Top 45 How Much Does It Cost To Run A Pilot Light All Answers

You are looking for information, articles, knowledge about the topic nail salons open on sunday near me how much does it cost to run a pilot light on Google, you do not find the information you need! Here are the best content compiled and compiled by the Chewathai27.com team, along with other related topics such as: how much does it cost to run a pilot light how much does a pilot light cost per month, how much gas does a pilot light use water heater, how much gas does a pilot light use canada, how much does it cost to run a gas fireplace pilot light, cost of pilot light, how much gas does a pilot light use on a boiler, how much propane does a pilot light use, should i leave pilot light on gas fireplace in winter

Monthly costs of running a pilot light range from $4.49/month (natural gas) to $11.34/month (propane). Pilot lights that run on propane are about 2 times more expensive to run than pilot lights running on natural gas (that’s because natural gas is cheaper per produced BTU – British Thermal Unit).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.The average gas fireplace pilot uses about 21 ft3 (0.6 m3) of gas per day. In the past, manufacturers have claimed that people turn off pilot lights between uses. If this were the case, many gas fireplaces would be quite efficient.

Contents

Does leaving the pilot light use much gas?

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.

How much fuel does a pilot light use?

The average gas fireplace pilot uses about 21 ft3 (0.6 m3) of gas per day. In the past, manufacturers have claimed that people turn off pilot lights between uses. If this were the case, many gas fireplaces would be quite efficient.

How much does it cost to leave the pilot light on a gas fireplace?

How much does it cost to run a gas fireplace pilot light? According to Anderson Fireplace, gas pilot lights use about 1,000 BTUs per hour. Based on the average cost of natural gas, this comes out to about $7 to $10 per month.

Does turning off the pilot light save money?

A little heat is produced when your pilot light is on so turning it off in summer can help reduce the heat inside your home. The less heat there is, the less you have to use your air conditioner needs to cool down the house. You can get savings and conserve energy if you turn off your pilot light.

How much gas does a pilot light use a month?

We have calculated that a standard pilot light uses 416.88 cubic feet of natural gas or 4.723 gallons of propane per month.

How much co2 does a pilot light produce?

Also, a typical pilot light can generate 450 pounds of carbon dioxide – a greenhouse gas — over a six-month period. If an appliance isn’t needed for a long period of time, its pilot light may be extinguished to save energy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and reduce the risk of fire or explosion.

How much gas does a pilot light use per day?

Just how much gas does a pilot light consume? Most pilot lights will consume about 600 BTU’s of gas/hour. With 24 hours in a day, that’s roughly 14,400/BTU’s each day.

Is it OK to leave pilot light on gas fireplace overnight?

It’s not safe to leave it on. Why Isn’t It Safe? The biggest reason is that gas fireplaces can release deadly carbon monoxide gas, which is odourless and can go unnoticed until a person dies from carbon monoxide poisoning. It is best to not leave your fireplace on for more than three hours at a time.

Does pilot light stay on all the time water heater?

Gas and propane fueled water heaters use a small flame to ignite the burner. This small flame is called a pilot light and it stays lit at all times. When the water heater needs to heat the water within the tank, it ignites the gas burner with the help of the pilot light. Think of the pilot light like a match.

How much gas does a pilot light use m3?

So a pilot light uses anywhere from 594 (for 60 m³) up to 2475 kWh/year (for 250 m³).

How do you turn off a pilot light?

Turning off your pilot light is a simple process that will save you both energy and money. All you have to do is open the front of your fireplace, turn the Pilot knob to “off,” and then turn your gas shutoff valve to the “off” position as well.

Does a pilot light need electricity?

It requires an electric source to create a spark that ignites the pilot light. If the power is out, the fireplace will not ignite.

Is a pilot light always on?

Electronic ignition is when the pilot light on a gas fireplace/insert/stove is only running when the fireplace is on, this means that the unit is likely to have a battery backup as well. A standing pilot is always on, always using a small amount of gas to run constantly unless the gas is physically turned off.

Should I turn off heater pilot light?

