Standing pilots burn all the time and are proven by a thermocouple or thermopile; intermittent pilots light on each call for heat and stay on through the cycle; interrupted pilots shut off once main flame is proven. On commercial burners, the pilot must be proven by the scanner during pilot trial for ignition before the main valves are allowed to open.
Pilot's lazy and yellow, the orifice is probably half plugged, pull it and clean it.
Also heard as
- pilot light
- pilot flame
Related terms
Trial for ignition
The short, fixed time window during which the burner control must see a pilot or main flame before it locks out.
Flame scanner
The sensor that proves to the burner control that a flame is actually present.
Burner
The assembly that mixes fuel with air and holds a stable flame to heat the boiler.
Light-off
The moment a burner ignites, and also the verb for lighting it.