Help with igniting the pilot on my gas furnace.?

Question

My sister and I live in my grandparents house. It's getting cold outside so we thought we'd check to see if the furnace would work. I switched it over to heat nothing happened. I checked the breaker box and everything is fine. Then we realized that the pilot had been turned off. We need help with lighting it. We don't know how to go about it b/c it's 25 years old and I have no idea if there's an igniter button or we have to actually light it with a match. If we do where do where do we light it at, what does the pilot light look like? There is a silver Honeywell box and it says "push man and pull auto". Does that have anything to do with it? The heater is a Rheem model # RGAA - 150C.

Answer 1

the only answer to give you as to save your personal safety is to call the local HVAC man and have him check it out and show you how to light it..NO answer here will help you otherwise

Answer 2

As a safety feature, most heaters are equipped with a thermoswitch. The switch is composed of a piece of metal that keeps the pilot lot off until the metal gets hot enough, then it opens a valve that lets the main gas jet come through.

Turn the dial on the heater to the "off" positon. You will have to hold the button down and using a long burning match or one of those butane candle lighters, light the pilot and keep the button depressed until the thermoswitch gets "hot" enough to hold the main gas jet open. Usually this is about one minute.
Try holding it down for two minutes. When you release it, the pilot light should remain on.

Then turn the dial on the heater to the "on" position, the heater should light. If it doesn't, try repeating the process. If it still fails to light sometimes you can blow the dust out of everything with a can of compressed air like you would find in a computer store for cleaning keyboards. Make sure that there are NO flames visible or present before trying to blow the dust out. Some compressed air has been known to ignite.

Usually the cleaning process with compressed air is BEST LEFT TO A PROFESSIONAL.

After the controls and thermal switch and pilot have all been cleaned thoroughly, try again. If it still fails to stay lit or if the main burner doesn't light, call a professional.

Answer 3

Let me clarify a couple of things for a couple of women I suspect are not familiar with a furnace.

1st coming to the furnace is a pipe this is where the gas comes in. Inside the furnace inline with the gas pipe is a gas valve. On the gas valve you will see a knob. On this nob there is an off, on and pilot. Also coming off of the gas valve is a small tube which will go to the pilot assembly. The pilot assembly is what will need to be lit. To Light it you will need to move the knob to pilot and push it in, while holding the knob in light the pilot with a match or some flame. Keep holding the knob in after you have it lit. You will need to hold the knob in for like 1 minute. If when you release the knob the pilot should stay lit. If it does stay lit you will need to move the knob to on and you are done. If the flame goes out you will need to replace the thermocouple (the copper tiny tube that sticks into the pilot flame. Only like $12 at lowes or any hardware store.

I hope this helps!

Answer 4

There should be like a red knob that says off, pilot and on. You turn the knob so the work pilot aligns with the arrow. It will be the only setting that allows the knob to be pushed down. If you can not push the knob down you are aligned properly. You need to hold it down 30 to 60 seconds, it seems hours, but is shorter. If you follow the tubes from the valve, the small ones, one is a gas line the other is a thermocouple line, at their destination you will see a gas jet with a wind reflector around it. I like to take one of the long butane lighters to reach in there to light the pilot. Once it lights you hold it down for the necessary time let it up and if the pilot stays on turn the knob to on. Then turn your thermostat up and the furnace should light.

Answer 5

Often there is a button you must press and then light it with a match. If the pilot has never been replaced, that is not a bad idea, especially if you light it and it goes out again.
There should be right instuctions on the door or inside it. Get a flashlight and check. The manual is not online.
http://www.greatpossibilities.com/ubb/Forum13/HTML/000458.html
Do your parents have it?
If not, try calling your Rheem or Ruud dealer.
If none of these pans out, call a heating service, and have them replace the pilot while they are there.
Is the heating electrical switch on? Red faceplate?

Answer 6

Look in front of your furnace towards the control valve, there's a switch on-pilot-off setting. Turn the knob to pilot and push down, gas will go threw the pilot tubing, pilot tubing is small grey tube near the thermo couple(copper like color), stick a match in there. Hold for a few seconds for the thermo-couple to reach the temperature, if tried several times folding/relighting pilot, >need to change your thermo couple, its bad. Refer to Dealer to replace thermo couple. If you live in california, call PG&E if they supplie your power, they will help, there awesome & its free.

Answer 7

You should call your local gas authority. In a lot of area's they will come out free of charge to light your gas appliance's. This also gives them a chance to inspect the appliance to see if it is operating properly. It is a documented fact that a number of trades people who are supposed to know what they are doing, have been killed trying to light gas appliances. Better safe than sorry. The pilot light will not go out if the unit is operating properly.

Answer 8

as your first answer indicates AND i WOULD ADD SOMETIMES IT SEEMS LIKE YOU HAVE TO HOLD THAT BUTTON IN FOREVER BEFORE THE GAS GETS THERE ESPECIALLY IF IT HAS BEEN MONTHS SINCE IT WAS ON. iF IT IS OUT THAT MAYBE BECAUSE YOUR OUT OF GAS LIKE AN lp GAS TANK OR opps shut off where it comes in the house. The place you buy gas from will often send someone out to help the first time you light up.

Answer 9

try using an aim n flame to light the pilot light since it sounds like the ignitor is going out