It’s a good idea to turn off your furnace during hot months. If left on, it will continue to consume energy. The furnace contains some electrical components like sensors that can needlessly draw power throughout the summer. If your furnace has a pilot light, it will use up unnecessary gas during summer when left on.

How much gas does a pilot light use m3?

So a pilot light uses anywhere from 594 (for 60 m³) up to 2475 kWh/year (for 250 m³).

Does a pilot light need electricity?

It requires an electric source to create a spark that ignites the pilot light. If the power is out, the fireplace will not ignite.

Why do they call it a pilot light?

A Pilot episode is like a Pilot light, a small flame that is used to start a bigger fire. If the pilot goes out, there can be no fire. If the pilot fails to get an audience interested, there can be no show. A Pilot light or burner is a well known term prior to the first use of pilot episode, predating it by 70 years.


How Much Does a Pilot Light Cost You?
How Much Does a Pilot Light Cost You?


How Much Gas Does A Pilot Light Use? (Per Hour, Day, Month, Year) – LearnMetrics

  • Article author: learnmetrics.com
  • Reviews from users: 30197 ⭐ Ratings
  • Top rated: 3.7 ⭐
  • Lowest rated: 1 ⭐
  • Summary of article content: Articles about How Much Gas Does A Pilot Light Use? (Per Hour, Day, Month, Year) – LearnMetrics Updating …
  • Most searched keywords: Whether you are looking for How Much Gas Does A Pilot Light Use? (Per Hour, Day, Month, Year) – LearnMetrics Updating
  • Table of Contents:

Cost Of Running A Pilot Light (Natural Gas And Propane)

How Much Does It Cost To Run A Pilot Light (Summarized Table)

Relevant HVAC Certificates

Follow us on Facebook

HVAC metrics

You may also like

Recent Posts

How Much Gas Does A Pilot Light Use? (Per Hour, Day, Month, Year) - LearnMetrics
How Much Gas Does A Pilot Light Use? (Per Hour, Day, Month, Year) – LearnMetrics

Read More

Home Energy Magazine – Heating :: Fireplace Pilots Take Gas Use Sky High

  • Article author: homeenergy.org
  • Reviews from users: 45067 ⭐ Ratings
  • Top rated: 4.2 ⭐
  • Lowest rated: 1 ⭐
  • Summary of article content: Articles about Home Energy Magazine – Heating :: Fireplace Pilots Take Gas Use Sky High Updating …
  • Most searched keywords: Whether you are looking for Home Energy Magazine – Heating :: Fireplace Pilots Take Gas Use Sky High Updating Home Energy, the magazine of the home performance industry since 1984, publishes residential energy efficiency, comfort, safety, and green building best practices for remodelers, builders and contractors.magazine, home, house, energy, audit, efficiency, performance, renovation, tools, services, information, HVAC, heating, ventilation, air, conditioningIn the past few years, sales of convenient, clean-burning gas fireplaces have increased dramatically.
  • Table of Contents:
Home Energy Magazine - Heating :: Fireplace Pilots Take Gas Use Sky High
Home Energy Magazine – Heating :: Fireplace Pilots Take Gas Use Sky High

Read More

Gas Fireplace Pilot Light Frequently Asked Questions – Essential Home and Garden

  • Article author: www.essentialhomeandgarden.com
  • Reviews from users: 31669 ⭐ Ratings
  • Top rated: 3.9 ⭐
  • Lowest rated: 1 ⭐
  • Summary of article content: Articles about Gas Fireplace Pilot Light Frequently Asked Questions – Essential Home and Garden Updating …
  • Most searched keywords: Whether you are looking for Gas Fireplace Pilot Light Frequently Asked Questions – Essential Home and Garden Updating Find out if it’s okay to leave the gas fireplace pilot light on and other frequently asked questions about gas fireplace pilot.
  • Table of Contents:

Gas Fireplace Pilot Light FAQ

Final Takeaways on Gas Fireplace Pilot Light Safety

Gas Fireplace Pilot Light Frequently Asked Questions - Essential Home and Garden
Gas Fireplace Pilot Light Frequently Asked Questions – Essential Home and Garden

