NG fireplace pilot light

[Immigrant]

Should I leave the pilot light always on, or just use the electric ignition when i want to use the fireplace (direct vent)
I read on the web that moisture in the chimney will be an issue if I don't let it burn all the time.

[CaberTosser]

There's no discernible difference so far as I'm concerned. Most leave them on for convenience, if a person opts to only use them intermittently and light them manually that's perfectly fine too. The cost of burning the pilot would be pretty low but hey, if its not necessary there's no harm in saving onesself a few shekels.


Hint: if a person is going on holiday in the winter and they have a gas fireplace, they can set up a thermostat to control the fireplace as a back-up heat source, it could be wired in parallel to the light switch on the wall you normally use. Say for instance the main furnace might be set back to around 14C to 16C to save some bucks then set the fireplace thermostat at 12C and it will engage should the furnace happen to fail in your absence.

[Immigrant]

Thanks Caber. I was hoping you would chime in. The reason I asked was the other day I noticed a water bead stain down the outside of the chimney. But it came from where the 2 chimney pieces slide in to each other. So the condensation was on the inside of the chimney on the air intake side. Was wondering how condensation got in there and if it will cause issues somewhere. I read somewhere that the pilot light will keep the chimney heated and stop condensation from happening, but can't find the article now

(It has a remote with a thermostat in it. When it drops below a certain temp it will turn on the fireplace)

[58thecat]

I leave it on all the time, never thought about condensation etc but never seen any indication of it either, maybe because the pilot light is on all the time.

[Dirtdiver23]

My wall mounted fireplace froze up in the last cold snap. My igniter didn't have any power. I had to put a heater on it to thaw out. After 30 min it fired right back up.
I now run my pilot when it's cold.

[CaberTosser]

During particularly cold spells a direct vent gas fireplace will feel cold regardless of whether the pilot light is off or on, naturally if it's firing that's another story. If the home is humid such a cold surface will be a point for condensation to collect.