A flashlight

A few long, wooden matches or an adjustable butane lighter

An adjustable wrench (in case you meet with controls that are stuck

15 - 20 minutes

Pilot: a small flame or electric spark which ignites gas when an appliance comes on. A pilot light (flame) stays on indefinitely. An electric pilot will only spark on demand to ignite the main burner.

Burner: a flat disc, a series of discs or a long, flat sausage shape located in the bottom half of the appliance. The burner distributes a gas-powered flame to the heating chamber of the appliance..

Natural gas itself is odorless. The gas companies add a distinctively unpleasant scent to alert people of unburned gas in the air. If you smell gas, immediately extinguish any live flames. Then look for the faucet handle on the gas line and turn it off--turn it perpendicular to the pipe. Open doors or windows if the smell is strong, but remember that it may take a few minutes for the smell to dissipate. Check all gas appliances if the smell persists. If the pipeline is turned off and you still smell gas, call the local gas company immediately.

2torial #0610: Learn2 Light a Pilot Light It's cold in here! Let's say you're arriving at a cabin for a weekend in the country. You're ready to enjoy a much needed get-away--but the gas furnace and water heater aren't. They've been shut down in order to conserve fuel, and if you don't want to freeze your tail off, you'd better know how to start them up again. This 2torial supplies the basic guidelines on how to light standard pilot lights for gas appliances. But be careful--you don't want anything to go boom in the night! There are many different models of gas appliances (i.e., furnaces and water heaters) out there, so some of you may have difficulty applying these guidelines to your unit. Always get the advice of a plumber or licensed professional if you're not sure how to proceed. Most units operate using a gas supply valve which is linked to a thermostat. Gas is distributed on-demand to a burner, where it's ignited by a pilot light. (See Keywords for these terms). Find the appliance Locate the appliance you want to start up. They're generally located in a closet attached to a central hallway, in a utility room or basement, or next to the kitchen. Read the instructions printed on the unit. Most gas appliances will post printed instructions on how to turn on the gas and light the pilot. Follow these to the letter! Discover if it's operating Listen for sounds coming from the appliance. You may hear a rushing or rumbling sound. Put your hand next to the wall of the unit (careful!). It may feel warm. Locate a removable panel on the front side, usually near the bottom. Peer into the peep hole there, if there is one, or remove the panel and look for a blue flame. These signs--a rumbling noise, a warm wall of the unit wall, the presence of a blue flame--all indicate that the appliance is already on. If this is the case, the pilot is already lit--you're done! Now locate the thermostat and adjust it to your desired level of comfort. Okay, you've tried all the above, and there's no heat, no blue flame, no rumbling noise. Therefore the appliance is definitely turned off. Follow the steps below carefully to turn the appliance on again safely. Be familiar with the parts Connected to the unit, will be a pipe with an on/off valve that looks something like a faucet. This is the main gas line. Modern gas lines have a length of flexible pipe connecting the main gas line to the appliance. The gas is turned off when the handle on the main gas line is perpendicular to the pipe. A one-quarter turn (90 degrees) of the faucet handle makes it parallel to the pipe opens the gas line to the appliance. There's usually only one way to turn the handle. Look at the control knob on the unit. Usually it's a round knob with lettering that indicates three positions: off, pilot, and on. These three settings are critical to our operation. A marker arrow should be located somewhere next to the knob on the appliance itself. This marker indicates which setting you've selected on the knob. Locate the pilot light fixture. It's usually a small metal pipe that originates at the gas line and is located next to the burner unit. Sometimes it looks like metal cylinders, with a small pipe that looks something like a candle wick. It's usually located on the right side of the burner as you'e looking at it from the front. If you're lucky, it may even be labeled. Notice that you'll have access to the pilot light fixture either from the wall of the appliance (through a hole or removable panel), or by reaching up from the bottom. Sometimes there'll be just enough access to put in a match held with your fingertips. Have your equipment handy. Flashlight, matches, and wrench should all be within easy reach. Having another person around to assist is a great idea. Turn the gas on In this step, you're switching on the main gas line, so that gas feeds into the appliance. You should sniff around for the sweetish smell of gas--none should be escaping from any valves ito the air around you. If you do smell gas, turn the gas off and call a plumber or licensed professional. Start with the off position of the knob aligned next to the marker arrow   Then turn the gas valve one-quarter turn (90 degrees) so that it's parallel to the pipe. This turns the gas on, making it available to the appliance. Use a wrench to help turn the valve handle if necessary. Remember you only need one-quarter turn, and usually the handle only goes in one direction. Turn the pilot on Turn the control knob so that the word pilot lines up next to the marker arrow. (Have a match or lighter ready.) You should hear a small hiss. That's a flow of gas going to the pilot light fixture. Light a match (or a butane lighter on its highest setting) and hold it next to the pilot fixture. Hold the flame as close to the fixture as possible for a few seconds. The flame should jump onto the fixture. If nothing happens, return the knob to off and check your pipelines to be sure all lines are open. Light the burner Once you've established a flame on the pilot fixture, turn the control knob on the appliance from pilot to on. Set the thermostat as high as possible. Check the burner unit on the appliance. A blue flame should "jump" across the gap from the pilot to the burner. The flame will continue to move around the burner unit until the burner is fully lit. When you've determined that the burner is fully lit, turn down the thermostat to your desired setting. You're all set! If you're sure all the valves in the gas line are turned on and the pilot refuses to light (sigh), some professional service may be required. Turn the main valve off and call the local gas company or a plumber. You may need to pile on some extra clothes, boil water on the electric stove or stoke a big fire in the fireplace while you wait for the repairman to come in the morning. But at least you'll be happy knowing you didn't blow up the house. Troubleshoot the pilot that won't light Let's say you've lit the pilot, but nothing happens to the burner when you turn up the thermostat. If so, check the control knob. Make sure that you've turned the on setting of the control knob next to the marker arrow on the unit. Sometimes a knob can become loose or wobbly and not read accurately. If you still don't get any response, then turn the control knob to off and wait about five minutes. Sometimes it takes a while for natural gas to charge the line fully. After five minutes, turn the knob to pilot and try lighting again. Having difficulty locating the pilot fixture? Look at where the gas line enters the appliance (usually at the control knob). Find a small pipe that leads out from the main gas line and follow it around. You're looking for a small fitting with some kind of a nozzle, wick, or cylindrical attachment located within an inch or so of the burner. Some units have a start button--usually colored red and located next to the control knob. Push the start button after turning the control knob to pilot. Keep the button pushed in while holding the flame to the pilot fixture. Release the button when the flame jumps to the pilot. -end- Learn More!