How to Clean the Pilot on a Wall Furnace

The pilot light may need cleaning if it does not stay lit.

Wall-mounted gas furnaces use a pilot light to ignite the gas coming into the system. The pilot light in many models stays on all the time. When the thermostat detects the heat in a room is too low for the desired temperature setting, gas is released into the system, and the pilot light ignites it. If the pilot light orifice is dirty, the pilot light may not stay lit. Cleaning the pilot light is the first step of troubleshooting a pilot light problem. If the pilot light does not stay lit after cleaning, you may need to call a repairman.

Things You'll Need

• Wire

Instructions

1. Turn off the electrical supply to the furnace by flipping the circuit breaker to the off position. Turn off the gas supply by turning the gas supply valve to the off position.

2. Open up the furnace by removing the front plate of the wall-mounted furnace unit. Remove the screws that hold the face plate in place, or press the open button.

3. Locate the pilot light at the bottom of the unit.

4. Stick a wire into the pilot light orifice. Insert and remove several times to remove dirt and dust.

5. Turn the gas and electrical back on and test the pilot light by turning up the thermostat.

References

• Don Vandervort's Home Tips: Furnace Repairs: Pilot Light Goes Out
• Ask Jon Eakes: Cleaning a Furnace Pilot Light