Propane Stove question-pilot lite on or off?

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We have a simple, no frills Tappen propane kitchen range. When my father found out it has automatic pilot lites, he was horrified that I was leaving the pilot lites burning all the time, as it was "putting polutants out into the home all the time". They live in a travel trailer, and never leave theirs on, just lite the burners as needed. Ok, so I poo-poo'd the idea and continued to use them for a year or so, then thought maybe it would be a saving to turn off just the ones for the burners, and lite them as needed. Didn't turn off the oven pilot, as it is really hard to access to lite. However, the convenience is nice to just turn the burner on and have it light. On a couple occasions, when someone else has been here, and tried to use the stove, not knowing you have to light the burners, we have had some close calls. Question: Does it hurt to leave the pilot lites burning all the time, health-wise? Not a problem in summer, but not a lot of air flow in winter. Thanks, Jan

-- Jan in Colorado (Janice12@aol.com), August 15, 2000

Answers

Hey Jan! Don't worry about those pilot lights. The products of combustion of gas may contain a very minute amount of Carbon Monoxide but not nearly enough to hurt anything. Most older and some newer ranges have standing pilots. Space heaters have pilots and they don't bother anybody. My onionion?--Go ahead and use'm as long as soot and carbon doesn't build up around the pilotburners or the house doesn't start stinkin like soot. It so, then the stove needs attention. With all gas appliances one needs to keep an eye on the flame to make sure it doesn't contain a lazy yellow flame. When yellow is present in burners [not pilots] it means incomplete combustion and thereby the production of Monoxide. Orange doens't hurt anything as it's caused by dirt, moisture, inpurities in gas and a host of other things that are harmless. The best thing to invest in along with the fire/smoke detectors, is a good, dependable Carbon Monoxide detector. Money well spent and it could save your life! Matt. 24:44

-- hoot (hoot@pcinetwork.com), August 15, 2000.

Hoot, thanks for easing my mind! It would surely make things easier, not having to light those darn things with a heavy pressuer canner full on top,etc! As always, I LOVE YOUR POSTS! They really make my day! Thanks again, Jan

-- Jan in Colorado (Janice12@aol.com), August 15, 2000.

I've been looking askance at my new cookstove for the past 4 years - it's one of those electronic ingition things. Now, I'm not saying that I'm a messy cook...but it sure is hard to get the stove top cleaned without hooking onto those little igniters. I miss my pilot lights - used to be able to set the old aluminum coffee pot over the pilot on the stove and keep the coffee warm, water warm in a tea kettle, or even a heavy ceramic coffee mug. The pilot in the oven was great for keeping it a nice warm place to raise bread during the chilly days, when we didn't have a fire in the woodstove. I could warm chilled hands by holding them just above the cooktop...

I've still got my old Roper cookstove out in the shed - my next kitchen will be built around it and my old white Hoosier cabinet - nothing better than that enamel top for rolling out pie crust!

-- Polly (tigger@moultrie.com), August 15, 2000.

Jan,

Just make sure there is no gas coming through that pilot hole when the flame is out. If gas still comes through when flame is off, that will be dangerous for you.

-- Mona (jascamp@ipa.net), August 15, 2000.

-- (noneofyour@biz.com), July 13, 2001