how to fix it:

-Check that the gas valve is turned on and the pilot light is lit.

-If not, turn off the gas and wait for an hour.

-If still no luck, unplug your oven and wait for 30 minutes.

-Plug it back in and try again. .-If none of these work, try unplugging your oven and turning it back on again.

 How to clean a pilot assembly on a gas stove?

Gas stove burners could not ignite quickly if the pilot assembly is dirty. Moreover, the stove has a harder time lighting as food, grease, and debris accumulate in the assembly's components, as seen by a rise in the number of "clicks" prior to ignition. Keeping the pilot assembly's essential parts clean will ensure safe operation and extend the appliance's lifespan.

Follow the below steps and learn how to clean the pilot assembly on a gas stove in minutes:

Step 1: Turn off the gas and remove the pilot assembly from the burner.

Step 2: Unscrew the screws on the top of the burner and remove it from its holder.

Step 3: Remove any ash or debris that may be present in your burner by wiping it with a damp cloth.

Step 4: Use a toothpick to get into any crevices where debris may be lodged, especially around the holes for screws.

Step 5: Place your burner back into its holder, screwing it back in place before turning your gas back on.

Furnace pilot light

Parts of your HVAC systems function based on pilot lights including furnaces and water heaters

Even a moderate breeze can cause the pilot light in some furnace systems to go out, leaving a homeowner without heat even when the thermostat is turned up. 

PartsHnC has everything you need to keep your HVAC system running smoothly. You can browse our catalogue and find air conditioner parts, furnace parts, or heat pump parts that fit all of your needs.  

How to light a pilot light on a furnace?

A furnace pilot light can be lit easily by following these steps:

1: Find the instructions label on your furnace

Furnaces should have placards explaining how to use them. However, occasionally the print may be small or the furnace area may be dark. In these situations, the label could be challenging to read. The work will be significantly simplified if you keep the following instructions next to your furnace or in another secure location that is simple to find.

2: Locate the pilot light and parts

Your furnace has a switch on the bottom that typically has "Pilot," "On," and "Off" written on it. Turn this switch to the "Off" position after finding it. At least five minutes should pass. This is crucial to prevent the possibility of a fire beginning since it gives the gas time to evaporate. While you wait, note where the reset button is; it should be close to the dial you just set to "Off."

Step 3: Relight the pilot light

Turn the knob to "Pilot" after giving the gas some time to evaporate. Then, while continuing to depress the "Reset" button, approach the pilot light aperture with a long lighter's flame. The furnace pilot light ought to ignite as a result. Release the reset button's pressure after you're certain the pilot light is on.

So you know how to light a furnace pilot light, but do you know how much gas a pilot light uses? The majority of pilot lights use roughly 600 BTUs of gas each hour. There are 24 hours in a day, so each day uses about 14,400 BTUs. A pilot light will use about 432,000 BTU each month, based on a calculation of 30 days.

Attention:

Is it an emergency if the pilot light goes out? Yes. 

An explosion can occur if there is a buildup of gas and the standing pilot flame relights. You have a gas leak if your heat stops working, your power goes out, and you smell rotten eggs. As soon as possible, leave your home and make an emergency call.

Water heater pilot light

Pilot lights are also used in water heaters to turn on the burner before the water gets hot. They work by using a small flame that heats up the gas inside the pilot light. In order to light the water heater pilot light, you need to turn on the gas valve, turn on the pilot light and then adjust the thermostat.

Some people might be confused about this process and wonder how to light the water heater pilot light. In order to make it easier for people who are not familiar with this process, we have created a step-by-step guide that will help them out.

How to light water heater pilot light?

Step 1: Turn on the gas valve by pressing the knob at the top of it

Step 2: Turn on the pilot light by pressing down on it

Step 3: Adjust thermostat settings by turning left or right 

Step 4: Remove the power cord from the electrical outlet

Step 5: Light the pilot light again and wait for it to come on.

For more FAQs
How much does it cost to replace an oven thermostat?

Ovens are important home appliances, cooking our food many times a day to share with our families. They come in different shapes, sizes and types with various new furnace designs and state-of-the-art features. Unfortunately, wear and tear are caused when even the best ovens break down, and so the ovens need to be repaired periodically. Usually, calling a specialist is the right option when your oven breaks down. Most people want to act quickly because it's a fight without a working oven.