Read More

Should You Turn Off Your Fireplace’s Pilot Light in Summer? – Chimney Doctors

  • Article author: www.chimneydoctorsny.net
  • Reviews from users: 26746 ⭐ Ratings
  • Top rated: 3.9 ⭐
  • Lowest rated: 1 ⭐
  • Summary of article content: Articles about Should You Turn Off Your Fireplace’s Pilot Light in Summer? – Chimney Doctors Updating …
  • Most searched keywords: Whether you are looking for Should You Turn Off Your Fireplace’s Pilot Light in Summer? – Chimney Doctors Updating Safety should always be a top priority in gas appliances. Your chimney relining expert discusses if you should turn off the gas fireplace in summer.
  • Table of Contents:

How Is Flue Cleaning Different From Chimney Sweeping

What You Need to Know About Chimney Downdrafts

The Need to Clean the Chimney of a Gas-Powered Fireplace

A Simple Care Task List for Your Chimney This Summer

The Difference Between a Chase Cover and a Chimney Cap

Should You Turn Off Your Fireplace’s Pilot Light in Summer? - Chimney Doctors
Should You Turn Off Your Fireplace’s Pilot Light in Summer? – Chimney Doctors

Read More

How much does it cost to run a natural gas pilot light?

  • Article author: homex.com
  • Reviews from users: 30005 ⭐ Ratings
  • Top rated: 3.5 ⭐
  • Lowest rated: 1 ⭐
  • Summary of article content: Articles about How much does it cost to run a natural gas pilot light? A pilot light is a small flame that is kept lit and used as a catalyst for the main burner to be turned on. Natural gas is $0.60 a day, which is $219 a year … …
  • Most searched keywords: Whether you are looking for How much does it cost to run a natural gas pilot light? A pilot light is a small flame that is kept lit and used as a catalyst for the main burner to be turned on. Natural gas is $0.60 a day, which is $219 a year … A pilot light is a small flame that is kept lit and used as a catalyst for the main burner to be turned on. Natural gas is $0.60 a day, which is $219 a year, and is the average fuel consumption of your standing Pilot light. $657 a year is how much liquid propane is.
  • Table of Contents:

Please use Google Chrome Firefox Safari or another browser to access homexcom Thank you

Let’s Get It Fixed!

Shop Recommended ProductsShop HomeX Recommended Products

More Home Questions

How much does it cost to run a natural gas pilot light?
How much does it cost to run a natural gas pilot light?

Read More

How much does my fireplace pilot light cost me?

  • Article author: www.fireplaceofatlanta.com
  • Reviews from users: 37707 ⭐ Ratings
  • Top rated: 3.3 ⭐
  • Lowest rated: 1 ⭐
  • Summary of article content: Articles about How much does my fireplace pilot light cost me? The average fuel consumption of your standing Pilot light is: Natural gas is $0.60 a day = $219 a year. Liqu Propane is $1.80 a day = $657 … …
  • Most searched keywords: Whether you are looking for How much does my fireplace pilot light cost me? The average fuel consumption of your standing Pilot light is: Natural gas is $0.60 a day = $219 a year. Liqu Propane is $1.80 a day = $657 … Fireplace pilot lights are like the pilot on a water heater or stove. A pilot light is a small flame that is kept lit to provide a catalyst for the main burner to be turned on when needed.
  • Table of Contents:
How much does my fireplace pilot light cost me?
How much does my fireplace pilot light cost me?

Read More

How Much Does It Cost To Relight A Pilot Light? | 2022

  • Article author: michiganstopsmartmeters.com
  • Reviews from users: 42893 ⭐ Ratings
  • Top rated: 3.9 ⭐
  • Lowest rated: 1 ⭐
  • Summary of article content: Articles about
    How Much Does It Cost To Relight A Pilot Light? | 2022 Running a pilot light for 1 hour costs about 1 cent (0.62 cent/hour for natural gas and 1.64 cent/hour for propane). Monthly costs of running a … …
  • Most searched keywords: Whether you are looking for
    How Much Does It Cost To Relight A Pilot Light? | 2022 Running a pilot light for 1 hour costs about 1 cent (0.62 cent/hour for natural gas and 1.64 cent/hour for propane). Monthly costs of running a …
  • Table of Contents:

