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QUESTION:We have a gas furnace, with a boiler.
After a long trip this winter, during which we had the thermostat set to 50, we
turned it back up to 65, and everything was fine.
Turned it down to 58 overnight.
Woke up freezing. Headed out for the day,. had no time to deal with it then.
In the evening we discovered that the pilot light had gone out, so we relit it.
Turned the thermostat up to 70, the house warmed up before we died of
hypothermia, and everything seemed fine.
That night we turned it down to 58 again and went to bed.
Woke up freezing, and went through the rigamarole to relight pilot again.
Now we're afraid to turn it down.
Any ideas on why the pilot would go out? (We've lived here two years, never had
to relight it before._ Anything you can suggest we do?
ANSWER: No, not normally
A lower house temperature will slow the chimney effect, reducing the draft
over the burners. Do you have enough fresh air for the furnace?
I have seen the chimney downdraft right after the burner shuts down, this
starves the pilot of oxygen, causing it to go out.
Newer furnaces are equipped with safety devices to lock out the furnace if
this happens.
Signs of staining around burner, vents. the black iron gas pipe fittings,
if rusted may mean flue gas is spilling into the house. (unless there's been
a flood or water sprayed on the pipe)
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