Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/12/84; site mit-hermes.ARPA Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!mit-eddie!mit-hermes!jpexg From: jpexg@mit-hermes.ARPA (John Purbrick) Newsgroups: net.consumers Subject: Re: Pilot light out? A brief tutorial in gas heater service Message-ID: <2315@mit-hermes.ARPA> Date: Fri, 8-Mar-85 14:37:20 EST Article-I.D.: mit-herm.2315 Posted: Fri Mar 8 14:37:20 1985 Date-Received: Sun, 10-Mar-85 04:57:48 EST References: <767@amdcad.UUCP> <2734@sdcc3.UUCP> Distribution: net Organization: The MIT AI Lab, Cambridge, MA Lines: 15 > My heater hasn't been working all week. I finally looked at it > and discovered the pilot light was out. Lighting it restored > normal function. > 1) How could this happen? Would a power failure have anything to > do with it? > 2) How did it know the pilot was out? I had the pilot on my furnace go out a few months back, but it worked as long as the red bypass button was held down. Diagnosis, bad thermocouple. The man at the hardware store said sure, the thermocouple gets eroded by being in the pilot flame all the time and a reasonable lifetime is 7 years. The replacement cost $4.50 and took 5 minutes to install. Note that the tube connecting the ends of the thermocouple unit comes in various lengths--get the right one!