How much does it cost to light a pilot light

Can I relight my own pilot light

Will gas company relight pilot

Is it bad if the pilot light goes out

Are pilot lights expensive

How much gas does a pilot light use per day

When did furnaces stop using pilot lights

Do you smell gas when pilot light goes

How do you reignite a pilot light on a gas fireplace

Who do I call when my pilot light goes out

How do I turn my gas back on after disconnecting

Can I turn my gas back on myself

How much does a thermocouple cost

Do I need to turn gas off if pilot light goes out

Why does pilot light go out on hot water tank

How much propane will a pilot light burn

Can a pilot light cause a fire

Should the pilot light always be on water heater

Is it OK to leave pilot light on gas fireplace overnight

Should the pilot light always be on in a gas heater

About Silvia Barton


How Much Does It Cost To Relight A Pilot Light? | 2022
How Much Does It Cost To Relight A Pilot Light? | 2022

Read More

David Hembrow: The surprising cost of a pilot light (waakvlam)

  • Article author: davidhembrow.blogspot.com
  • Reviews from users: 14868 ⭐ Ratings
  • Top rated: 3.8 ⭐
  • Lowest rated: 1 ⭐
  • Summary of article content: Articles about David Hembrow: The surprising cost of a pilot light (waakvlam) It’s an appalling waste not only of gas but also of money: That pilot light costs us nearly €90 a year to run. Like a phone charger ? The … …
  • Most searched keywords: Whether you are looking for David Hembrow: The surprising cost of a pilot light (waakvlam) It’s an appalling waste not only of gas but also of money: That pilot light costs us nearly €90 a year to run. Like a phone charger ? The …
  • Table of Contents:

Saturday 28 September 2019

Popular Posts

Links

My Blog List

Blog Archive

About Me

Labels

David Hembrow: The surprising cost of a pilot light (waakvlam)
David Hembrow: The surprising cost of a pilot light (waakvlam)

Read More

How Much Gas Does A Pilot Light Use | One Month Estimate

  • Article author: propaneheater.review
  • Reviews from users: 25035 ⭐ Ratings
  • Top rated: 4.8 ⭐
  • Lowest rated: 1 ⭐
  • Summary of article content: Articles about How Much Gas Does A Pilot Light Use | One Month Estimate The flow of propane in pilot lights is different for different appliances since the pilot light is always on, it will cost 15$ approx every … …
  • Most searched keywords: Whether you are looking for How Much Gas Does A Pilot Light Use | One Month Estimate The flow of propane in pilot lights is different for different appliances since the pilot light is always on, it will cost 15$ approx every … July 23, 2022 If you have a propane appliance at your home then you must be curious about how much it is costing you in the first place, the calculation is
  • Table of Contents:

Calculating Cost

How To Relight A Pilot Light

Frequently Asked Questions

Editor Note

Related Heaters

Popular In Demand

Top Performer

Popular Choice

About Us

Trending

How Much Gas Does A Pilot Light Use | One Month Estimate
How Much Gas Does A Pilot Light Use | One Month Estimate

Read More

Gas Fireplace Pilot Light Frequently Asked Questions – Essential Home and Garden

  • Article author: www.essentialhomeandgarden.com
  • Reviews from users: 27840 ⭐ Ratings
  • Top rated: 3.0 ⭐
  • Lowest rated: 1 ⭐
  • Summary of article content: Articles about Gas Fireplace Pilot Light Frequently Asked Questions – Essential Home and Garden How much does it cost to run a gas fireplace pilot light? … According to Anderson Fireplace, gas pilot lights use about 1,000 BTUs per hour. …
  • Most searched keywords: Whether you are looking for Gas Fireplace Pilot Light Frequently Asked Questions – Essential Home and Garden How much does it cost to run a gas fireplace pilot light? … According to Anderson Fireplace, gas pilot lights use about 1,000 BTUs per hour. Find out if it’s okay to leave the gas fireplace pilot light on and other frequently asked questions about gas fireplace pilot.
  • Table of Contents:

