What about the old-fashioned pilot light? (dehumidifier, furnaces, water heater, stoves)

[cdelena]

I just spent $45 and way more time than I liked to replace the sparker control model on my stove. Now it works, but is the same noisey slow operation that I have never really liked.

We used to have pilot lights that used little gas and provided quiet and fast burner lighting. Why did they go away?

I know pilot lights can have a safety device on them like gas water heater burners so what is the reason. Cost?

[Threerun]

Air-tight homes + pilot lights= potential CO2 death

It's easy to have a negative pressure situation in an airtight home, which could easily extinguish a pilot flame. But the gas would continue to slowly seep out and cause a definite hazard to the occupants. My new water heater has a piazo type sparker. Our new high efficiency heat pump/gas back-up furnaces have a heating element that warms up during the cycle to ignite the flame..

I don't know of any new appliance that has a stand-by pilot light, but I could be wrong..

[ShaneSA]

The low end basic gas appliances still have a pilot light. Any gas appliance I buy now is a bit upgraded for apartments becasue of the pilot light issue. the fewer pilot lights the better. it's a safety issue.
And do you know how many people call in the middle of the night to relight the pilot becasue they do not know how to do it? answer: lots!!!!! Calls are getting reduced proportionatly as appliances are replaced.

[K'ledgeBldr]

Although this dealt with waterheaters, the principle is the same-
This statement is a summary from the last ICC (International Code Council) meeting about pilot lights on appliances:

The committee passed energy code change #EC79-07/08, which requires all gas water heaters to be equipped with pilotless electronic ignitions, and aims to eliminate standing pilots on water heaters.

The premise was to save energy- but all were not in agreement.
Anyway, a true pilotless appliance will require an electrical source for the electronic ignition (means more $$ for the operation of the appliance).
A piazo-type igniter is just that, a manual igniter that lights a pilot light.

[DanBev]

In past mobile home,the heat from the pilot light was very noticeble in summer,had to shut them down.I will take the present electronic way or pop.Gas now more expensive than electric.Do like present safety features on gas appliances.

[Tesaje]

Humidity is the enemy of those sparkers. The old pilot lights used to keep the stuff dry but of course had the downsides mentioned. Since I put a dehumidifier in my basement, the sparker for my furnace lasts many times longer than it used to.

I can't manually light my furnace due to all the safety stuff, but I can manually light my stove for those times when there is no electricity.

[Ultrarunner]

It's a trade off either way you go... both with pilot and without are available.

The nice thing about Pilot Light appliances like wall furnaces, stoves and water heaters is they do not require electricity to work... this is great if you happen to be snowed in for a week without electricity because you still have heat, hot water and cooking.

The downside is pilot lights consume a small amount of gas 24/7... although the new pilot light appliances use less gas than the older ones... Not much of a waste for a water heater since the pilot light heat heats the water.

I remember the heat from a Pilot Light was enough to keep a water heater from freezing in the middle of winter in the family cabin. I would not want to have a heater that needed both gas and electric to function.

I have an old "Match Light" range... the only pilot light is the oven... all of the cook top burners need a match... no provision for a standing pilot to save energy.

Shane SA makes a good point... fewer nuisance service calls when Rental Property Appliances eliminate Pilot Lights... seems no one can light one anymore

[xlabel]

I live in an old 112 year old house with a Galaxy oven. I never have to put a flame on the stove burners they always come on with the dial. The oven part concerns me, sometimes it comes on with the dial, other times I have to crawl under there and spark it with a Bic lighterm. I figure if I don't smell strong gas it's all good but it still makes me nervous having to put a spark to it sometimes.

[Ultrarunner]

Originally Posted by xlabel

I live in an old 112 year old house with a Galaxy oven. I never have to put a flame on the stove burners they always come on with the dial. The oven part concerns me, sometimes it comes on with the dial, other times I have to crawl under there and spark it with a Bic lighterm. I figure if I don't smell strong gas it's all good but it still makes me nervous having to put a spark to it sometimes.

My best guess is the oven burner and/or Pilot Light need cleaning...

I've had great success carefully poking each hole with a tooth pick to clean cooking splatter.

[Barking Spider]

"I can't manually light my furnace due to all the safety stuff, but I can manually light my stove for those times when there is no electricity."

IF it's a forced air unit, the blower won't work without electricity anyway.