I tried to turn on the furnace early this morning to get rid of the chill in the house. The pilot light was out so I got it re-lit and when I turned on the heat the furnace kicked in like it wanted to start and then all the flames went out. It looked like someone shut the gas off almost. I repeated this a couple times and now I can't even get the pilot light to stay lit.

Should I just move or go tankless?

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Sounds like a bad thermo couple, cheap n easy fix.

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Ball bearings.....it's all ball bearings nowadays.

Actually ......just wait for the expert to assemble himself after sleeping off the Cubs celebration last night.

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That's my purse! I don't know you!

I am far from an expert but the same sort of thing happens to my water heater from time to time.

Also, I am not exactly Lou Manfedini either.

My plumbing guy taught me a trick and it works every time.

This is just a possibility...

Something (sensor?) is telling the pilot light not to ignite. If you take a very lightly damp rag and wipe away any small dust, soot, etc. around the pilot light area it may be just the thing to kick it in?

Sometimes I have to do this along with a light piece of sand paper or emery board inside the water heater pilot light area. My guy says it has something to do with the water heater being so close to the washer & dryer?

I defer to to Darkside - He is truly the expert... Good luck!

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"This is Chicago, my friend. Anything can happen."

Light yourself on fire.

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Great suggestion from the expert!!!!

hes the kid who sits in back of class and tryes too be FUNNY!!!... i guess HELPING is to much too ask???????

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yeah, It's Big Brane!

put on a sweater and stop your bitching.

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favrefan said:"Chris Coghlan isn't gonna pay your rent, Jimmy."

Similar posters Scooter and Darkside will not like this thread.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

No need to cut on furnace yet.

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Be well

GO BEARS!!!

this is why you don't let hoosiers around technology.

hank just go back to wood burning stove

A similar thing happened to me. It was a safety feature. The wall had started to wear down and a hole had opened up which was a big fire hazard. I guess it has some sensor.

The technician said flames could have made it to the wall of my house. I had to replace the furnace myself after that.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

So far Godfella is the winner. His trick worked. My furnace and AC are both on life support. It's only a matter of time for both.

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Darkside recommended that to me as my fix a year ago or whenever...but I ended up having to get the thing replaced as every few days it would go out.

Landlord covered it...but I don't think the part is expensive.

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Rick Hahn is the best GM in baseball.

the pilot orifice is clogged

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the world will always the world. your entire existence is defined by your response.

A couple things...
If there's a thermocouple, there's no flame Rod to clean. The pilot heats up the thermocouple which transfers a small amount of voltage to the gas valve il via the copper line. You can test the thermocouple if you have a multimeter that measures milli voltage by using a 3/8ths wrench to take off the plug at the gas valve. You use alligator clips from your multimeter to clip on the silvery end and the other clip somewhere on the copper line. Light the pilot. You will see milli voltage climbing. A new thermocouple will generate a max of 35 mv. As they age the potential drops. You'll need 17 or so minimum to hold open the pilot valve which allows the main valve to open when energized. Anything under 20 and I'd say replace the thermocouple.
The gas valve may be slowly going bad if it's shutting off the pilot valve with proper mv.
The pilot assembly requires cleaning every year to make sure the orfice is clear and allowing a strong pilot flame. There's a little sleeve with a tiny hole at the pilot assembly that can be clogged causing a lazy or lifting flame. It should be strong, blue and Impinging on the tip of the thermocouple.
It's possible although unlikely a rollout, limit, or blocked vent safety switch is opening. Typically that would not cause the pilot to go out.
Again with a standing pilot flame rectification is done with a thermocouple so the issue is, in descending order of probability, a bad thermocouple, a dirty pilot assembly, or a bad gas valve.
A remote possibility may be a bad main valve relay not properly supplying 24 volts to the main valve (labeled mv on most gas valves) when calling for heat, or bad wiring somewhere in the safety or control wiring areas.
This is not as complicated as it sounds.
If you have a standing pilot system it's likely time to join the rest of us in the post model T era and get something updated and efficient.

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

ill bet you $5 this is the problem. listen to his symptoms

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the world will always the world. your entire existence is defined by your response.

I'd ask BigFan.

Who?

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Good people drink good beer - Hunter S. Thompson

<º)))><

Waiting for the time when I can finally say
That this has all been wonderful, but now I'm on my way

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Power is always in the hands of the masses of men. What oppresses the masses is their own ignorance, their own short-sighted selfishness.
- Henry George

Thanks guys. I've got it working at the moment but if things go south again I'll try some of Darko's suggestions.

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You know what pilot did go out!? Cory Lidle!

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Fun update.

Kept cutting out, I started looking closer and noticed a couple wires were charred up. I taped them up thinking that was potentially the problem and I put in a new thermocouple. No dice. I finally called in a guy, yadda yadda yadda, I just spent $2500 on a new furnace. I went cheap, 80% efficiency, small house and my bills weren't particularly high even with my crappy 65% efficiency 1980s monster. I do have to say the guy didn't go with a hard sell which I appreciated.

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I'm guessing you had the exact same problem I described. Looks like I'm the new HVAC expert!

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

Why not? You're an expert at everything else.

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

Thanks for noticing!

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

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I have a guy coming on November 9th to do a tune up on my furnace and while they are there they take a look at the water heater. My house was built in the
70s but I have no idea what kind of shape these units are in even though they run pretty well so it will be nice to have the guy tell me his honest opinion about
them and how long they might have. I bought the house 3.5 years ago and I am pretty sure the person flipping the house put in used units or just serviced what
was already in there at the time. Anyway I have my fingers crossed I can get a few more years out of them. I thought paying the $80 to get the one serviced
and some professional advice was worth it for someone like me who is pretty clueless about HVAC.

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami

we had that issue it was the flame sensor.