[SOLVED] gas fireplace won't start-up - pilot is lit

[Steve F.]

I would. Should be above 300 *at* the thermostat. Replacement is the cheapest, quick fix/test option. Hopefully the gas valve is not on its way out, either.

[greg]

Do you have a specific model or brand you recommend?

[ahenkle775]

I'm dealing with a similar problem. Bought the house this summer, and got t he pilot light lit when fall came. Flipped on the wall switch, took a minut e or two and then fired up. Try to turn the wall switch on other days, wait several minutes, nothing happens. Turn off the gas, relight the pilot ligh t, flip the wall switch on and again it fires up after a minute or two. The n I still have the same problem on other days where it won't fire. After re ading these posts, I had seen a little box under the fireplace so I pulled that out, it's a remote start which seems to work fine. Turns on turns off no problem. So I turned it on with the remote, flipped on the wall switch, turned off the remote and it stayed lit. Assuming there's a problem with th e wiring in the wall switch? Any thoughts would be appreciated.

[hrhofmann]

Try bypassing the wall switch with a clip lead or by shorting out/connecting the two terminals at the switch. Spiders have been known to live inside switches, especially if they were idle for 2+ years.

[BobinMass]

Gas fire places are really simple. Usually with a wall switch there is a short. Find the two wires going to the switch and cut them and connect them. It's only 750 millivolts at best, so you are not going to electrocute yourself! If that doesn't work, it's either the thermocoupler or the oxygen thingie on the back/ I know that is not very technical, but there is an oxygen sensor that makes sure you don't die of carbon monoxide poison. Go to to Home Depot, Lowes, or Staples and get a can of air. Find the hole and clean it out. I had a neighbor who hadn't used his fireplace in a coupla years and he told me I saved him $75 with a ten cent blast of air. Dust and soot get in there. Hope that helps!

[dw1z289]

I jumped the terminals but as soon as I removed the paper lip the gas goes out?

[Tony Hwang]

Main valve is closing then when you remove jumper.(does not stay open) You have thermostat on that FP?

[dw1z289]

No thermostat no wall control just the pilot button and thermo on the right side and the on off bad adjust for flames on the left side.

[Tony Hwang]

I had that problem on one of my FP. I traced the wires and there was a poor crimping job on one feeding the 24V AC power to maan valve solenoid. I have two wall switches for the FP, one for on/off, one for fan on/off(I leave it on always). Fan is controlled by thermo. switch mounted on the fire box wall usually.

[Stormin Mormon]

How would any of us know? We're not there to see. YOU are the only one who knows for sure.

[billyfutch]

On Wednesday, December 24, 2008 at 7:34:23 PM UTC-5, [e-mail] wrote :

If your pilot light is lit, but you can't get the logs to light it may be y our micro switch. My switch was located near my igniter button. Just put yo ur gas log switch (light switch) in the on position. Take the two wires off the micro switch and touch them together. If the gas logs light you have f ound your problem! Don't worry, touching the wires together will not give y ou a shock.

[billyfutch]

On Wednesday, December 24, 2008 at 7:34:23 PM UTC-5, [e-mail] wrote :

If your pilot light is lit, but you can't get the logs to light it may be y our micro switch. My switch was located near my igniter button. Just put yo ur gas log switch (light switch) in the on position. Take the two wires off the micro switch and touch them together. If the gas logs light you have f ound your problem! Don't worry, touching the wires together will not give y ou a shock.

[Stormin Mormon]

Your newbie error is posting in 2008, and getting answer in 2016.

[mike]

I'd check for a plugged orifice. Or stuck solenoid, or whatever turns on the gas.

[BP]

I'm having a similar problem. Asking the forum for help with my Heatilator natural gas fireplace. I went to start it up this year and I could get the pilot lite but when I went to turn on the main wall switch, nothing with the main burner. I went through all the trouble shooting and the thermopile/pilot was borderline so I replaced the complete assembly. The numbers are much better now but still the main burner won't trip on when I flipped the switch. I also tried shorting the wires together thinking the switch was bad but nothing. What voltage should the wall switch have at it? I'm not sure what voltage the valve operates off of and Heatilator support is no help.

Thoughts?

BP

[clare]

Is it a millivolt system, or is there power involved?

I'm thinking control problems.

[Tekkie®]

Uncle Monster posted for all of us...

You didn't want to get reamed out.

[Charles Bishop]

This is happening in two other groups that I know of. Theory is that it's to do with Google Groups and people accessing it from mobile devices.

[RodCarewPDX]

replying to John Galbreath Jr., RodCarewPDX wrote: I had the same issue when getting my pilot lit after being off for the past Spring+Summer. John, thank you for the troubleshooting tip. It worked great and I was able to find a short at the switch, cut back the wire and re-attach a clean connections.

[Chris f.]

replying to funkdys, Chris f. wrote: If you have an "automatic pilot system" meaning when you flip the switch the pilot light comes on, unlike a standing pilot light which is always on. Now you flip the switch the pilot light comes on but then nothing happens. You wait and wait and the fire does not come on??? OK, remove the bottom access panel, with a flashlight look inside. Find the battery pack that should be laying next to the modules. Replace the batteries, clean the contacts if necessary. Solved our problem, hopefully yours too, such an easy fix