How do i light a pilot on a gas fireplace. This is a fireplace a in new house that works from a light switch .?
This fireplace has a self-igniting button the house is 3 years old and the fireplace has not been used at all.
How do i purge the aie out of the line?
6 Responses
Ben O
11 Mar 2010
R J
11 Mar 2010
First you need to find the gas valve for the fireplace burners and turn the knob to the OFF position. Wait 5 minutes. Open a window or a door for a minute or two to allow any unburned gas to dissipate. Turn the knob on the gas valve so the PILOT aligns with the arrow indicator. Hold a lighter next to the pilot assemble and press and hold down the knob. After you count to 30, you should be able to let up on the knob and the pilot assembly will have a flame. If the pilot did not stay lit when you let up on the knob, try one more time and hold for a 60 count. (Sometimes the thermocouple, or milli-volt generator, gets real cold and needs to warm up.) When the flame is stable and you have released the knob, turn the knob to the ON position at the indicator arrow. The fireplace is now ready to use. Enjoy the romantic atmosphere.
If the pilot assembly does not have gas coming out when you press the knob down in the PILOT position, the pilot tube is probably clogged with a cobweb. This is common when a pilot light is left off for a period of time. (Spiders like to crawl in there where it is dark and warm and build a little nest.) The tube will need to be removed and cleaned.
Although pilot lights are safe, I changed my gas fireplace pilot to self-igniting to save gas. I did have to run electricity near the valve for the controller, but now gas is only flowing when I want it to.
gizmoe
11 Mar 2010
If the fireplace is within a year old call the installer to come out and go over the basics with you.
I suspect that the light switch is taking the place of the thermostat. Once the pilot is lit and the control knob is in the on position the switch should turn the main flame on or off.
Most all have instructions on a metal tag in the bottom part of the fireplace.
Not all fireplaces are the same so yours could be fully automatic.
If the gas control has a knob to turn from off to pilot to on then you must manually light the pilot.
Make sure any other gas shutoff is on. If it has not been lit or bled of any air it may take quite a while to purge the air out before gas is available to be lit.
The Might Riz
11 Mar 2010
There is a place behind the fake logs and you turn the dial to lite and hold it in while lighting it. hold it in for about a minute and when you let it go ad turn the knob back to the proper position it should stay lite. You can call the gas company and they will light it for free or even the building repairman and don’t forget to tip him.
Dave
11 Mar 2010
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Peter W
11 Mar 2010
Most of the newer systems have intermittent pilots (no standing pilot). Do you have the manual for it?
Based on your additional information, the simplest method of purging the line is to use a propane torch on the intermittent pilot thermocouple. That will allow the main gas-valve to open by fooling it into believing that the pilot is lit, and purge any air through the burners – a whole bunch safer than attempting to open the line itself or similar.
Hold the torch on the thermocouple until the fireplace is burning fully and properly.
Don’t know about your fireplace, but most gas appliances have inbuilt safety features and the starting sequence tends to be:
1. Turn off main jet.
2. Hold down a button (or lever or something) to get the pilot gas going
3. Make a spark somehow (usually press a second button)
4. Keep hold of the first button until the pilot warms up and stays on by itself.
5. Once the pilot light is lit, you can turn on the main jet.
I expect it’s a matter of finding these controls on your appliance.