Custom Home Series - A Pilot Light Service Request

When I took the phone call it was not unlike many we receive. The client was having a problem with her stove. "My stove won't light can you tell me how to relight the pilot light?" she explained.

I was quite sure that all our stove had electronic ignitions but I took her number and told her I would call her back in a few minutes. I called Darlene my project manager who did the purchasing for this project and she confirmed that indeed the stoves were electronic ignition and had not pilot light.

I called Mrs. Client back and explained that there was no pilot light and that the stove started with an electronic spark. I asked her if they had checked the circuit breakers.

"Oh yes, just like you showed us at the walk through we checked the circuit box in the basement and they are all on."

My next guess was that there was a problem with the gas. Maybe they forgot to pay the gas bill. "Is the gas working?"

"Yes, our heat is on and working fine."

I told Mrs. Client I would get back to her shortly. I called Darlene who just happened to be in the neighborhood where Mrs. Client lived. I asked Darlene to go take a look to see if there was anything obviously wrong before I called the appliance manufacturer.

Darlene was there a few minutes latter and knocked on the door. Mr. Client let her in and she walked to the kitchen. There was no stove but there was a burn mark over where the stove had been.

It seems they had a grease fire on the stove. The fireman were called and they disconnected the gas and electric from the stove and removed it to the garage to get the smell out of the house.

And Mrs. Client is out in the garage trying to start the stove.