⚠️ Gas smell or CO alarm? Leave home immediately. Call 911 from outside. — No gas smell: (416) 424-4328 for furnace repair
How to Relight Your Furnace Pilot Light in Scarborough — Step-by-Step
Most furnaces installed in the last 20 years have electronic ignition (hot surface igniter or spark igniter) — no pilot light to relight. Standing pilot lights are found on older Scarborough furnaces (pre-2000) and some water heaters. This guide covers both.
Safety First: If you smell gas anywhere near the furnace — do NOT attempt to relight. Leave home, call 911 from outside, call Enbridge Gas emergency line.
How to Tell If Your Furnace Has a Standing Pilot Light
Open the furnace door and look for a small continuous flame near the burners. If present, you have a standing pilot. If you see a glow bar (silicone carbide element) or spark electrode, you have electronic ignition — call us.
Relighting a Standing Pilot Light (Older Furnaces Only)
- Set thermostat to OFF or lowest setting.
- Turn furnace gas valve to PILOT position.
- Push and hold the pilot button down (red or black).
- While holding, light the pilot with a long lighter at the pilot orifice.
- Hold button for 30–60 seconds, then release slowly.
- If pilot stays lit, turn valve to ON. If pilot goes out: thermocouple needs replacement — call us.
Why does my furnace pilot light keep going out in Scarborough?
A pilot light that repeatedly goes out in Scarborough is almost always a failing thermocouple — a $100–$200 repair. If the pilot relights but goes out when you release the button, the thermocouple is the culprit. Call Madina Mechanical at (416) 424-4328 for same-day thermocouple replacement.
🔗 Furnace Repair Scarborough (full service)
Furnace Repair in Scarborough: (416) 424-4328