Gas Fireplace Pilot Light FAQ

Final Takeaways on Gas Fireplace Pilot Light Safety

Gas Fireplace Pilot Light Frequently Asked Questions - Essential Home and Garden
Gas Fireplace Pilot Light Frequently Asked Questions – Essential Home and Garden

Read More

Error 403 (Forbidden)

  • Article author: www.quora.com
  • Reviews from users: 19727 ⭐ Ratings
  • Top rated: 4.9 ⭐
  • Lowest rated: 1 ⭐
  • Summary of article content: Articles about Error 403 (Forbidden) To avo such dangers pilot lights on most furnaces, stoves and hot water heaters built in the past … How much does it cost for a heater to run per hour? …
  • Most searched keywords: Whether you are looking for Error 403 (Forbidden) To avo such dangers pilot lights on most furnaces, stoves and hot water heaters built in the past … How much does it cost for a heater to run per hour?
  • Table of Contents:
Error 403 (Forbidden)
Error 403 (Forbidden)

Read More


See more articles in the same category here: Top 975 tips update new.

How Much Gas Does A Pilot Light Use? (Per Hour, Day, Month, Year)

Electronic ignition systems have replaced pilot lights for one simple reason:

Pilot lights are expensive to run. Running pilot light 24/7 can result in 5,000+ cubic feet of natural gas or 50+ gallons of propane being used every year.

How much gas does a pilot light use?

Quite a lot, actually. According to Wikipedia, “In domestic heating systems with pilot lights, it has been estimated that half of the total energy usage is from the pilot light“. We used rule of thumb approximations to calculate how much gas do pilot lights use per hour, per day, per month, and per year.

3 Quick outtakes (all calculations are summarized in the end):

Running a pilot light for 1 hour costs about 1 cent (0.62 cent/hour for natural gas and 1.64 cent/hour for propane).

(0.62 cent/hour for natural gas and 1.64 cent/hour for propane). Monthly costs of running a pilot light range from $4.49/month (natural gas) to $11.34/month (propane).

(natural gas) to (propane). Pilot lights that run on propane are about 2 times more expensive to run than pilot lights running on natural gas (that’s because natural gas is cheaper per produced BTU – British Thermal Unit).

Here’s the deal about pilot lights:

You won’t find them in new fireplaces, furnaces, space heaters, water heaters, gas logs, and so on. However, if you have a furnace or a fireplace that was manufactured before 2010, it will likely use a pilot light for ignition.

It is important to understand exactly how much does it cost to keep the pilot light on the fireplace, furnace, and so on. You want to know how much gas (natural gas or propane) you’re wasting, and you want to know how many dollars go down the drain every year for running pilot light.

Let’s start by calculating how much does natural gas or propane does a pilot light use per hour, month, and year. After that, we will calculate how much that amount of gas costs per hour, day, month, and year.

Note: You will find the summarized data on how much gas do pilot lights use (in gallons and US dollars) at the end of this article:

How Much Natural Gas Or Propane Does Pilot Light Use?

To calculate what quantity of gas does a pilot light use, we have to first determine how much energy does running such a pilot light use.

According to Wikipedia, a pilot light can use between “70 and 500 watts of gas power”. If we use watt to BTU converter, we get that the actual use is between 239 BTU and 1,706 BTU per hour. Those a big numbers and a big range. A standard pilot light uses about 600 BTU worth of gas every hour.

Now, let’s say that we run a pilot light for 1 hour. That consumes 600 BTU of energy. All that energy had to come from gas; how much did we burn to keep the pilot light running? We will calculate this for both natural gas and propane.

Natural Gas Expenditure (Up To Over 5,000 Cubic Feet Per Year)

Natural Gas: According to the US Energy Information Administration, burning 1 cubic foot of natural gas will produce 1,037 BTU. So we use less than 1 cubic foot; here’s how much exactly:

Natural Gas = 600 BTU (1h of pilot light running) / 1,037 BTU = 0.579 Cubic Feet Per Hour

That means that running a standard pilot light non-stop will consume:

0.579 cubic feet of natural gas per hour .

of natural gas . 13.90 cubic feet of natural gas per day .

of natural gas . 416.88 cubic feet of natural gas per month .

of natural gas . 5002.56 cubic feet of natural gas per year.

