How to use Alexa to turn on the lights

By the 17th century, some prominent European scientists began to think differently about light. One key figure was the Dutch mathematician-astronomer Christiaan Huygens. In 1690, Huygens published his "Treatise on Light," in which he described the undulatory theory. In this theory, he speculated on the existence of some invisible medium -- an ether -- filling all empty space between objects. He further speculated that light forms when a luminous body causes a series of waves or vibrations in this ether. Those waves then advance forward until they encounter an object. If that object is an eye, the waves stimulate vision.

Start your smart home with a bulb

2

Remove the burners from the stove top. Take off any grates and covers from the burners so they don’t fall off when you raise the stovetop. Set them aside until you’re finished.[15]

Tip: Clean the burners before you replace them.

Image titled Light a Pilot Light Step 16

3

Lift the stovetop lid to expose the pilot light valves. There will be a lever or switch on the underside of the stovetop that you need to engage in order to raise the lid of the stovetop. Look for a small pipe that connects the burners on the left and a small pipe that connects the burners on the right. There is a pilot port in the center of each of the pipes.[16]

If you can’t locate the pilot light ports, cons

Part of The Verge Guide to Amazon Alexa

Deploying smart home technology is one of the more appealing promises of voice control systems like Alexa. It’s tempting (and maybe inevitable) to fall down a rabbit hole of complexity when you’re setting up a smart home because there are so many options and possibilities. If you’re just starting out, it might be a good idea to keep it simple for your first step into creating a smart home. For example, let’s begin by installing a single light bulb that you can ask Alexa to turn on and off.

There are many brands of smart light bulbs, and as a result, setup procedures may differ from brand to brand. I picked a Philips Hue bulb because they’re easily available, quick to set up, and well supported.

If your house is cold, your water won’t heat up, or your stove isn’t working, chances are the pilot light has gone out. A pilot light is a small gas burner that is continuously burning to light a larger burner. Whether it’s your furnace, water heater, oven, or stove, relighting your pilot light is actually really easy. You need to locate and access the pilot light, turn the gas valve to the pilot light position, and use a long lighter to relight the pilot light. Now you’re cooking with gas!

Method

1

Reigniting a Gas Furnace

Image titled Light a Pilot Light Step 1

1

Find the instructions label on your furnace. Nearly every furnace will have a sticker on it that has instructions on how to light the pilot light of the furnace. The instructions label will also tell you where the gas valve and reset button are located so you can relight the pilot light.[1]

Use a flashlight to locate the label if the furnace area is dark.

Image titled Light a Pilot Light Step 2



Press and hold the reset button. Near the gas valve, you should see a small button or switch labeled “Reset.” Before you try to light the pilot light, locate the reset button and hold it down.[4]

If you can’t locate the reset button, check the owner’s manual of the furnace to see if there is a diagram that shows the location of the reset button.

If you don’t have the owner’s manual for your furnace, try looking up your specific furnace online.

Image titled Light a Pilot Light Step 5

5

Light the pilot light valve with a long lighter. Continue to hold the reset button as you ignite the lighter. Bring the flame to the pilot light valve and hold it steady until you see the pilot light reignite, then release the reset button.[5]

You can use a long match or roll a piece of paper into a long tube to use to light the pilot light.

It’s possible that you may need to relight the pilot light a few times until it stays on.

Image titled Light a Pilot Light Step 6

6

Turn the furnace back on by switching the valve back to the “On” position. Once you’ve reignited the pilot light, turn the gas valve back into the “on” position and you should hear your furnace turn back on. The furnace should start to generate heat to the house soon afterward.

If the pilot light continues to go out, you may have a broken or faulty thermocouple. Call a professional to take a look at your furnace.[6]

Method

2

Lighting a Gas Water Heater

Image titled Light a Pilot Light Step 7

1

Open the access panel covering the pilot light. Many gas water heaters will have a small access panel that you’ll need to remove in order to access the pilot light and gas valve. Depending on your water heater, you may be able to just snap the panel off, or you’ll need to use a small screwdriver to remove the panel.[7]

Tip: If you have to remove screws to open the access panel, keep them in a small plastic back so you don’t lose them!Image titled Light a Pilot Light Step 8

2

Switch the gas valve off. When you open the access panel, locate the gas regulator valve and turn the switch until it’s in the “Off” position. The valve is usually located on the box that has the temperature control valve.[8]

Wait 10 minutes before you move on to allow any residual gas from the tank to clear from the air.

