# Heil Furnace Pilot Light Not Igniting



## yuri (Nov 29, 2008)

Your gas line to the furnace may be full of air/air locked and need bleeding/purging. Call the gas co as they should have done that safely for you.


----------



## shwank (Oct 7, 2010)

Thanks. I'm going to give them a call. 

Question.. if there were no gas coming to the valve, would the pilot light not try to fire then? Could that be why I don't hear that ticking sound?


----------



## hvaclover (Oct 2, 2008)

The gas line needs bleeding. Crack the union til you smell gas for a count of five.....ventilate the area for ten minutes than re try. Repeat as necessary.


----------



## shwank (Oct 7, 2010)

So I went down to bleed the line. Then I noticed / remembered that the gas pipe that enters my furnace has a T on it where the line to my gas fireplace is connected. So I just turned on my gas fireplace for about 10 minutes as I think that should take any air out of the system? Unless there could be air between the T in the pipe and my furnace? 

After running it for 10+ minutes, still nothing. No ticking from the pilot light. I don't think I see any union I could crack anywhere else? I will add I'm not real knowledgeable!


----------



## yuri (Nov 29, 2008)

There is one old WR gas valve with a built in pressure switch which may lockout on some old ICG/ICP units. Bleed the gas line ONLY if you are careful or get them to do it. The furnace may need several retries after the bleeding but it will take forever if it is not bled out thru the union. Needs to be soap tested after closing the union. Post some pics of the gas valve and burners and front of furnace with doors off. Dozens of different Heils out there.


----------



## shwank (Oct 7, 2010)

The valve is a honeywell valve. I did see where the union was. It is in the unit right before the valve.. was looking outside the unit before. It looks pretty old and rusty. My gas company is closed until tomorrow morning. 

Here are the pictures.

http://www.molemediamarketing.com/furnace/furnace1.jpg
http://www.molemediamarketing.com/furnace/furnace2.jpg
http://www.molemediamarketing.com/furnace/furnace3.jpg
http://www.molemediamarketing.com/furnace/furnace4.jpg

Just uploaded them to a website.


----------



## yuri (Nov 29, 2008)

That is a knarly, nasty old furnace. Should try and spark as the grey S86 control will try and relight the pilot. It may be failed. The black exhaust fan is VERY expensive and almost obsolete. I would not spend any $$ on that furnace. The burners corrode and leak flames out the sides too. They are obsolete where I am.


----------



## shwank (Oct 7, 2010)

Yeah, I knew it was on its last let. The exhaust fan is kicking on when I turn the system on. I just don't hear anything from the pilot. And when testing, I could tell there was no gas going to the pilot. 

So I'm guessing without having gas going to the pilot, it won't try to fire. Do you think its worth having the gas company come out to try and bleed the system? Do I tell them my system won't fire and I think its because the line needed to be bleed?


----------



## yuri (Nov 29, 2008)

No. The S86 ignition control will try to fire the spark even when the gas is off. Need to see if it is getting power thru the pressure switch etc. Not an easy unit to troubleshoot. May have lost its grounding or have other problems. The grey box is the ignition control, may be a Fenwal, same idea as the honeywell S86.


----------



## shwank (Oct 7, 2010)

Thank you for all your help. I'll play around with the wires to see if anything came loose over the summer.


----------



## kenmac (Feb 26, 2009)

If you have the knowledge to beed the gas lines . You should be able to jump the ps & see if you get it to fire


----------



## hvaclover (Oct 2, 2008)

kenmac said:


> If you have the knowledge to_* beed *_the gas lines . You should be able to jump the ps & see if you get it to fire


can you make a necklace from gas beeds?


----------



## shwank (Oct 7, 2010)

Unfortunately I have no real knowledge on how to bleed the gas line so jumping the 'ps' probably is difficult (not sure what a ps is?  ). From what yuri said, the pilot should try to ignite even if its not getting gas. Its not. And there's no gas coming out of the valve. So it seems as though something is wrong with my valve. 

Given the age of the unit (almost 20 years), the problems I have with it and my AC every year, and the expiring tax credit, I think we just might go with a new furnace and AC unit. I'm tired of dumping $200 in the thing every 6 months.


----------