That’s quite a big number. If you want to run a single standard pilot light for a whole year, you burn more than 5,000 cubic feet of natural gas.

Before we look at how much this amount of natural gas costs, let’s calculate the expenditure for propane-powered heating systems as well:

Propane Expenditure (Up To 50+ Gallons Per Year)

Propane pilot light expenditure is measured in gallons. According to the US EIA, 1 gallon of propane is equal to 91,452 BTU. We know that a standard pilot light uses about 600 BTU of energy every hour.

Here’s how many gallons of propane does a pilot light uses:

Propane = 600 BTU (1h of pilot light running) / 91,452 BTU = 0.00656 Gallons Per Hour

That doesn’t sound a lot, right? Well, if you keep a pilot light on 24/7, it will spend:

0.00656 gallons of propane per hour .

of propane . 0.157 gallons of propane per day .

of propane . 4.723 gallons of propane per month .

of propane . 56.678 gallons of propane per year.

That’s quite a lot. If you keep a standard pilot light on all the time, it will consume more than 50 gallons of propane per year.

Now, cubic feet of natural gas and gallons of propane matter, but what most of us will understand the best are dollars. Let’s look at how much does running a pilot light actually costs:

Cost Of Running A Pilot Light (Natural Gas And Propane)

We know much natural gas and propane does a pilot light waste per hour, day, month, and year. To calculate how much does that amount of gas costs, we need to know two things:

Price of natural gas. Price in 2020 was $10.78 per 1,000 cubic feet of natural gas (Source: EIA). That means that 1 cubic foot of natural gas costs about $0.01078 (a little more than 1 cent per cubic foot). Price of propane. Price in 2021 was around $2.50 per gallon (Source: EIA).

We can get how much propane does a pilot light use or natural gas simply by multiplying the quantity of gas consumed by pilot light with the price of that gas like this:

Cost Of Running Pilot Light = Gas Quantity Consumed × Price Of Gas

Example: Let’s say that we have a fireplace with a pilot light. How much does it cost to keep the pilot light on the fireplace per month? We have calculated that a standard pilot light uses 416.88 cubic feet of natural gas or 4.723 gallons of propane per month.

Let’s calculate how much do both of these gas consumptions cost:

Cost (Natural Gas) = 416.88 cubic feet × $0.01078 = $4.49/month

Let’s do the same calculation for propane:

Cost (Propane) = 4.723 gallons × $2.50 = $11.34/month

Here we have it: It costs a little less than $5/month worth of natural gas to keep the pilot light running. If our pilot light is powered by propane, we will use a little more than $10/month to keep it running non-stop.

We have calculated the costs per hour, day, month, and year for a standard pilot light and summarized them in this table:

How Much Does It Cost To Run A Pilot Light? (Summarized Table)

Here is the full table of the estimated costs of running a pilot light non-stop. We used the current standard costs of natural gas and propane (these may vary quite a bit as you know):

Running Time: Natural Gas Cost Propane Cost Per Hour $0.0062/hour (Less than 1 cent/hour) $0.0164/hour (Little more than 1 cent/hour) Per Day $0.15/day $0.39/day Per Month $4.49/month $11.34/month Per Year $53.93/year $141.70/year

As you can see, the running costs of the pilot light are not enormous. However, they are also not insignificant and should play a factor if you’re buying a new furnace, fireplace, water heater, and so on.

Is it safe to keep the pilot light on the gas fireplace?

Most gas fireplaces operate with a standing pilot light. But what does a pilot light do? Is it ideal for turning it off during the warmer months? How expensive could it be to keep your pilot light going year-round? Is it challenging to re-light if I turn it off?

Like most other Plano homeowners, if you have wondered about the small blue flame in your gas fireplace, you will find this information quite helpful.

What is the type of your ignition system?

Most gas-operated fireplaces will have a ceramic or tube style burner. The burner includes a gas valve, a control module, and various other fittings. When the remote controller is pressed, the thermostat on the wall starts calling for heat, or the world switch is clicked on, the gas valve gets open and allows gas to flow through the burner.

