Should a Gas Fireplace Pilot Light Be Turned off in the Summer?

A pilot light on a gas fireplace, insert or stove maintains a tiny flame in order to allow for quick starts of the appliance. Natural gas fuel is only good when it burns, and without a pilot light, you’d have to manually light the gas every time you want to use your heating appliance.

Pilot lights make the whole process mindlessly simple. However, because pilot lights burn up gas, they cost money.

Doodlebuggers Fireplace, Grill & Outdoor Store of Pensacola, FL, and Destin, FL, would like to cover some of the pros and cons of leaving the pilot light on during the seasons when you’re not using your appliance.

How much do pilot lights cost when run continuously?

Here’s a breakdown:

Homes with natural gas service pay for the fuel by the “therm.” A therm equals 100,000 BTU. A fireplace pilot light might consume about 24,000 BTU per day, adding up to about 720,000 BTU a month, or 7.2 therms.

If you’re paying $1 per therm, then leaving the pilot light on all the time throughout a month might cost you around $7 per month and $84 per year. This may or may not be a concern for you.

Other pilot light considerations

Beyond the cost of running a pilot light continuously during the year, there are a few other considerations you should look at.

If you turn your pilot light off

During periods when you aren’t using your fireplace or stove, you have no actual need to run the pilot light. Doing so will waste a small amount of energy, and many homeowners wish to keep energy waste to a minimum.

As little as pilot lights are, they’re still real flames and create a small amount of real heat. You may not want to create this extra heat in your home.

Even with the pilot light off, trace amounts of molecules exist in your fireplace’s burner and pilot tubes. Mercaptan is a chemical added to gas supplies by gas companies, and spiders love it. With no pilot light flame, spiders may be attracted to the fireplace and build webs in the pilot light tubes. This can cause problems when you try to engage the pilot light.

If you keep your pilot light on

A burning pilot light produces sulfur that, over time, can build up on glass fireplace doors. If ignored, the haze can implant itself onto the glass and become permanent, requiring special cleaning solutions to remove.

However, with an always-burning pilot light, you have instant operation of your fireplace or stove. For many homeowners, this is important at all times of the year. In typically warm Florida, fireplaces are often used not only for a little warmth but also as mood-setters and visual backdrops.

Your Florida gas fireplace experts

Doodlebuggers sells, installs and services top-of-the-line gas fireplaces, freestanding stoves and fireplace inserts throughout the Auburndale, FL, region. You can make the choice whether to turn your pilot light off or leave it on. We’re here to help you make choices about the best way to use, clean and care for your gas heating appliance.

Reach a gas fireplace expert today at (850) 477-1151 in Pensacola, FL, or at (850) 243-0154 in the Destin, FL, area. You can also get in touch with our handy contact form