Image titled Light a Pilot Light Step 9



Answer

How do I turn the pilot up?

Answer

Ask a Question

What is your question?

200 characters left

Email address (optional)

Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Tips

Submit a Tip

All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published

Your tip here

Submit

Warnings

If you smell gas or hear a hissing sound, do not attempt to light a pilot light. Leave the area and call a technician to repair your appliance.

INITIAL SETUP

The first step is to screw in your light bulb (insert joke here), and the first thing to check is whether the lamp is on a dimmer. Many bulbs will work on dimmers, but older dimmers can’t handle the current requirements of LED lamps. You can worry about this as you get deeper into smart home setups; for now, avoid dimmers. Ready?

Open the Alexa app on your phone, turn on the light, and wait a few seconds.

3

Set the temperature control valve to the lowest setting. Near the gas regulator valve, you’ll see a temperature control valve that allows you to set the temperature of the water heater. Turn the dial or switch to the lowest possible temperature setting.[9]

For some water heaters, the lowest temperature setting is labeled “Pilot.” Turn the dial to that position.

Image titled Light a Pilot Light Step 10

4

Turn the gas valve to the “Pilot” position. After you’ve lowered the temperature control valve, switch the gas regulator control valve to the “Pilot” position so you can reignite the pilot light. Some older water heaters may require you to hold the switch in the pilot position to relight the pilot light.[10]

Image titled Light a Pilot Light Step 11

Over the centuries, our view of light has changed dramatically. The first real theories about light came from the ancient Greeks. Many of these theories sought to describe light as a ray -- a straight line moving from one point to another. Pythagoras, best known for the theorem of the right-angled triangle, proposed that vision resulted from light rays emerging from a person's eye and striking an object. Epicurus argued the opposite: Objects produce light rays, which then travel to the eye. Other Greek philosophers -- most notably Euclid and Ptolemy -- used ray diagrams quite successfully to show how light bounces off a smooth surface or bends as it passes from one transparent medium to another.

5

Use a long lighter to light the pilot light. With the gas valve in the pilot position, or with you holding the valve in the pilot position, use a long-stemmed lighter to light the tip of the pilot light’s valve. Keep the regulator valve in the pilot position for 1-2 minutes to allow the thermocouple to sense that the pilot light is on and the water heater to restart.[11]

You can use a long match or a piece of paper rolled up into a tube to light the pilot light.

Some modern gas water heaters will have a red button or switch near the regulator valve that is labeled something like “Pilot ignition” or “Ignite.” If your heater has an igniter, don’t use a lighter, just press the button to light the pilot light.

Image titled Light a Pilot Light Step 12

6

Reset the temperature setting and turn the gas back on. Once the pilot light is back on and is burning smoothly, switch the gas regulator valve back to the “On” position. Then put the temperature valve back to the original setting.[12]

Never set a water heater past 120 °F (49 °C).

Image titled Light a Pilot Light Step 13

7

Close the access panel. With the pilot light on and your water heater back in working order, replace the access panel by either screwing it back on or snapping it back into place. You should be able to use hot water now that the heater is working.[13]

Method

3

Relighting a Gas Stove and Oven

Image titled Light a Pilot Light Step 14

1

Make sure everything is off. Turn all of the knobs to the off position and make sure the oven isn’t on. It’s very important that no gas is being released when you relight the pilot light or you could cause a fire or an explosion.[14]

Make sure you don’t smell any gas in the kitchen. If you do, do not try to light the pilot light. Call a technician to repair your stove.

Listen for a hissing sound that could indicate that gas is leaking from the stove.

Image titled Light a Pilot Light Step 15

ult the owner’s manual to find them. Look up your stove online to find the pilot light ports if you don’t have the owner’s manual.

Image titled Light a Pilot Light Step 17

4

Open the oven door and look for the pilot light hole at the bottom. When you open the oven door you should see a small hole at the bottom of the oven. This is where you will need to light the pilot light.[17]

Depending on the model of your oven, the pilot light hole may be in the front corner, back corner, or in the center near the door. Check your owner’s manual or look up your oven online to find the pilot light if you can’t locate it.

5

Use a long-stemmed lighter to light the pilot lights. Ignite the long-stemmed lighter and hold the flame to the pilot light valves in the center of the pipes on the stove top. Light both pilot light valves. Then light the pilot light in the small hole at the bottom of the oven. Hold the flame until the pilot light ignites and stay lit.[18]

You can also use a long match to light the pilot light.