Right before your burner is the pilot light. This pilot light can be a “steady-on” pilot, an “intermittent,” or an electrical ignition system. The later type of pilot light is on only when the valve is open, and your fireplace is operational.

A millivolt valve utilizes a particular pilot light that is always lit, so leaving the pilot light on throughout the year will be confined to your millivolt ignition system. The Intermittent Pilot ignition, also known as the IPI system, can set the pilot to run continuously but is typically operated in the auto shut off mode.

The function of a pilot light

There are two crucial functions of a pilot light. One is to generate electricity; Millivolts that close and open your gas valve. And the second is to ignite the gas once the valve is opened.

How to turn off your pilot light on a gas fireplace

Before you go ahead and hit that “off” switch, you should first find out where your pilot light is located. Knowing the flame’s exact location will help you double-check if your flame has been turned off.

Ideally, the flame is located in the back or behind a few of your logs. If you cannot find the flame, the chances are that it’s already out.

Once you’ve located the flame, you can switch the knob from its original “pilot” position to the “off” position. Depending on your fireplace model, you may have to push a small lever out of your way before you can turn the dial.

Alternatively, you may have to push your valve in and then turn it into the “off” position. Make sure that you double-check the given owner’s manual to be sure.

After you’ve turned your dial to that “off” position, look to check if the flame has gone out. In case your flame is still on, the chances are that you have a faulty valve that needs to be repaired or replaced.

If you feel like you’re not sure what has to be done during the process, or if you would feel more comfortable with a professional doing the job for you, give Elegant Fireside a call. Located in North Texas, our team can answer any queries you may have regarding your gas fireplace.

How much gas does a pilot light use?

Should you turn your pilot off during summers? 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 can further be calculated to figure out the total number of BTUs you will need per month to keep your pilot light running (approximately 432,000).

The measuring unit for natural gas is therms. Each term is equal to 100,000 BTUs of energy. This means that you will be using BTU’s equivalent to 4.3 therms of gas. Now apply a rate with each therm of natural gas. If you spend $.90 per therm, you will pay around $3.90 per month to keep your pilot light on. At $1.20 per therm, your monthly cost will land approximately $4.95.

The same calculation can be done to find out the cost for your LP gas. LP gas is measured in terms of gallons. There are 92,000 BTU’s per gallon. The price of one gallon of LP is $1.10, which means that you will have to pay roughly $5.20 every month to keep your pilot light on.

Advantages and disadvantages

There are a few advantages and disadvantages that come with leaving your pilot light on throughout the year. The most significant advantage is that if you are not using your fireplace for five months, you can easily save up to $20 or $30.

The small amount of heat that your pilot creates can help keep your firebox dry from the inside. This could be helpful if you live in a humid or damp climate.

Another advantage that comes with keeping your pilot light is to keep small and silky spider webs from blocking your pipes. If you have this problem, then $30 will probably not get you any service technician who would come to your home and fix it for you.

Shutting off your pilot light means it will have to be re-lit in the fall. The procedure to turn your light on is outlined in your owner’s manual. If you feel uncomfortable turning your pilot light on again, you can call in our professional from Elegant Fireside to do it for you.

Elegant Fireside in Plano Texas

We are one of the best, and only NFI certified fireplace companies in the area. Our services include retail sales, installation, and servicing. Our showroom features over 30 working fireplaces, making us the largest burning display showroom available to you in the Dallas area.

If you are looking for a fireplace, stoves and inserts, gas logs, gaslights, fire pit, grills and smokers, fire, and water features, then Elegant Fireside and Patio is the perfect destination for you.

Click here to get in touch with us today. We have been proudly serving the Metroplex for the past 30 years.

