Fireplaces, Heating Stoves, Flues and Chimneys - Gas fireplace not lighting
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pktiwary
10-19-09, 10:00 AM
Hi all, I am a new member to this group and am having trouble with my gas fireplace.
The fireplace was working fine till last winter and as the temperature is getting down I wanted to get some heat from it. This is a wall-switch based gas fireplace by a brand called Superier. When I switched on the fireplace, it did not light up, tried switching on/off many times but no luck. Then I looked on internet and found that it could be that the pilot is out because the fireplace was switched off for 6 months. I did all the steps mentioned on websites to light the pilot. I set the knob to pilot and then pressing it I started the igniter. After couple of tries I saw the blue flame. I kept the knob pressed for ~30 seconds and as soon as I released it the light went out. I tried again this time a minute or so but still the light goes out as soon as the knob is released. I tried this many times but no luck. Any suggestion/help is appreciated. Thanks
The fireplace was working fine till last winter and as the temperature is getting down I wanted to get some heat from it. This is a wall-switch based gas fireplace by a brand called Superier. When I switched on the fireplace, it did not light up, tried switching on/off many times but no luck. Then I looked on internet and found that it could be that the pilot is out because the fireplace was switched off for 6 months. I did all the steps mentioned on websites to light the pilot. I set the knob to pilot and then pressing it I started the igniter. After couple of tries I saw the blue flame. I kept the knob pressed for ~30 seconds and as soon as I released it the light went out. I tried again this time a minute or so but still the light goes out as soon as the knob is released. I tried this many times but no luck. Any suggestion/help is appreciated. Thanks
pktiwary
10-20-09, 11:38 AM
I really need some help with this. I don't want to spend $175 for a non-issue. Any experts???
aandpdan
10-20-09, 11:51 AM
Try lighting it again and hold the knob on longer, maybe up to 2 minutes to warm up the thermocouple. If it still won't stay lit the thermocouple may have failed and need replacement.
You can also check to be sure the thermocouple has not been bent out of the way of the pilot.
You can also check to be sure the thermocouple has not been bent out of the way of the pilot.
logdoc_rob
10-21-09, 05:52 AM
It could be many things from the pilot clogged to a bad thermocouple to a bad control valve to a loose thermocouple connection.
What color is the pilot, is it blue and horizontal, or does it have yellow tips that turn upwards?
It should not take 2 minutes to light the pilot, if it does, there are other issues that need addressing. Pilots usually do not just bend themselves, unless someone bends it which can render the safety systems useless.
What color is the pilot, is it blue and horizontal, or does it have yellow tips that turn upwards?
It should not take 2 minutes to light the pilot, if it does, there are other issues that need addressing. Pilots usually do not just bend themselves, unless someone bends it which can render the safety systems useless.
pktiwary
10-21-09, 08:22 AM
Thanks very much everyone for the response. Now that you mentioned, the pilot is not actually horizontal, its in fact almost vertical and I will check if there is a yellow top but most of it was blue.
I will try again by pressing the knob for 2 minutes and see if this fixes the problem.
I will try again by pressing the knob for 2 minutes and see if this fixes the problem.
logdoc_rob
10-22-09, 04:03 AM
The pilot assembly is probably obstructed. Disassemble the pilot assembly and clean the pilot orfice with a wire brush and blow it out with compressed air, you should be alright.
pktiwary
10-25-09, 10:25 AM
Many thanks to logdoc_rob and everyone else to help me out with this. I took a flashlight and found the tiny hole inside the pilot assembly. Took a long enough pin (I used a straightened steel paper clip) and just inserted it there a couple of times and tried to start it using the pilot and it worked. This sure saved me some money. Thanks again logdoc_rob.
logdoc_rob
10-25-09, 02:09 PM
I'm glad that it worked out for you.
One should never insert anything into the pilot assembly to unclog it. You may damage it. The proper way would be to disassemble the pilot assembly and blow compressed air thru it from the back side.
I had a customer that his fireplace would not work and when I finally got it running it had a 6" PILOT FLAME !!!! I asked if he had "poked" around in there with anything and he said he may have. His poking around cost him an additional $95!!
One should never insert anything into the pilot assembly to unclog it. You may damage it. The proper way would be to disassemble the pilot assembly and blow compressed air thru it from the back side.
I had a customer that his fireplace would not work and when I finally got it running it had a 6" PILOT FLAME !!!! I asked if he had "poked" around in there with anything and he said he may have. His poking around cost him an additional $95!!