Keeping your pilot lights on when they are not in use can lead to high gas bills and unnecessary carbon monoxide gas in your home.
NEVER leave the gas line on with the pilot light off or you risk exploding your house into smithereens. There's probably a flue, however, to let gas fumes escape to the outside in order to minimize that risk if you did make that massive mistake.
Yes, leave it on. The pilot is designed to be so small that it doesnt produce significant CO, and if it goes out the loss of flame will turn the main burner gas off in very old models, and in newer dual valve systems the pilot gas is shut off auto...
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.
Pilot lights will occasionally go out. Sometimes the cause is easily resolved, such as running out of propane or turning off the gas.
If the pilot should go out, gas is immediately shut off to the main burner, however, there is still a small amount of gas that will continue to flow to the oven pilot. All free standing pilots are approved by the American Gas Association. There is not enough leakage to create a hazard.
So basically your pilot light is responsible for combusting your fuel source, which is how your furnace creates heat. If it goes out, the safety features of your furnace will not allow it to release gas into the burner, meaning that the furnace will not run at all.
Pilot lights can be a source of carbon monoxide because the by-products of combustion are released inside the home rather than vented to the outside. Gas ovens and ranges should be monitored closely and kept in good working order.
In the end, keeping the gas fireplace pilot light on or off is a personal preference. The decision boils down to residual heat, gas usage, and the possibility of nesting spiders. Generally, we recommend turning off the gas pilot light during the summer months.
How much gas does a pilot light require? Most pilot lights consume around 600 BTUs of gas every hour. If you leave your pilot light on for an entire day, it would roughly consume 14,400 BTU's every day.
This small flame should always be burning and needs to be re-lit as soon as possible if it does go out.
Turn the gas valve to off.
There will be a switch that you can turn from ON to OFF to turn off the stove's pilot light. There should then be no gas going to the pilot light for the stovetop or for the oven.
There are two basic rules for leaving a fireplace operating during the night. DON'T leave the unit on overnight. DO leave the flue open so that excess carbon monoxide is vented. The main concern with a gas-burning appliance is the exhaust of carbon monoxide and leaving the unit on overnight is simply risky.
The current standards for gas cooking products took effect in 2012. The standard prohibits standing pilot lights in all gas cooking products whether or not they have an electrical cord.
A pilot light is a small blue flame that ignites a gas appliance. Most modern gas appliances have electric starters or igniters. In some older natural gas appliances the pilot light can go out due to drafts, condensation or mechanical failures.
Then look at your gas bill and find out what you pay per Therm. Usually, it is $1 and change. So your pilot can be costing you $7 to $10 per month.
After lighting the pilot, continue to hold the control knob pushed in for 30 seconds. *Pilot lights utilize a safety feature called a thermo coupler. This device needs to be heated up for around thirty seconds, so it can expand and allow gas to flow through safely.
This valve operates automatically and shuts off gas flow as soon as the pilot goes out, preventing any risks of excessive gas buildup. That said, even the failsafe system can malfunction, so any time your pilot is out, be sure to carefully check for any strong gas odors, like the scent of sulfur or rotten eggs.
Pilot Light Issues: If the pilot light is not burning efficiently or has gone out, it can result in the release of a small amount of gas, leading to a faint odor. Gas Leak: A gas leak is a serious issue that requires immediate attention.
Generally, leaving the pilot light on is safe, and you may decide to do this for a few reasons. For example, you want to use your outdoor fireplace on those cooler summer evenings. The pilot flame can also help prevent spiders from building webs in your fireplace, insert, or stove.
The best way to alert you and your family to unsafe levels of CO is to install a carbon monoxide detector. It works like a smoke alarm, sampling the air in your home and creating a loud alarm when levels of the gas are detected. It's important to evacuate your home immediately when your CO alarm sounds.
The best reason to turn the pilot light off during summer is to conserve energy, especially now that prices are rising. Leaving the pilot light on consumes more gas, and it doesn't make sense to pay for it when you're not using it.
If you don't see a tiny, blue flame, your pilot light is out and needs to be relit manually. Once you find the gas control knob, you should see a red or black button immediately above which is a spark mechanism. Press the button a couple of times and you should see a spark at the end of the pilot tube.
However, it's important to understand the risks of turning off your pilot light. Gas leaks and explosions are just two of the dangers that can occur when your pilot light is turned off unexpectedly. Instead, it's always best to leave the pilot light on when you're not home.
Take a soft brush such as an old toothbrush and gently remove any visible debris from the pilot orifice, flash tubes and ignitors. Next, insert a sewing needle or thin wire into the pilot orifice, the flash tubes and the holes in the ignitors, as well as in the burners, wiggling it gently to dislodge any debris.