On Mon, 12 Jan 2015 08:42:34 -0000, harryagain wrote:


"Uncle Peter" wrote in message
news Anyone turn the pilot light of their 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.

Trouble is when it won't bloody light. Every time I've had it off for a while, it takes ages to get it going.

--
A can of diet coke floats in water, but a can of regular coke sinks.