How much gas does a standing pilot light use?
In historic Flat Rock, many homes date to the 1800s with oversized open masonry fireplaces and aging clay flue liners — and when we drop a sealed gas insert into one, you choose the ignition. A millivolt standing pilot runs a small continuous flame; electronic ignition burns none. On the natural-gas main here, either way the pilot's cost is minor.
A period firebox, a modern choice
Flat Rock's 1800s homes were built around big open masonry hearths that pull cold-air drafts straight into the room — beautiful, and leaky. Sealing a gas insert into that firebox fixes the draft while preserving the mantel and character, and it puts the ignition choice in your hands. Opt for a millivolt standing pilot and you get a small flame kept lit day and night; opt for electronic or battery-backup ignition and there's no standing pilot at all, so no continuous draw. On the town's natural-gas main, the pilot's round-the-clock cost is small regardless of which you pick.
Why some Flat Rock owners keep the pilot
There's a reason to choose the standing pilot anyway. A millivolt system needs no electricity — the pilot itself generates the millivoltage that opens the gas valve — so it keeps heating a drafty old house right through a power outage, and its small warmth helps keep the insert's firebox dry against the damp that ages these historic flues. For a period home you don't want to leave cold and damp, that continuous little flame is cheap insurance, and its cost on the gas main barely registers on a bill.
Preserve the look, modernize the burn
We'll match the insert and ignition to your home's character and how you live in it — and as a licensed gas contractor we pull the Henderson County permit and pressure-test the new line so the work protects your home sale and insurance. If the pilot's small cost ever bugs you, shut it off in summer or step up to electronic ignition. We're 30 minutes south of the Asheville showroom. Call (828) 545-0525.
Fireplace help in Flat Rock
We install and service fireplaces throughout Flat Rock and the rest of Henderson County — just 30 minutes south from our Asheville-area showroom.
Related questions
- Should I leave my gas fireplace pilot light on all summer or turn it off?
- Does the pilot light give off enough heat to warm up the room in summer?
- Are there benefits to leaving the pilot lit year-round, like keeping moisture and spiders out?
- How do I shut the pilot light off for the summer?
- Does turning the flame down make my gas fireplace use less gas?