# My oven's hot when it's not on -a problem? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 24, 2010, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-ovens-hot-when-its-not-on-a-problem/551332 "2010-08-24T21:03:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2010, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-ovens-hot-when-its-not-on-a-problem/551332/21 "2010-08-25T16:35:08Z")
often the local shutoff valve is behind the stove, using the shut off valve is a problem for ease of use. you could add a second shut off valve within easy reach if you wanted to do this. also you would need to also light the 3 pilots lights every time to not have hazardous gas flow into the room. if the shutoff valve is overused it could fail which is an expense and a potential hazard. though you should have a whole house shut off valve for safety. shutting off a seasonal appliance with its local shut off valve is a good thing. ---
**Author:** ![Sinisterniik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/51bf81/32.png) [@Sinisterniik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sinisterniik)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2010, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-ovens-hot-when-its-not-on-a-problem/551332/22 "2010-08-25T17:51:01Z")
> [@Una\_Persson](#): > > There is a wide range of estimates of pilot light power use. > > Here I see 7.3 therms/year I’m assuming a fireplace pilot is about the same as an oven pilot, but perhaps not): [http://homeenergy.org/archive/hem.dis.anl.gov/eehem/97/970103.html](http://homeenergy.org/archive/hem.dis.anl.gov/eehem/97/970103.html) > > Here I see 17 therms/year: [http://www.energytechpro.com/Demo-RES/Appliances/Appliance\_Energy\_Use.htm](http://www.energytechpro.com/Demo-RES/Appliances/Appliance_Energy_Use.htm) > > This page gives, if you work the script, 2.6 therms/month, or 30.6 therms/year: [http://www.gasgeorgia.com/knowledge/gas-calculator.html](http://www.gasgeorgia.com/knowledge/gas-calculator.html) > > Assuming a cost of gas of about 80 cents per therm, then you have a range of $5.84 to $24.58 per year. > > Browsing some DIY forums I found a few folks who claimed ranges from 12 to 80 therms per year. I have to wonder how they were determining that in most cases, however. Wow -thanks for those numbers! I feel flattered that my question attracted the all-powerful Una! 😉 > [@johnpost](#): > > often the local shutoff valve is behind the stove, using the shut off valve is a problem for ease of use. you could add a second shut off valve within easy reach if you wanted to do this. > > also you would need to also light the 3 pilots lights every time to not have hazardous gas flow into the room. > > if the shutoff valve is overused it could fail which is an expense and a potential hazard. though you should have a whole house shut off valve for safety. shutting off a seasonal appliance with its local shut off valve is a good thing. Good to know. I’ll keep that in mind if I take a long trip someplace. For now, though, I think I’ll just leave the pilot lights on. Two bucks a month is worth it to save me the hassle of reigniting, seeing as how much I like to cook. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2010, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-ovens-hot-when-its-not-on-a-problem/551332/23 "2010-08-25T22:27:20Z")
If the pilot lights for the burners can make specific spots inside the oven hot, it would seem that the stove is lacking sufficient insulation around the oven. So this stove would be less efficient when using the oven – lots of heat would escape into the stove and the room – and so would be more expensive to use. But then, the appliances provided in rental apartments are not generally of high quality. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-ovens-hot-when-its-not-on-a-problem/551332/24 "2010-08-26T03:41:03Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > If the pilot lights for the burners can make specific spots inside the oven hot, it would seem that the stove is lacking sufficient insulation around the oven. So this stove would be less efficient when using the oven – lots of heat would escape into the stove and the room – and so would be more expensive to use. > > But then, the appliances provided in rental apartments are not generally of high quality. I think the title was supposed to mean that the _stove_ is hot when it’s not in use. ---
**Author:** ![Sinisterniik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/51bf81/32.png) [@Sinisterniik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sinisterniik)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-ovens-hot-when-its-not-on-a-problem/551332/25 "2010-08-26T04:16:35Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > I think the title was supposed to mean that the _stove_ is hot when it’s not in use. Yeah -my mistake. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-ovens-hot-when-its-not-on-a-problem/551332/26 "2010-08-26T04:22:28Z")
> [@Sinisterniik](#): > > > [@Joey\_P](#): > > > > I think the title was supposed to mean that the _stove_ is hot when it’s not in use. > > Yeah -my mistake. I always do that too. I have a mnemonic device I use to remember. When I was little I saw a commercial for Stove-Top Stuffing. As they said “stove top” they showed a picture of someone stirring the stuffing in a pan…on a stove. To this day, I quickly think if it’s stove-top or oven-top stuffing before I speak. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-ovens-hot-when-its-not-on-a-problem/551332.md?page=1)