Natural gas has been in use for a long time. In fact, you might have some fairly old appliances in your home operating on natural gas. While a well-maintained, gas-powered appliance isn’t always a problem, there is something to keep in mind when it comes to the way the gas is ignited. To conserve gas, older appliances used something called a pilot light to ignite the gas.
A pilot light is a small flame fed by gas which will constantly be burning. While this is a very simple solution to the need for ignition it has been replaced on modern appliances by electrical ignition. The risk with an old-fashioned pilot light is that it could be extinguished for some reason, and if there is no fail-safe, gas could leak into your home.
There is also the matter of waste to think of. While the amount of gas used by a pilot light is fairly low, this doesn’t mean that it is insignificant, since the flame will be burning 24 hours a day year-round.
If you have appliances using a pilot light, you might want to consider an upgrade. While the cost of new appliances can be fairly high, a newer appliance will be much more efficient, saving you money in the long run.
