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From: cmoore@amdimage.UUCP (chris moore)
Newsgroups: net.consumers
Subject: Re: pilot light out?
Message-ID: <31@amdimage.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 4-Mar-85 20:15:20 EST
Article-I.D.: amdimage.31
Posted: Mon Mar  4 20:15:20 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 6-Mar-85 00:43:29 EST
References: <767@amdcad.UUCP>
Distribution: net
Organization: AMDIMAGE, Sunnyvale, CA
Lines: 29

> 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?
> 
As far as I know, a power failure will not put out a pilot light.
I've heard that a pilot light may be blown out by a strong wind
on a windy day, but that wouldn't account for all the times my
pilot light has gone out recently.

As far has how it knows the pilot light is out, the heater in my
appartment has a heat sensor that is continually torched by the 
pilot light.  If that sensor cools down, then the pilot light
is out and the heater shuts off the gas.  To relight my pilot, I
have to turn the knob to 'Pilot' and hold it in, which bypasses 
the safety and allows the gas to flow.  I have to hold the knob
in until the pilot light has been lit long enough to heat up the
sensor (1-2 minutes), then it will keep running by itself.

-- 

"My system is so slow we don't use 'who' anymore - it's faster to
 walk around the building and count the users."

 Chris Moore (408) 749-4692
 UUCP: {ucbvax,decwrl,ihnp4,allegra}!amdcad!amdimage!cmoore