Just cause you're old yourself. OLD! Artifact of the PAST!

What's so funny about that? I can't fix a thermostat either.

Don't feel bad, it's probably the thermocouple anyway.

The whosawhatsit now? lol

I understand - completely. My grandmother makes me nuts too. I thought I was a thankless utterly contemptable grandchild until the day I realized my grandfather couldn't stand her either. Now I live totally guilt free.;)

The thermocouple senses if the pilot is hot enough to burn the gas. If all's good it keeps the main gas valve in the pilot open. If the thermocouple fails it basically just reads the pilot as out and won't open the gas valve. Probably the single most common furnace failing and is quickly/cheaply (under $10.00) fixed.

So now I know. That's information I'll probably never use, but if it happens to come up in conversation somehow I can at least pretend to be smarter than I really am.

And that will make the FURNACE not work...Not just the thermostat...A clogged/very dirty coil and/or blower motor will cause the igniter to burn out, and the safety switch will kick it off, but that makes the furnace not work, too...Thermostat is usually something much simpler...Wires or something

And knowing is half the battle!

http://img.consumating.com/photos/18845/large/92227.jpg

Thermostats also have a sensor that sometimes needs to be reset by simply turning it off for 5 or 10 minutes and then switching it back on. The stats themselves rarely go bad.