How much gas does a standing pilot light use?
Fletcher's 1990s-era subdivisions are full of builder-grade gas fireplaces, and many of those older units do run a standing pilot — a small flame kept lit around the clock. The good news: Fletcher sits on the natural-gas main, where per-unit cost is low, so that continuous pilot draw is a minor line on your bill.
Builder-grade means you likely have a pilot
The gas fireplaces builders dropped into Fletcher's 1990s subdivisions were mostly the simple, dependable kind — and a lot of them light off a standing pilot rather than newer electronic ignition. So unlike a brand-new build, if your Fletcher home is from that era, there's a real chance you've got a pilot burning day and night. On the natural-gas main serving town, its cost is small — the flame is tiny, and it's the around-the-clock runtime, not the size, that shows up on the bill over an idle summer.
Newer and commercial units vary
The steady new construction along the I-26 corridor tells a different story — today's units mostly use electronic or intermittent ignition and carry no standing pilot. Fletcher's airport-area commercial spaces run the gamut, and some keep pilots lit for instant, no-fuss operation through the day. If you're not sure what you have, that's an easy thing for us to check and explain when we're out for annual service — and late summer, before you're depending on the fireplace, is exactly the right time for that visit.
Modernize the ignition if you like
If your builder-grade unit's standing pilot bugs you, shutting it off each summer trims the cost, and many of these older fireplaces can be converted to electronic ignition — licensed gas work we permit through Henderson County and pressure-test. Or leave the pilot lit for its dead-simple, electricity-free operation and outage-readiness. We're 20 minutes south of the Asheville showroom. Call (828) 545-0525.
Fireplace help in Fletcher
We install and service fireplaces throughout Fletcher and the rest of Henderson County — just 20 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?