Natural gas is a very useful substance, and in many homes, it powers several different appliances. However, there is an inherent danger with having gas in your home. Gas explosions can be very damaging, and in some cases lethal. As with most things, older appliances have more risk-factors than newer ones do. For example, many old appliances use a pilot light for igniting the gas. A pilot light is a small flame that constantly burns, being fed by a small amount of gas released from the gas line. Usually, there will be safeguards in place to turn of the gas if the light was to go out, but these are not 100% reliable.
If the gas keeps running after the light goes out, you could risk a gas explosion when trying to relight the pilot light. Since natural gas has additives to make them smell like rotten eggs, you should be able to smell when there is gas leaking out, but to be on the safe side, make sure you ventilate the room well before trying to light the pilot again.
Besides the safety risks, you will be wasting gas by having a pilot light constantly burning. It might not seem like much, but it adds up over time.
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