Top Tips on How to Adjust a Central Heating Pilot Light

If you want to know how to adjust a central heating pilot light then all you need to do is follow these simple steps and you’ll be in business. Often times people make this process out to be more complicated than it really is, so don’t sweat it, even if you have no idea how to take care of this baby!

First, locate your front panel of the unit in question. Most homes have their heating unit in the garage these days, but it could be in the basement as well. Make sure to have a screwdriver – most units require a flat-head, so pull out your trusty tool box. Unscrew the panel.

Now that the panel is off, is the flame burning? When you observe the flame does it happen to be over the thermocouple unit? If the answer is no to either one of these questions than it is quite possible that you’re dealing with a non-working thermocouple or possibly even a transformer that no longer works.

If your pilot happens to have a cap on it, you’ll need to remove the adjusting screw that is on it. This shouldn’t be difficult to locate, but just be aware that if your pilot doesn’t have a cap, no problem, not all do.

Now that you’ve located the screw, you’ll need to turn it counter-clockwise – turn it slowly. This will decrease the flame in question. If you do not see it decrease then you simply need to turn the screw a little bit farther before you see the flame recede.

Now that the flame is down you need to take a look at how much the flame is surrounding the thermocouple bulb. Adjusting your central heating pilot light is really all about this step right here. The flame needs to be enveloping the bulb by about �½ inch or so. Regarding the color of the flame, you want to make sure that the flame is a blue. The tip of the flame should have just a tiny shade of yellow.

Important – if you find that the flame has a significant amount of yellow towards the tip then it’s quite possible that the flame has an obstruction in the fuel line. If this is the case then make sure to immediately call your gas technician, as they are qualified to deal with this particular problem. Don’t try and save the day by continuing to play with the central heating pilot and the flame, hoping it will fix itself if in fact the flame has too much yellow in it.

Once you’ve taken these steps on how to adjust your central heating pilot light you can then replace the cap that you’ve taken off. Make sure to replace the panel as well. I’ve seen many homeowners forget this important step. This can create a hazard for both you and any children you have around your heating unit.