Before Relighting

• The most important part of safely relighting a pilot light on a natural gas furnace is to exercise proper preventative safety tips. Never attempt to relight a pilot light if there is a strong odor of gas around the pilot light. Even if there is no strong gas odor, ventilate the room by opening doors and windows well before attempting to relight the pilot light. The instruction manual that came with your furnace will contain detailed instructions on relighting the pilot light; read these instructions carefully, particularly safety warnings, before attempting to relight the pilot light.
  
  

Relighting

• A gas furnace will typically feature a device called a gas cock that regulates the flow of gas in the furnace; set the gas cock to "off" and let the pilot light and burner air out for a few minutes. After allowing the burner to air out, set the gas cock to "pilot" and press the gas cock for 30 seconds, holding a match to the pilot light to ignite it. If the pilot light lights, set the gas cock to "on." If the pilot light does not light, turn the gas cock to off again and wait five minutes for gas to disperse before repeating the entire relighting procedure. If the pilot light still does not ignite, do not try to relight the pilot light a third time; contact the gas company immediately.
  
  

Resets

• Some furnaces feature a reset button, a separate pilot light and main shut off valves in lieu of a gas cock. For these furnaces, close the main shut off valve, but leave open the smaller pilot light valve next to the main shut off valve. Press the reset button while attempting to relight the plot light and reopen the shut off valve if the pilot light ignites. It is important to emphasize that the manufacturer's pilot light ignition instructions should always be followed in the first instance.
  
  

Contacting the Gas Company

• Because of the risks inherent in pilot light ignition, gas companies will almost always offer pilot light relighting free of charge. If you are hesitant about relighting a pilot light on your own, it is always best to err on the side of safety and defer to the experts. Natural gas furnaces differ tremendously depending on make and model, so it is critically important to always follow the manufacturer's directions precisely when attempting to relight the pilot light yourself.