Furnace Pilot Light

Furnace thermocouples typically last 3-5 years in Brea's climate, though dust accumulation from Santa Ana winds can shorten their lifespan. Regular annual maintenance helps identify wear before complete failure, preventing inconvenient breakdowns during cold snaps.

Yes, even minor seismic activity can shift gas piping connections, creating small leaks or pressure drops that prevent pilots from staying lit. If pilot issues began after ground shaking, have a licensed technician inspect all gas connections for movement or stress fractures, especially in older homes with rigid piping.

Relighting once or twice is safe if you follow proper procedures and smell no gas, but if the pilot fails more than three times in a week, stop attempting relighting and call a professional. Repeated failures indicate a component problem that relighting won't solve and may allow dangerous gas accumulation.

Call immediately if you smell gas, see a yellow or flickering pilot flame, hear hissing from gas connections, or if the pilot repeatedly goes out after relighting. These symptoms indicate safety hazards or component failures requiring professional diagnosis and repair to prevent carbon monoxide exposure or gas leaks.