How to Start a Pilot Gas Fireplace?
A pilot gas fireplace is an easy way to enjoy the warmth and beauty of a wood-burning or gas-burning fire in your home without using large amounts of natural gas. To start a pilot fireplace, you need to remove the outer cover from the fire chamber and turn on the gas supply valve.
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Depending on the type of fireplace you have, it may have an electronic ignition or a control knob with dials and an ignition button. If you have an electronic ignition system, you can simply flip the switch on the wall or use a remote to ignite your gas fireplace.
If your fireplace has a control knob with dials and an igniter, you will need to locate the dial for the gas controls. This will be the knob containing the words “On”, “Off”, and “Pilot”.
Once you’ve located the gas control knob, look around to see if you can find a red or black ignitor button. This is a piezoelectric spark igniter that will create a spark at the end of the pilot tube to light the flame.
Press the button several times to verify that the ignitor does in fact create a spark. Once the spark is visible, immediately light the pilot by depressing and holding the ignitor knob all the way in for about one minute until the pilot flame comes on.
Then, release the ignitor knob and the pilot should stay lit. If it doesn’t, return to the steps above and try again until the flame comes on.
Some fireplaces have a pilot assembly that includes a termination hood and a thermocouple to make sure the pilot flame stays on once you release the ignitor knob. If you can’t light the pilot, the hood is probably blocked by air or debris, so be sure to clear it as soon as possible.
You can use a butane lighter or a match to relight the pilot flame if it goes out while you are depressing the control knob. This will warm the thermocouple up and allow it to register that the pilot is back on again.
Once the flame is lit, you should hold down the control knob for at least 30 seconds to give the thermocouple a chance to warm up and register that it’s working properly again. If the pilot flame doesn’t remain lit after this time, you might have a defective thermocouple or an obstruction in the gas line that needs to be cleared away.
If your gas line is clogged, you can clean it out by sucking out all the dirt and debris. A vacuum cleaner is ideal for this job, but you can also use a can of compressed air to dislodge the debris.
When you are done cleaning out the pipes, you should be able to start your gas fireplace again. However, if it doesn’t work after you clean out the pipelines, you may need to have the lines replaced.
There are a few different things that can cause the pilot to go out, but the most common causes include exhausting your gas supply or closing off the gas valve. If you think the pilot is going out because of one of these issues, it’s important to call a professional gas plumber near you to get it fixed.