Potterton Pilot Burners (Page 6)
The pilot burner is a naked flame within the unit that is used to begin combustion of the gas that is coming in to the main burner. When the appliance is switched on the gas valve releases gas in to the burner which is then ignited by the pilot flame. The pilot flame works in tandem with the the rest of the pilot assembly as well as the printed circuit board to ensure that all of the injected gas is ignited efficiently and safely.