My Boiler pilot light keeps blowing out

Older gas boilers frequently feature pilot lights, which must be constantly lit. If your pilot light keeps going out, then you can reset it quite easily; just follow these simple steps or watch the video below.

Is your pilot light out?

Turn the thermostat on so that if your boiler was working, it would be heating your water or radiators.
Find the pilot valve, which should be near the gas burners and will be labelled as a pilot light with an “on,” “off,” and “pilot” setting. Turn it to “off.”
Leave the boiler open for around five minutes so any potentially dangerous flammable gases can dissipate.
Locate the pilot, which should be near to the pilot valve.
Turn the pilot valve back to “pilot” and ensure gas is running out of it.
Put a long match or lighter at the tip of the pilot.
Once the pilot has been lit for around a minute, turn the pilot valve to the “on” position.
Turn the thermostat back to where you would like it.
However, if the pilot light keeps blowing out, there may be a problem with the pilot tube, and you may have to clean it out. If this is the case, take a nail, a straw, or another small object and clean out any dirt within it.

A breeze or draught may also cause your pilot light to keep going out. Light a candle near to the pilot light, and if this also blows out, then a draught may well be the problem. Get your boiler repaired by a Gas Safe-registered engineer, as draughts should not be able to affect your pilot light.

Not fixed? No problem.

Don’t attempt to touch any part of your boiler or central heating system if you’re unsure. Did you know? It’s illegal for anyone to use a gas appliance if they think it’s unsafe. It’s always better to be safe than sorry as you could make things worse.

Instead, call us on 0345 3192 247 and we can help. Our technical team will run through some simple troubleshooting to see if your problem can be resolved on the phone or they can book one of our friendly and knowledgeable Gas Safe registered engineers to get you back up and running as soon as possible.

A gas boiler with a faulty pilot light is very dangerous; when the pilot light is extinguished, the boiler may still be releasing mains gas into the air and, worse still, you could be at risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.

If your pilot light is orange or yellow, please read this guide and call someone out as soon as possible.

24|7 Home Rescue offers a number of care plans to suit a range of household emergencies for your peace of mind. From boiler breakdown to appliance repair, you can be rest assured that one of our dedicated engineers is never far away and we aim to get you back up and running as quickly and as smoothly as possible. To find out more, just call one of our friendly staff who can talk you through the ins and outs!

247 Home Rescue accepts no liability for any injuries or damages you sustain following the advice on this website. If in doubt, seek professional assistance.