How much propane does oven pilot light use?

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
THEY SELL NEW APPLIANCES WITH ELECTRONIC IGNITION

Mr Toes' rig is over 40 years old.

All those so-called expert answers have a dog in the fight

THEY SELL NEW APPLIANCES WITH ELECTRONIC IGNITION

Joebedford, relax. Your fridge uses many times more, over 24 hours period.

If you really want to save that little amount of propane, install electronic ignition on the pilot so that you won't have to light it up manually every time.

I wouldn't worry about the cost - these propane appliances are very cost effective.

I leave fridge and water heater flames on while camping but turn off my oven pilot light. Why? Simple, I don't use the oven all the time and I don't have to go outside to relight it like I do with the others.

It really comes down to preference as cost is negligable.

If this is about money I think maybe you're squeezing Abe's head a little too hard.

Oh look yet another "one of those" arguments.



If this satisfies ANYONE oh goodie!

I left an oven PILOT LIGHT on for eight months and when I got back the light was lit and the 20 pound pot had gas.

SoundGuy wrote:

joebedford wrote:
We leave ours on all the time - basically all the time when we're snowbirding - months.

It occurs to me that could add up to a lot of propane. Standard 3 burner Dometic with oven.

Anybody know how much? I have no idea.

The burner flame in a small 1.7 cu ft manual light gas absorption fridge such as a Norcold 323 uses ~ 625 BTU / hr. The pilot flame in your oven is about the same size so it's reasonable to assume a similar consumption rate. A pound of propane is worth ~ 21,500 BTU so the math tells us 1 pound of propane would run that oven pilot for about 34 hours, 20 lbs about 688 hours or ~ 28 days. With a manual light fridge it's necessary to have that flame running but leaving the pilot burning in the oven seems like a waste of propane to me. ;)

X2. Pilot lights are very wasteful, which is why most appliance manufacturers have dispensed with them entirely.

joebedford wrote:
Songbirds said about leaving the burners on..

By 'nobody' I meant you. Nobody *before* them said anything about leaving burners on.

joebedford wrote:
We leave ours on all the time - basically all the time when we're snowbirding - months.

It occurs to me that could add up to a lot of propane. Standard 3 burner Dometic with oven.

Anybody know how much? I have no idea.

The burner flame in a small 1.7 cu ft manual light gas absorption fridge such as a Norcold 323 uses ~ 625 BTU / hr. The pilot flame in your oven is about the same size so it's reasonable to assume a similar consumption rate. A pound of propane is worth ~ 21,500 BTU so the math tells us 1 pound of propane would run that oven pilot for about 34 hours, 20 lbs about 688 hours or ~ 28 days. With a manual light fridge it's necessary to have that flame running but leaving the pilot burning in the oven seems like a waste of propane to me. ;)

2oldman wrote:
Nobody said anything about leaving burners on. Just pilot.

It could add up to a lot over years, but that would be spit in the ocean compared to your use for other items. My concern about leaving it on is that when there's a tank changeover, the pilot goes out, leaving just gas pouring into the oven.

Songbirds said about leaving the burners on.

If the pilot goes out, the thermocouple shuts off the gas valve.

Besides, a tank changeover doesn't shut off the gas.