Heating :: Fireplace Pilots Take Gas Use Sky High

| Back to Contents Page | Home Energy Index | About Home Energy |

| Home Energy Home Page | Back Issues of Home Energy | Home Energy Magazine Online January/February 1997 TRENDS

Fireplace Pilots Take Gas Use Sky High The field trial found that consumer behavior was key to energy savings with gas fireplaces. Fireplaces, such as this one, with easy-to-reach pilot lights could significantly improve overall energy efficiency. In the past few years, sales of convenient, clean-burning gas fireplaces have increased dramatically. There are several types of gas fireplace available. While some are fairly efficient, others do not come close to matching manufacturers’ claims. In order to devise a test procedure for the seasonal efficiency of gas fireplaces, we needed to find out more about the gas use of pilot lights. The average gas fireplace pilot uses about 21 ft3 (0.6 m3) of gas per day. In the past, manufacturers have claimed that people turn off pilot lights between uses. If this were the case, many gas fireplaces would be quite efficient. Some could significantly reduce overall household gas use in houses with gas furnaces. On the other hand, if the pilot is left on all year, it will use about 7.3 therms of gas, making the overall efficiency of the fireplace much lower and increasing gas consumption. To get a sense of how the fireplaces were actually used, we carried out a detailed field trial, closely monitoring 68 homes with gas fireplaces and furnaces for an entire year. Data loggers digitally measured and recorded furnace and fireplace gas consumption every 15 minutes, and weather data every hour. Once the logging was done, we analyzed the results. We found that 16 of the gas fireplaces had insignificant use: they were fired up fewer than six times per year. In the 52 homes with significant use, 14 gas fireplaces either did not have a continuous pilot or had one that was shut off daily during the heating season. We also monitored pilot use in the summer. Of the 38 homes where fireplace use was significant and the pilot light was on continuously during the heating season, only 8 turned the pilot off for the summer. In the 30 where the pilot light was on all year, the pilot accounted for half (48%) of the total gas fireplace fuel consumption. On average, these fireplaces used 31% as much gas as the homes’ central gas furnaces. For the 14 homes where fireplace use was significant but the pilot light was not left burning all the time, the average yearly gas consumption was only 6.7 therms. This yearly consumption was lower than pilot light consumption alone in the other 38 homes. These 14 fireplaces used only 8% as much gas as their homes’ central furnaces. In these homes, fireplace use correlated closely with outside temperature. Fireplaces without continuous pilots were far more effective than continuous-pilot units at reducing overall house gas consumption. The 16 homes in which the fireplace was almost never used were particularly interesting. Only 5 of these homes shut their pilot light off at all. For the other 11, the pilot was on continuously for the entire year, using over 7 therms of gas for no household heat. There are two options for efficient pilot light operation in gas fireplaces. The first and most obvious is to buy a unit that does not have a continuous pilot light, but rather some sort of intermittent ignition, like those on all gas furnaces sold today. However, some fireplace manufacturers are concerned about the safety and reliability of these devices, in spite of their widespread use on other equipment. Many homeowners also want to have the gas fireplace as a source of heat that is independent of electricity in the event of a power failure, and a continuous pilot light helps to meet that objective. The second option, then, is to buy a unit with a continuous pilot, but one on which the pilot light shutoff and relight controls are easy to access and use. Turn off the pilot light whenever the fireplace is not being used. This research was conducted for the Canadian Gas Association, which recently developed a seasonal efficiency test procedure for gas fireplaces. This test measures fireplace performance under real-world conditions. The report, Analysis of Gas Fireplace Usage from Real Homes, is available from A.C.S. Hayden, Advanced Combustion Technologies, ETB/CETC, 580 Booth St., Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1A 0E4. E-mail: [email protected].

–A.C.S. Hayden

A.C.S. Skip Hayden is a senior research scientist at Advanced Combustion Technologies of CANMET in Ottawa, Canada. | Back to Contents Page | Home Energy Index | About Home Energy |

| Home Energy Home Page | Back Issues of Home Energy | Home Energy can be reached at: [email protected]

Home Energy magazine — Please read our Copyright Notice

So you have finished reading the how much does it cost to run a pilot light topic article, if you find this article useful, please share it. Thank you very much. See more: how much does a pilot light cost per month, how much gas does a pilot light use water heater, how much gas does a pilot light use canada, how much does it cost to run a gas fireplace pilot light, cost of pilot light, how much gas does a pilot light use on a boiler, how much propane does a pilot light use, should i leave pilot light on gas fireplace in winter

Leave a Comment