The pilot should ignite almost immediately. If it doesn’t, you may have a blocked gas line. Call a technician to repair your stove.

6

Close the stovetop lid and the oven door. Once the pilot lights have been reignited, close the stovetop lid, making sure it locks into place and closes securely. Then close the oven door. You should be able to use your stove or oven now.[19]

Test the burners on the stovetop and turn on the oven to make sure they’re working.

If the pilot light keeps going out, there may be something wrong with the gas lines. You may need to call a technician to fix a faulty gas line.

Community Q&A

Search

Type your query here

Add New Question

Question

How Light Works

2

Turn off the gas valve. The first thing you need to do before you try to light the pilot light on your furnace is shut off the gas so there isn’t any chance of causing a fire or an explosion. Most furnaces have a small valve near the bottom of the furnace that have 3 positions labeled “On”, “Off”, and “Pilot.” Turn the valve so that it’s in the “Off” position.[2]

Wait 5 minutes before you do anything else so any gas left in the pipes has a chance to clear out.

Image titled Light a Pilot Light Step 3

3

Switch the gas valve to pilot light. After waiting 5 minutes, turn the gas valve to the position labeled “Pilot” or “Pilot Light.” You shouldn’t smell any gas coming from the valve. If you do, you may have a gas leak.[3]

Warning: If you think you may have a gas leak, leave the area immediately and call a furnace repairman.Image titled Light a Pilot Light Step 4

4

BY WILLIAM HARRIS & CRAIG FREUDENRICH, PH.D.

What Is Light?

Ancient Greeks argued over whether light rays emanated from a person's eye or the object being viewed.

ISTOCKPHOTO/THINKSTOCK

Arab scholars took these ideas and honed them even further, developing what is now known as geometrical optics -- applying geometrical methods to the optics of lenses, mirrors and prisms. The most famous practitioner of geometrical optics was Ibn al-Haytham, who lived in present-day Iraq between A.D. 965 and 1039. Ibn al-Haytham identified the optical components of the human eye and correctly described vision as a process involving light rays bouncing from an object to a person's eye. The Arab scientist also invented the pinhole camera, discovered the laws of refraction and studied a number of light-based phenomena, such as rainbows and eclipses.

This stood as one of the earliest, and most eloquent, wave theories of light. Not everyone embraced it. Isaac Newton was one of those people. In 1704, Newton proposed a different take -- one describing light as corpuscles, or particles. After all, light travels in straight lines and bounces off a mirror much like a ball bouncing off a wall. No one had actually seen particles of light, but even now, it's easy to explain why that might be. The particles could be too small, or moving too fast, to be seen, or perhaps our eyes see right through them.

As it turns out, all of these theories are both right and wrong at once. And they're all useful in describing certain behaviors of light.

Do I need to turn the pilot light off during the summer?

Community Answer

You should if you're not using it all summer, and you should also close the valve on the supply line. It will save you on fuel cost and will make your device safer. If a paper or cloth should come into contact with the pilot flame by accident, it can cause a major fire.

Thanks!

Yes No

Not Helpful 1 Helpful 2

Question

What do I do if the pilot is on, but whenever I turn the knob to the on position, the light is out?

Community Answer

It takes a while to warm up the thermocouple that opens the main gas line, so hold the button while the pilot is on until the flame stays lit when you move the knob to on.

Thanks!

Yes No

Not Helpful 0 Helpful 1

Question

How can I tell if the pilot light is not working?

Community Answer

If it's an electric ignition listen for a clicking sound. If you are not sure try spotting a spark when you press it. If it has neither you have a broken ignition.

Thanks!

Yes No

Not Helpful 2 Helpful 3

Question

What are possible reasons for a pilot light not lighting?

Community Answer

Possible reasons could include gas not running, too strong of a draft in the room, a fan directed at the pilot light, the pilot light is turned down too low or a switch is broken. If you run the gas for more than a couple of seconds and it doesn't light, it is important to let the gas clear out for a moment and try again.

Thanks!

Yes No

Not Helpful 1 Helpful 1

Unanswered Questions

How do I lightening the pilot light on my dryer?

Tap the “Devices” tab at the lower right corner of your screen.

At the top of the Devices screen, there are some buttons. The first one says “Echo & Alexa,” and the last one says “All Devices.” If you’re lucky, you’ll also see a button for “Lights” between them. Tap it, because it means that Alexa’s installed your light all by itself. You can now skip down to the section of this article titled “Final setup.”