What's the difference between IPI and a standing pilot?
A standing pilot burns a small flame continuously and runs on the pilot's own millivolt current, so it needs no electricity but uses a trickle of gas year-round. IPI (intermittent pilot ignition) lights electronically only when you want a fire and burns nothing in between — but it needs power, usually with a battery backup for outages. Convenience and efficiency versus pure grid independence.
Two ways to light the same fire
Both systems keep a pilot flame that lights the main burner — they just differ in when that pilot exists and what powers it. A standing pilot burns continuously and runs on the millivolt current the flame itself produces. IPI (intermittent pilot ignition) is electronic: it sparks the pilot to life only when you want a fire and shuts it fully off afterward. Same result at the burner, very different systems behind it.
Gas use, power, and cost
A standing pilot sips a small, constant amount of gas year-round; IPI burns none between fires, so it's the more efficient of the two over a season. But that efficiency comes with a cord: IPI needs household power and a control board, while a standing-pilot millivolt system needs no electricity whatsoever. IPI units carry batteries so they can still light during an outage — a standing pilot never had that problem to solve in the first place.
Which one we'd put in your home
It comes down to what you value. If backup heat and simplicity top your list — common for the cabins and propane properties up our mountain roads, and for anyone who lived through Helene's outages — a standing-pilot millivolt unit is the grid-proof choice. If you'd rather not burn any gas in the off-season and you like remote and thermostat control, IPI is excellent, and the battery backup covers most outages. Neither is "better" in the abstract; the right one depends on your priorities. Tell us what matters most and we'll match the unit to it — call (828) 545-0525 or visit the Asheville showroom.
How we can help
Related questions
- What is intermittent pilot ignition (IPI) on a gas fireplace?
- What is a standing pilot light and what does it actually do?
- How can a millivolt gas fireplace run without any electricity?
- What is the battery backup on an electronic ignition fireplace for?
- Will a gas fireplace still work when the power goes out?
- What is a direct vent gas fireplace and how does it work?
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