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.

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

The average fuel consumption of your standing Pilot light is: Natural gas is $0.60 a day = $219 a year. Liquid Propane is $1.80 a day = $657 a year.

Should the pilot light always be on in a gas fireplace?

Should the pilot light always be on in a gas fireplace? Most gas fireplaces rely on a “continuous pilot light,” a type of pilot that remains lit so long as gas is flowing to the unit. … If you have a continuous pilot light system, you should always see a pilot flame unless you have manually turned the system off.

How much gas does a gas fireplace pilot use?

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.

Should you leave the pilot light on in a propane fireplace?

We recommend that you turn off your gas fireplace pilot light seasonally. Turning off your gas fireplace’s pilot light can save a substantial amount of energy and money. It is important to remember that not all gas fireplaces have “standing” pilot light, or, a pilot light that is “always on”.

Should I turn off the pilot light on my gas fireplace in the summer?

Your Utility Bill Perhaps the most important reason to turn off gas fireplace pilot light in summer is because of the money and energy you will be saving. If you leave the pilot light on during the summer it is simply sitting there burning gas, which is wasting gas and contributing to an exorbitant energy bill.

How much propane does a pilot light use per day?

Well, if you keep a pilot light on 24/7, it will spend: 0.00656 gallons of propane per hour. 0.157 gallons of propane per day. 4.723 gallons of propane per month.

How much gas does a propane fireplace use?

As a general rule, a propane fireplace uses about one gallon of propane for each 100,000 BTU. So if you install a propane fireplace that is rated 50,000 BTU, you’ll be using about one gallon of propane for every two hours that it’s in use.

How much gas should a pilot light use?

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. Figuring 30 days, a pilot light will use approximately 432,000 BTU each month.

How big should the pilot light be on a gas fireplace?

A pilot flame should be blue with a yellow tip and strong enough to cover 1/2 inch at the end of the thermocouple tip. If the flame is too strong and adjusted wrong, it will be noisy and cause improper furnace operation.

Article first time published on

Will gas leak if pilot light is off?

If the pilot light goes out on a storage or instantaneous hot water heater, space heater or a ducted heater, you will not have a gas leak. This is because all modern gas appliances with pilot lights have a fail-safe device that closes off the gas to the appliance in the case when the pilot may go out.

What should a pilot light look like on a gas fireplace?

A healthy pilot flame will be much like a blue “blow torch” flame. It will shoot sideways and be directly on your thermocouple and thermopile sensors. An unhealthy yellow pilot flame is more like a “candle”. It will shoot straight up in the air and will not engulf your sensors.

Is it OK to run gas fireplace all day?

You can run a vented gas fireplace all day with little concern for anything other than gas usage.

Is my pilot light too high?

Next to the “Pilot” indicator on the furnace’s control switch, there is a small screw located near the pilot light-thermocouple assembly. … If it extends well above the thermocouple, it’s too strong. If the flame covers the top of the thermocouple and burns steadily with a yellow tip, that’s just about right.

Is there always a small flame in a gas fireplace?

Do Gas Fireplaces Always Have A Flame? Gas fireplaces that use a standing pilot ignition system will have a pilot flame that’s always on. Gas fireplaces that use an intermittent pilot ignition system won’t have and/or require a flame that’s always on as the pilot can be switched on and off as required.

How much does it cost to light a 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, and is the average fuel consumption of your standing Pilot light. $657 a year is how much liquid propane is.

How many BTU is a gallon of propane?

Propane has 91,500 BTUs per gallon. 1.52 gallons equals the heat of one gallon of oil. Electricity has 3,413 BTUs per kilowatt hour (kwh).

How many gallons does a 100lb propane tank hold?

A 100 lb. tank holds 23.6 gallons and weighs 170 lbs.

Do gas fireplaces burn a lot of gas?

Not at all. Using natural gas is one of the most inexpensive ways to heat your home. That’s why gas fireplaces, gas fireplace inserts, outdoor gas fireplaces, even gas furnaces are such cost-effective heating options. Realistically, most gas-powered fireplaces will burn through about $1 worth of natural gas per day.

Does a pilot light give off heat?

Although the flame from a pilot light is small, it’s still heat. Depending on where you live, you might not want any extra heat being generated inside your home during the blazing summer months. A pilot light means heat, and it also means fuel usage.

Can the pilot light on a gas fireplace be adjusted?

There is a button on some fireplaces that will let you adjust the flame upward or downward. You can adjust the screw with a screwdriver. The flame will be lowered when the screw is turned clockwise.

Can a pilot light start a fire?

When the appliance is turned on, a valve releases more gas, which is ignited by the pilot light. … If this leak continues, its concentration may reach a point where a spark – such as that from a cigarette lighter, static electricity, or even the pilot light itself as it is re-lit – will cause a fire or even an explosion.

How much propane does a fireplace use per day?

But first, you may be wondering how much propane does a fireplace use. The simple answer is, a propane fireplace uses about one gallon of propane per 100,000 BTU. So, if you have a propane fireplace that is rated 50,000 BTU, you can expect to use one gallon of propane every two hours.

How long will 100 gallons of propane last in a fireplace?

If you use your propane fireplace for two hours a day, seven days a week, the 100-pound propane bottle will fuel your fireplace for almost six weeks. If you used your fireplace four hours a day, the bottle would last around three weeks.

How much propane does a 40000 BTU fireplace use?

An average 40,000BTU gas fireplace burning natural gas will typically use 1 therm of gas, equivalent to 100 cubic feet of gas, every 2 and a half hours. A 40,000 BTU gas fireplace burning propane will typically go through 1 gallon of propane in just over 2 hours.

How do I make my pilot light higher?

  1. Locate the access plate on the front of your furnace, and unscrew the screws that are connecting the access plate to your furnace. …
  2. Observe the flame. …
  3. Turn that screw counter-clockwise, and the flame should grow.

What color should pilot light be on gas fireplace?

Inspecting a Gas Furnace Pilot Light Flame A natural gas flame should be a bright blue color with a small amount of yellow at the very tip. A propane flame will have more of a bluish-green flame with a tinge of yellow at the tip. The flame should strong enough to cover about 1/2 inch at the end of the thermocouple tip.

What color should a pilot light be?

The color of the pilot light should be blue because that means that only natural gas—without any other condensates—is reaching the pilot light through the gas main. The principal chemical compound found in natural gas is methane, and methane burns blue.

Why did the pilot light go out on my gas fireplace?

Some of the possible serious reasons for pilot lights to go out include loose or broken gas valves, thermocouples or heat exchangers, faulty venting, low gas pressure, or high winds. If you believe there is a serious problem, don’t hesitate to contact a professional.

Is it safe to relight a pilot light?

But first, some words of caution: –Don’t relight the pilot light if there is a strong gas odor. Close the main gas shut-off valve for your house or for the appliance with the leak and call the gas company immediately. Get everyone out of the house until the problem is corrected by gas company technicians.

Should the pilot light always be on water heater?

The thermocouple’s job is to shut a gas safety valve if the pilot light goes out. That’s important because gas is always being supplied to the pilot to keep the flame lit. But if the pilot flame goes out, then the gas would still be released. After a while, the gas could collect in your home and become a health hazard.