I live in SD and all of a sudden we had no heat. So I went downstairs and figured out how to light the pilot light, which I was told I should not have done because I could have died. For real?
When your pilot light goes out, gas still flows out of the pilot light nozzle. If the pilot light has been out for a long time, a gas cloud can develop around the furnace. When you go to light the pilot light, you’ll ignite this gas cloud and make a big fire ball. Not fun.
In your case, the pilot light had only been out for a moment or two, so the gas had no time to accumulate. And if your basement is drafty, you might never get a huge cloud of gas hovering around your furnace. But if there is any doubt at all, you really shouldn’t have taken the risk.
When you notice that your pilot light is out, you should shut off the gas to the furnace and allow any stray gas to dissipate before you turn the gas back on and light the pilot light.
Great question.
March 21st, 2010 at 5:48 pm
Sometimes there is raw gas in the burner compartment. If you don’t let that gas air out, and you light it. there will be a flash of flame coming out at you. This can cause minor to saver burns. Most of the time it just singes your hair and eyebrows
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March 21st, 2010 at 6:20 pm
You could cause an explosion if the gas was leaking and had filled the area with gas,then you lit a match. Normally lighting a pilot is pretty safe.
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Handyman
March 21st, 2010 at 6:26 pm
Yes! When your pilot goes out, the open gas valve is still releasing unburned gas. Always air out the area before relighting a pilot light!
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March 21st, 2010 at 6:47 pm
Only if you have a lot of gas in the area mixed in the air.
I lit a pilot on a hot water heater that put out a good bit of gas before it blew up. Scared me so much the next day I threw the thing outside and put an electric in.
Yes you can get hurt. Just totally depends on how much gas is in the air. I have heard of people at the top of the steps getting fried when the dad goes in the basement to set the gas off. The heat ball rises and so the people up high get it worse.
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March 21st, 2010 at 7:00 pm
When your pilot light goes out, gas still flows out of the pilot light nozzle. If the pilot light has been out for a long time, a gas cloud can develop around the furnace. When you go to light the pilot light, you’ll ignite this gas cloud and make a big fire ball. Not fun.
In your case, the pilot light had only been out for a moment or two, so the gas had no time to accumulate. And if your basement is drafty, you might never get a huge cloud of gas hovering around your furnace. But if there is any doubt at all, you really shouldn’t have taken the risk.
When you notice that your pilot light is out, you should shut off the gas to the furnace and allow any stray gas to dissipate before you turn the gas back on and light the pilot light.
Great question.
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March 21st, 2010 at 7:06 pm
the only danger of an explosion is if you have a gas leak…if the pilot just went out as soon as the pilot goes out the safety device called the thermocouple shuts the gas off and will not let any gas through until the pilot is relit…you can safely relight the pilot without the threat of an explosion as long as you know what you are doing. Have everything you need to relight a standing pilot furnace there and ready to use before you push the button to allow the gas to flow to relight the pilot
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40 years master hvac tech, certified oil and gas burner tech
March 21st, 2010 at 7:50 pm
yes you can. make sure the gas has cleard before you light the pilot. be careful
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