Should you leave a standing pilot lit through the summer, or shut it off in the off-season?
Shut a standing pilot off for the summer in most WNC homes — it saves a little gas, drops the whisper of extra heat you don't want in July, and rests the pilot and gas valve through the off-season. The trade-off: a lit pilot keeps the flue warm and dry, which discourages spiders and rust. Relight in early fall.
The case for turning it off
For most of our customers the pilot goes off around May and back on around September. A standing pilot burns gas continuously — not much, but it runs 24/7 for months you're never lighting a fire. In a WNC summer that tiny flame also throws a whisper of heat you don't want when the AC is already fighting our muggy August afternoons. Shutting it off saves fuel and gives the pilot, thermocouple, and gas valve a rest through the off-season.
The case for leaving it lit
There's a real argument the other way, and it's the one manufacturers in humid climates lean on. A live pilot keeps the flue and burner assembly warm and dry, which discourages moisture, corrosion inside the valve, and — most relevant here — spiders. The classic mountain failure we see every fall is a pilot orifice and burner ports packed with spider webbing and dust after a season sitting idle, which starves the pilot and causes hard, no-light starts. A warm pilot makes that firebox a less inviting place to nest.
What we tell WNC homeowners
Either choice is fine — pick based on what you value. If you shut it off to save gas, just plan on an annual tune-up before you depend on it, ideally late summer or early fall, so we can clear out anything that moved in over the off-season and confirm the pilot lights clean. If you leave it lit, you still want that yearly service. Book it now and go into fall with a fireplace that lights on the first try. Call (828) 545-0525.
Related questions
- How much gas does a standing pilot light use when the fireplace is off?
- What is a standing pilot light and what does it actually do?
- What's the difference between IPI and a standing pilot?
- What is intermittent pilot ignition (IPI) on a gas fireplace?
- What is a thermocouple and what does it do?
- What is a direct vent gas fireplace and how does it work?
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