Embarrassing question about how to light a built-in propane fireplace

[Jim]

The kids asked me to light the fake fireplace but I don't seem to have gas coming out. Is there normally a second shutoff that I don't know about?

Some details: About a year ago we switched propane companies and we paid about $120 for the required inspection and my wife tells me he lit the fireplaces and all worked well.

Nothing has changed since, and we heat the house, water, and kitchen range with propane so the 500 gallon tank is definitely full enough to work.

To the left of the fireplace is a "key" which I've turned - but I'm not quite sure how to tell if the gas is open.

Also there is a starter - but it doesn't seem to work. The starter doesn't bother me so much as I have those long lighters but what gets me is that I don't smell gas (which I easily smell from the kitchen stove).

Is there perhaps a second shutoff that I don't know about (none of the fireplaces seem to have gas so that's why I ask)?

[Tony Hwang]

Hi, Gas FP usually has pilot light burning all the time. If you know how to light the jot water tank, it is same thing to light the FP. I just leave pilot all tje time. Real old gas FP just have a key to turn on the gas, then you light it up with a match stick after flue damper is open.

Do you have electrical wire involved with your FP? Then there would be Piezo lighter or pilot light burner and gas valve some where may be underneath the FP.

[abe]

[Smitty Two]

I dunno how yours works, but I'd be figuring it out in advance of fiddling with it after my experience in a vacation rental. Damn near blew my face off with a gas fireplace that I didn't know how to light. Thought I'd figure it out as I went along, but by the time I did, the gas had been coming out for quite a while, and I neither heard nor smelled it.

[hrhofmann]

Do you know if the Key is really for the gas, or could it be opening a damper in the chimney flue? Have you contacted whomever did the inspection and "lit the fireplaces" ?

[Attila Iskander]

Easy solution Put a candle close enough to the burner to light it when the gas starts coming out The start fiddling around to figure out how to turn it on

[Jim]

That's actually the problem.

The gas doesn't start coming out.

When I turn the square key and the on/off switch, I still smell nothing (whereas, at the stove, I can smell the stink they put in the propane for that purpose).

I think there may be a third switch, in addition to the key (which, as noted, might be for a damper and not for the gas - but my wife tells me the inspection guy said it was for the gas - but she never gets anything right so I'm not sure myself. I wish I had been there as we wasted the money for the inspection if we didn't learn from the guy.)

[TomR]

My guess is that the gas won't come out without the pilot light being lit -- a safety feature -- so you won't smell gas.

Check out these YouTube videos and see if that helps:

[David L. Martel]

Jim,

Outside of the fireplace I see a key-like thing which may be a valve. It's on the left in your picture. I think you refer to this. Inside your fireplace, when I blow up your picture, I see some plumbing, I think, coming from the left. Just under the left end of your gas logs, I see another valve. I could be wrong because I've blown it up a lot. I see a black rectangle with a lighter colored circle. It's next to the grate and under the log. I even see writing next to this "knob". Please move the socks.

Dave M.

[Jim]

You are correct in what you see (although I'm not sure the purpose of the key-like thing).

Here are four full-sized pictures in an album:

[Jim]

Here are the pictures you seek!

[Attila Iskander]

And that's is why I added the NEXT line "The start fiddling around to figure out how to turn it on" while you work your way back along the gas line.

[Attila Iskander]

Looks the the key on the left of the fireplace is the master valve

You then need to light a pilot light following the instructions on the black button in the picture on the right

First thing to do is figure out which position of the master valve (left of the fireplace is on, which is off) You can do this by turning it to one position, and then try to light the pilot If that does not work, turn the master to the other position and try again

[hrhofmann]

From the pix, the key is for the main gas line, then you still have to lighht a pilot light at the fireplace itself and hold something down until the thermocouple detects the lit pilot light and then opens the main gas valve. Have you ever lit the pilot light on a gas hot water heater? Should be equally hard or easy, depending on how youl look at the process.

[David L. Martel]

Have you tried turning the key-like thing with the pilot light turned on? This thing needs electricity. Is it turned on at the fusebox?

Your pictures lead me to this page.

As you can see they are out of business but there is still e-mail help.

I looked at the Lennox manuals and suspect that they will help you. Do you have a remote control? Have you removed the grayish cover from under the firegrate? Keep trying. Don't burn the house down. It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

Dave M.

[Trevor James]

No doubt it would've been an improvement.

[Jim]

Hello Dave, I didn't know it works on electricity. I looked for a remote and for batteries and I see neither. I don't even see electrical wires. I checked all the fuseboxes in the house and none are tripped. I did send an email to the Marco people. Thanks for finding that site.

[DerbyDad03]

You didn't waste the inspection money just because you didn't learn how to operate your fireplace.

While an inspection certainly can be a learning experience, that's not the primary purpose. The primary purpose is to make sure your equipment won't kill you or your family once you get it operating.

You referred to the inspection as "required". Operator training wasn't the reason it was required. Safety was.

[David L. Martel]

It may not have a remote.

You have a picture of the pilotlight box. It's the box that's inside the fireplace. I think I see wires there. I also think I see the igniter. To the right of the pilot light valve there appears to be a black push button. It's very close to the pilotlight valve. Let's try pushing that button. Did you get a spark? When you press (firmly) the pilotlight valve do you hear gas? If not go to the key-like thing that's outside of the fireplace. Turn it, then repeat pressing the pilotlight valve. Hear gas now? Ok, push the igniter button. Repeat until the pilotlight lights. Keep holding the pilotlight valve in for about 30 secs. then rotate the valve to the On position. You can stop pushing on the valve. It should run now. Remember to turn both valves off when you are done playing.

Dave M

That's good. Electricians usually label the circuit breakers and fuses. Does one say fireplace?

If you gave them your model number they may have a PDF of your manual. I hope they send you that since you sound lost.

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[Smitty Two]

Au contraire, with my staggering good looks, the world would have suffered a terrible loss.