Natural gas is one of the most popular fuel choices among homeowners in the Washington DC area. This is with good cause. When you choose to heat you home with natural gas you never have to worry about home delivery of fuel. It is simply piped directly into your home. It is a largely domestic product, burns cleaner than oil or coal and is more affordable to purchase. It also, though, presents some risk of a gas leak or exposure to natural gas should something go wrong with your furnace or boiler. One way to combat this risk is with a thermocouple. Here is some information about what a thermocouple is and how it helps keep your home safe from the experts at Service Doctors.
A thermocouple acts as a temperature sensor in your gas fueled home heating systems. When you use a heating system with a pilot light such as a natural gas furnace or boiler that pilot light requires fuel to keep it burning. The thermocouple in the heating system is designed to ensure that there is enough heat present to keep the gas flowing safely to the burner. If the thermocouple does not register sufficient heat to keep this pilot light burning it will react to the situation and stem the flow of gas to the burner.
The thermocouple contains two metal wires. There is a sensor that is placed at the hottest part of the pilot flame, and as it is heated it sends a signal for the gas valve to opened, allowing for the flow of gas to the pilot and burners. When the thermocouple senses that there is not enough heat to allow for safe gas flow, such as when the pilot light goes out, it blocks the flow of gas to prevent a gas leak in your home. If you pilot light frequently goes out, it may be the result of a faulty thermocouple.
For more information about how the thermocouple in your home heating device keeps it operating safely, call the professionals at Service Doctors. We can answer any questions you may have. We believe that it is important for homeowners in Washington DC to understand their heating systems a little better, and we are glad to help you do so.
