An extinguished pilot light is one of the most common issues with older American Standard furnace models. Further investigation is required if the pilot light goes out repeatedly or refuses to stay lit. This article discusses American Standard Freedom 90 furnace pilot light problems and possible solutions.
When the pilot light on your American Standard Freedom 90 furnace stops working, you will want to know how to re-light it and why it keeps going out.
Lucky for you, it’s easy to figure out and fix any minor problems with your American Standard Freedom 90 gas furnace. Troubleshooting can help you get rid of the small problems and figure out if you need a professional inspection.
What Is a Pilot Light?
A pilot light is a type of igniter that most older furnaces have. Some of these furnaces might be 30 years old or more. It’s just a gas flame, which means it can only be found in an American Standard gas furnaces. Its main job is to get the burners going when the furnace needs to heat up.
The thermocouple helps the furnace work by keeping an eye on the flame and shutting off the gas supply to the pilot light if the flame goes out or gets weak.
Reasons Your American Standard Freedom 90 Furnace Pilot Light Keeps Going Out
There are a few things that could cause an American Standard Freedom 90 pilot light keeps going out. Even though the list below isn’t necessarily complete, it does cover the most common reasons why a pilot light goes out.
Faulty Thermocouple
If your pilot light won’t stay lit, it’s very likely because the thermocouple is broken. It is the copper rod the pilot flame directly hits. It is also called the flame sensor. The thermocouple is a safety feature that turns off the gas if the pilot goes out.
If the thermocouple isn’t working right, it might not be able to find the flame and shut off the gas valve as a result. Possible causes of the problem are:
- The thermocouple is broken.
- A thermocouple that’s dirty
- A thermocouple that is not in the right place
Ongoing Draft
Your pilot light may go out sometimes over the years because of a strong draft during a storm or when there is a lot of wind. But if this happens all the time, it could be because there is a leak in the furnace’s output duct.
A Buildup of Dirt
For safety and to maintain its efficiency, it’s important to keep all of your furnace parts clean. This includes the area around the American Standard Freedom 90 furnace pilot light. If you let dirt build up in the intake valve, the amount of oxygen that is needed to keep the pilot light burning strong will go down.
You can avoid this problem by having routine furnace maintenance done every fall. A professional HVAC technician will check, clean, and tune up your American Standard gas furnace to make sure it works well and reliably all winter long.
Inefficient Gas Supply
If your American Standard Freedom 90 gas furnace pilot light is yellow or orange instead of blue, it means there isn’t enough oxygen in the air. This is usually caused by a dirty air intake valve.
Since fire needs fuel and oxygen to burn, if there isn’t enough oxygen, the flame gets weak. If the flame is blue, it gives off enough heat to set off the thermocouple. If the flame is yellow, however, it doesn’t give off enough heat, so the thermocouple doesn’t set off the gas valve, and your furnace stops working.
How To Re-Light an American Standard Furnace Pilot Light?
Here, we’ll show you how to re-light the pilot light on an American Standard gas furnace.
#1 Find the Pilot Light
Find where the pilot light is located. You will need to take off the front of the furnace to get proper access. Your gas furnace has a switch near the bottom that says “Pilot ON and OFF” Find this switch and move it to OFF.
Wait at least five minutes. This is important because it gives the gas time to go away, which is needed to prevent a fire.
#2 Reset and Re-Light
Next, reset the furnace by holding down the reset button. The reset button is near the gas valve, the owner’s manual for your furnace should point you in the right direction. Once the system has been reset, you can hold the flame of a long lighter (the kind used for grills) up to the pilot light, and it should turn on.
If, after following the proper steps, you still can’t get your American Standard Freedom 90 pilot light to stay lit, then call a professional HVAC technician for a furnace repair.
How Much Will It Cost to Fix an American Standard Furnace Pilot Light?
The cost to replace a pilot light on an American Standard furnace is $100 to $300 on average, mostly due to labor. The part alone costs $20 to $50.
Final Thought
Most of the above problems no longer happen in newer American Standard gas furnaces because they use electronic ignitions. Instead of a pilot light, an electronic ignition light heats itself up with electricity.
You don’t have to light the American Standard Freedom 90 furnace pilot light very often, but it’s a good skill to have. As long as you follow the steps for how to light a furnace, you shouldn’t have any trouble, and your home will be nice and warm in no time.
