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Off Season Heating - Pilot or No Pilot

Tesla
Tesla Member Posts: 4
I'm have question that has me wondering for a little while. Here's the unit:

Williams 30KBTU N.G. wall furnace, direct vent, standing pilot, piezo ignition.

Aside from the cost of leaving a standing pilot lit in off-season, should I leave it on or off. My angle is if I leave it on, any condensation and critters (spiders) will be left out of the equation - but the thermocouple will be active all year long. I've always been a follower of MTBF (Mean Time Before Failure) so if the cold junction is active all year does this shorten the life span?

Leave the pilot off and trust a made in China red push button ignition for next years startup, and the possibility of a clogged orifice / condensation?

Yeah I'm over-thinking this but that's why I'm asking here.

Comments

  • Jim Davis_3
    Jim Davis_3 Member Posts: 578
    Pilot

    Turn it off.  Keeping pilots lit during the summer was something that was created years ago so people wouldn't be called to come out and light your pilot for free.
  • hoa
    hoa Member Posts: 1
    tony

    how do I lite the pilot for gas heating system at my home
  • Tim McElwain
    Tim McElwain Member Posts: 4,612
    There should be

    directions somewhere on the unit. Also you might look around for the paper work on the unit Installation and Operations Manuals give lighting procedures.



    Put a picture of your system with a top view of the gas valve and I will walk you through it here.
  • Henry
    Henry Member Posts: 998
    Pilots

    Pilots usualy cost between $6 and $10 a month. We do NOT recommend shutting them off. We get many service calls in the fall with pilots that won't relight. My own fireplace, after one year would not relight! 5 months wait from Vermont Casting for two powerpiles (yes it takes two and special lenght connectors OEM only) and 4 hours on a Sunday to replace the powerpiles! It is cheaper to leave the pilots on!



    Regards,

    Henry
This discussion has been closed.