Gas pressure and consistency, as well as the positioning and function of the thermocouple at the pilot flame, can also affect the ability of your pilot to stay on. The other possibility is that the front cover over the burner assembly is out of position, allowing the flame to blow out.
If, after ensuring the flame cover is in place, the blow-outs still occur, I would suggest calling your gas utility or a heating contractor to check and adjust your system as needed. Do not alter your exhaust venting system with baffles. The pilot was designed and built to stay on in all wind conditions. Malfunction of the pilot is a symptom of needed maintenance/repair — not field-engineering. Anything you do to alter it could be potentially dangerous.
Q: I've been looking into replacing my aluminum-frame windows with newer vinyl, double-pane windows. I have heard that there are differences in the quality of the seal between the panes and that the cheap manufacturers use absorbent silicon to hide a poor seal. The silicon will work until just after the warranty expires. Is there a way to tell the quality of the window seal? Can I just buy the cheapest windows and not worry about this?
A: I have not heard of more than just a few hermetic seal failures in any vinyl window by any manufacturer. This was not the case with aluminum windows.
Q: Loved the recent article about putting metal roofing over cedar shakes (Dec. 1). Do the same issues apply with putting a metal roof over composition shingles?
A: Yes and no. With composition roofing products, the debated pest and fire issues are not in the forefront, as with cedar. Condensation risk remains the same, if not slightly increased, due to the "reservoir" and insulating effect of the shakes. Composition roofs might have multiple layers, and shakes do not — municipal limits on multiple roofing layers may be exceeded with composition in some cases, requiring removal of the old before installation of the new.
Q: I saw somewhere recently that turning up the thermostat one degree or 20 makes no difference in how quickly the furnace heated up a house. I disagree with that premise. By igniting a heat pump's back-up heating coils, or the high flame in a multistage gas furnace, turning it up many degrees over the desired temperature would result in a quicker warm-up. Am I off-base here?
A: All true, and well reasoned. In addition, the anticipator in a modern thermostat would shut the furnace down before reaching the desired temperature to avoid overshooting, and for better efficiency. Keeping the temperature far above the desired target would avoid this.
Darrell Hay answers readers' questions. Call 206-464-8514 to record your question |
