Gas stoves are one of the most important equipment of daily life. They can make your life easier with their functions and capabilities.
A gas stove consists of many different parts. Today, we are going to discuss and find out whether a gas stove has a pilot light or not.
What is a pilot light on a gas stove?
A gas stove might or might not have a pilot light depending on the wishes of the manufacturer.
But a pilot light on a gas stove usually does the job of ignition. The size of the pilot light is relatively small and appear as a blue burning source upon ignition.
The pilot light also works as an indicator to let you know that your gas stove is working perfectly.
The primary job of the pilot light is to help your gas stove by igniting the gas. The gas comes out of the pilot tube and turns it into a blue flame that is known as the pilot light by all.
A pilot light is one of the most important parts of the gas stove which ensures the well being of the gas stove and helps in the ignition process. A faulty pilot light can cause several functional problems along with safety concerns.
Does a gas stove have a pilot light?
A gas stove may or may not have a pilot light. The older models of gas stoves used to possess a pilot light in them to ignite the gas inside the stove. But the modern models of gas stoves have an electrical ignition light in them to do the job of a pilot light.
A gas stove having a pilot often depends on its model. Because it has been noticed by appliance experts that the traditional pilot light has been gradually replaced by electrical ignition lights in modern day gas stoves.
However, there are some key differences between a pilot light and an electrical ignition light. First of all, an electrical ignition light takes the help of heat to burn the gas inside a gas oven. So it is more energy sufficient than a traditional pilot light.
On the other hand, it is possible to repair a faulty electrical ignition light. Instead you will need to replace it.
But a faulty pilot light can be repaired which saves the maintenance cost. But the usability of the electrical ignition light has made it more popular among the users and it has meant the gradual decline of the pilot light.
You can take help of the user manual to find out whether you have a pilot light or an electrical ignition light.
Do all modern gas stoves have a pilot light?
The function of the traditional pilot light has been replaced by the electrical ignition light in the recent years. So most of the modern gas stoves do not possess a pilot light as one of their features.
However, electrical ignition light is much better at burning the gas than a traditional pilot light. The reason behind this is the perfect mechanism of an electrical ignition light. Electrical ignition light uses heat to light the gas passing through the gas stove.
The easy functionality of the electrical ignition light has made the gas stove manufacturers think about the necessity of a traditional pilot light.
In the end, almost all the gas stove manufacturers have opted for an electrical ignition light instead of a pilot light. So you will very rarely find modern gas stoves with a traditional pilot light in them.
So it is no secret that electrical ignition lights have slowly replaced pilot lights in modern gas stoves because of their usability and function.
Do these gas stoves have a pilot light?
Let’s look at different brands of gas stoves and find out if they have a pilot light in them as a feature.
Kenmore gas stoves:
Kenmore gas stoves provide a variety of stoves in the market. Some of their gas stoves have a pilot in them while others have an electrical ignition light instead. The older models of Kenmore gas stoves come along with a pilot light in them.
But the modern Kenmore gas stoves do not always have a pilot light and have an electrical ignition light instead. The best way to find out what kind of light your Kenmore gas stove has is by checking the instruction manual thoroughly.
GE gas stoves:
Older models of GE gas stoves used to come with a traditional pilot light in them that produced blue flame and ignited the passing gas. But the modern day GE gas stoves do not have the feature of a pilot light.
The function of the pilot light on a GE gas stove has been replaced by an electrical ignition light. Electrical ignition light uses heat to burn the passing gas.
Samsung gas stoves:
The same thing can be said about Samsung gas stoves just like other brands of gas stoves.
The earlier models of Samsung gas stoves used to have a traditional pilot light in them to ignite the gas. But the present day Samsung gas stoves come with an electrical ignition light that ignites the gas with the help of heat.
Frigidaire gas stoves:
Modern day Frigidaire gas stoves do not have a pilot light as a feature. Instead they rely on the function of an electrical ignition light to ignite the gas in the stove. But the older models of Frigidaire gas stoves still have the luxury of a pilot light in them.
So it depends on the preference of the buyer about what kind of a gas stove he wants to buy. But appliance experts suggest that an electrical ignition light works better than a traditional pilot light.
How do I know if my gas stove has a pilot light?
Knowing if your gas stove has a pilot light or not can be very difficult. However, you can follow some tips and tricks to find out. First of all, you will need to disassemble different parts of your gas stove to get to the pilot light.
You will see a blue flame lighting up inside the gas stove if it indeed has a pilot light. Otherwise, you will find an electrical ignition light instead of a pilot light.
The presence of a pilot light can also be found if you turn the thermostat on. The pilot light will create reaction upon turning the thermostat on.
Where is the pilot light located on a gas stove?
The top part of the gas stove has to be removed to find the location of a pilot light. The blue flame of a pilot light can be found underneath the top of the gas stove most of the time. But it can be difficult to find a faulty pilot light that is finding it hard to stay on.
However, you can take the help of the user manual to find the exact location of a pilot light on your gas stove as different gas stove manufacturers put a pilot light in different places.
Let’s discuss in detail about where you can find the pilot light in some of the gas stoves.
Frigidaire gas stoves:
The location of the pilot light on a Frigidaire gas stove is not different from other brands of gas stoves.
The pilot light on a Frigidaire gas stove can be found under the top part of the gas stove by removing it altogether. On the modern Frigidaire gas stoves, you might find an electrical ignition light instead of a pilot light.
Whirlpool gas stoves:
The location of the pilot light on a Whirlpool gas stove is described as being different from other brands of gas stoves. Because the pilot light on a Whirlpool gas stove can be found at the back part.
Kenmore gas stoves:
If you have a new model of Kenmore gas stove, then you will not find a pilot light on it. An electrical ignition light will be found instead.
However, you will be able to find the pilot light by removing the top part of the gas stove in an old model of Kenmore gas stove.
How much gas does a stove pilot light use?
The gas usage of a stove pilot light is measured with the help of BTU (British Thermal Unit). It is believed by appliance experts that a pilot light uses approximately six hundred BTU of gas per hour.
It is a lot of gas wasted if you combined the usage on a monthly bases. So some people prefer turning the pilot light off when they are not using the gas stove.
Final Thoughts
Old versions of gas stoves and ovens used to have a pilot light in them as a key feature. But the pilot light has been replaced by the electrical ignition light in new versions of gas stoves and ovens. The electrical ignition light is also more energy efficient than the pilot light.