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charles charles is offline
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Default Pilot light off in summer?

In article , harryagain
wrote:

"Uncle Peter" wrote in message
news boiler or gas fire off in summer?


It struck me it would cost a lot of gas over the year (and from what I've
read it's anything from £25 to £90 a year).


Then I found this! "With the pilot off, there are still trace amounts of
gas molecules in the burner and pilot tubes of your fireplace. The gas
companies add a chemical called Mercaptan to the gas which gives it that
lovely odor we all know. Spiders are attracted to the smell of the
Mercaptan and will sometimes build webs in the pilot and burner tubes
when the flow of gas is off. So when you go to turn on your fireplace in
the early fall or late summer, it will not work, and you will have to
call you local installer to come service the unit. This will cost money."


Bollix. The reason for turning the pilot off is to save gas and to
prolong the life of the thermcouple.


so, you turn the pilot light off to save gas and, as a result, heat your
water by electricity which costs far more than gas - so you end up paying
more in your energy bill. Logical - no.

--
From KT24 in Surrey

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