How to light the pilot light on an old furnace
Old furnaces often have hidden pilot assemblies or switches that fail to ignite even when following standard steps like holding the gas switch and hitting the igniter. This leaves homeowners struggling to figure out whether the system requires manual lighting or if there is a deeper mechanical failure, often forcing them to call a technician.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1Calling an HVAC technician
In their words
Unedited, most upvoted first, each linked to the thread it came from.
“Do I just need to light a pilot light? Or should it ignite automatically?”source ↗
“I turned back on the gas valve, turned the furnace valve switch to pilot, held down the red gas switch, and hit the igniter. Nothing.”source ↗
“I opened some panels up and I can't even see where i'd try to light it manually.”source ↗
“Any help before I shell out money for a tech?”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 3Why won't my water heater pilot light stay lit or spark?
- 2Why does my furnace make a loud banging noise?
- 3Why does my stove burner go to maximum heat on low?
- 5How do I use and maintain an oil heating system?
- 2Furnace won't turn on after new AC installation
- 3Oven heating element is sagging and touching the bottom