How much gas does a standing pilot light use?
Marshall sits low for the mountains, around 1,650 feet in the French Broad gorge, so its off-season runs longer than the high towns — which means a standing pilot idles more months of the year here. That's the stretch where the small continuous draw is burning for nothing, so a summer shutoff saves a touch more in Marshall than up on the ridges.
Lower elevation, longer idle window
A standing pilot costs what it costs because it burns around the clock through the months you don't light a fire — so the longer your off-season, the more of that trickle is truly idle. At 1,650 feet, Marshall's warm stretch runs longer than Waynesville's or Maggie Valley's, and the pilot spends more weeks producing heat nobody's using. It's still a small amount of gas, but if you're the type to trim every avoidable cost, this is a town where switching it off for the summer earns slightly more than it would higher up.
Fuel type and a damp gorge
Marshall is mixed-fuel. On the natural-gas main the pilot's cost is minor; on propane, common on the hillsides, it's a more noticeable trickle out of the tank. Working against the shutoff argument is the gorge's cool, damp evenings — a lit pilot's small warmth helps keep the firebox dry, which matters where moisture lingers against masonry and metal. So it's a genuine tradeoff: save a little by switching it off through the long off-season, or leave it lit against the damp and pay the small price.
We'll get to you on the mountainside
Marshall's steep, tight-access lots make some service calls a puzzle, and its narrow, mountainside-built downtown complicates chimney routing and draft — but we know these hillsides. We're 25 minutes north of the Asheville showroom. If you'd rather skip the pilot entirely, converting to electronic ignition is licensed gas work we permit and inspect with your county. Call (828) 545-0525.
Fireplace help in Marshall
We install and service fireplaces throughout Marshall and the rest of Madison County — just 25 minutes north 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?