TO SAVE MONEY! If you haven’t replaced your furnace in the last 15 years or so, your furnace probably uses a standing pilot to start up the furnace. The biggest problem with standing pilots is they use more gas than the newer electronic ignitions that come in the mid to high efficiency furnaces nowadays. Even if your unit isn’t in need of furnace repairs, the inefficiency of older units should be enough to convince you to replace soon. 

A standing pilot uses a pilot assembly and a thermocouple to ignite. The pilot assembly is holding a constant flame, 24/7, 365 days a year! That means that the pilot is running even when you are not using the furnace. The pilot is using gas in between cycles of the furnace, and unless you shut it off in the summer, it is using gas all summer to stay lit. Many people don’t realize this but using a standing pilot could be costing you extra every month on your energy bills!

What is the alternative? Upgrade your unit to an Americans Standard furnace that uses an electronic ignition. Electronic ignitions do come in a couple different styles like direct spark, intermittent pilot, and hot surface. No matter which one the new furnace uses, it doesn’t have a constant flame. These newer pilots are able to light the unit only when the thermostat is calling for heat. These pilots extinguish themselves in between cycles. No more wasting gas!