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Pilot out.

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jmob77
jmob77 Member Posts: 39
in Strictly Steam
Got a call from my wife who is working in our home office today that the heat seemed no to be working. Over the phone, I had her investigate the status of the pilot on the boiler; it is out.

I can re-light it when I return later this afternoon; luckily, it's unseasonably warm here in NYC today.

I'm wondering about this as a general issue. I had to relight the pilot once or twice last winter; this is the first problem I've had this season. What usually causes it to go out and is it a big deal if it happens rarely?

Any advice on what to look out for would be appreciated.

Best,

John
Brooklyn, NY

Comments

  • Tim McElwain
    Tim McElwain Member Posts: 4,625
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    Is your system pilot one with a thermocouple or does it have a pilot generator. The difference will be the size of the element. That will make a difference in how we answer your question.
  • Fred
    Fred Member Posts: 8,542
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    A standing pilot can be blown out by a back draft from the chimney, it could be dirty and need cleaning, the flame could need to be adjusted, the thermocoupler could be out of range of the flame. If it doesn't relight, you will probably need a new thermocoupler. Of course I'm assumming this is a standing pilot???
  • jmob77
    jmob77 Member Posts: 39
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    Standing pilot w/ thermocouple. It looks like the problem was only a draft from a window that was left open accidentally. Re-lit w/o incident and going strong since yesterday afternoon.

    Thanks to all!

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