Worth it to shut off pilot on steam boiler?

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Mikepier's Avatar (by Gravatar)Mikepier posted on
May 21, 2010, 11:46 am
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 I have been shutting down the pilot light on the boiler in my Dad's
apt building for the past few years, and just curious if there are any
advantages or disadvantages in doing this. I'm pretty sure one
disadvantage is risk of the thermocouple getting damp and being
defective when its time to start up the heat again in the fall, but is
there any harm in running the pilot 24/7.  Is there any noticeable
savings on the gas bill if it was turned off?

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ransley's Avatar (by Gravatar)ransley posted on
May 21, 2010, 12:02 pm
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Re: Worth it to shut off pilot on steam boiler?




www.heatinghelp.com would be where boiler pros are, I have a 1955
Kewanee steam boiler the pilot has been left on, my repair guy says it
should help to keep it dryer and help with rust and life, maybe a few
bucks a month for added insurance is how I figure it, and then you
dont have to relight it. I am hopefully replacing it soon and the
leaks I have are on the outside not from the firebox area. Leave the
water in and dont flust it unless you cook off the oxygen, I clean
mine before I refire it in fall.

 

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