There are two main issues with a pilot light burning yellow. One is to generate electricity; Millivolts that close and open your gas valve. Clicking the igniter also works. The diagnosis of the gas valve can be done visually. Gas heaters, whether they warm up air or water in a home, rely on a pilot light to trigger the flame of the actual heater. The best way to determine if you have this type of gas fireplace is to look at the control knob of the fireplace. If you ever smell gas in the area of a gas fireplace or other gas burning heating appliance, check first to see if the pilot light has been accidentally blown out. Pilot Light: Pilot lights ignite the gas as it is delivered to the fireplace unit. If the flame goes out repeatedly, it may be … Probably. ... My gas fireplace pilot lights when following the procedure in the instruction label. I turned the switch off, then back on, it comes back on, and then goes out all by itself after another minute or so. A strong draft can blow out the pilot light. Pilot lights can be found on furnaces, water heaters, fireplaces, ranges, ovens and other appliances. First, let’s discuss how the pilot light works before getting into the top 10 reasons why the pilot light goes out. How to Light Your Pilot. I have a gas fire place (“faux place”) that runs really well for about 10 minutes after I turn it on, but then it goes out (licking flames stop and just the pilot remains on). eventually we were able to get the gas flowing and got the pilot to light. I've got a 1 year old Jotul GF 100 gas stove with a direct vent and high-wind vent cap. A pilot flame is lit with a manual push button spark ignitor or a handheld lighter while pushing down A pilot light that doesn’t glow blue is also a problem, as this means it is not getting hot enough. (it took quite a while). Nine times out of ten, the pilot orifice just needs cleaning. To solve this problem, the pilot light tube has a valve that cuts the gas to the pilot light in the event that it ever blows out. If the pilot light on your gas fireplace won’t stay lit, a very likely culprit is a component called a thermocouple. A correctly adjusted pilot flame is steady and blue, and stands between 1/4 and 1/2 inch high. If the pilot light flame were to ever blow out, the gas would keep coming out of the pilot light tube. Can't not get burner to light. After holiding tahe control in for 60 seconds, the pilot light stays lite just fine. Get out of the house, leaving the door open, and call the gas company or the fire department immediately to report a leak. (Some valves have a separate button.) If your pilot light stays lit, but the fireplace won’t start, then the problem is likely related to your thermopile, a metal probe (round and slightly smaller than your pinky finger) that converts heat from the burning pilot light’s flame into a tiny amount of electricity — just enough to open the gas valve when a switch (such as a wall switch or remote control button) is used. Pilot Light Failure. However when we light the burners we have trouble. From what you're describing, it sounds like the flame is fuel-starved. The owner's manual provides information for adjusting the flame. If these are new fireplaces, and you don't smell gas… Amazingly, stomping once or twice on the floor in front of the mantle like the Fonz usually fixes the outage because after a quick “Whoa, hey” stomp it turns back on. This can mean a buildup of gas, and when the pilot is relit or relights itself it could result in a very serious explosion. The pilot light may accidentally go out from a gush of chimney air when the fireplace is vented through a chimney or the pilot may be turned off to conserve gas during the warmer months of non-use. How to turn off your pilot light on a gas fireplace . Since you have a pilot light, you will definitely have a thermocouple as well - since the pilot runs on a very low flow of gas, the thermocouple is supposed to prevent the gas from flooding the room if the pilot goes out. Sometimes pilot lights go out because the flame is set too low. Gas Heater Pilot Light Troubleshooting.

I have a natural gas fireplace, the pilot goes out all the time, it's been like that for 10 years, so far so good.

astrophysicsmom February 7, 2008, 9:51pm #6

When the pilot light goes out on our gas fireplace (real windy days kill it), the gas then shuts off. Pilot Lights. If the flame lights and goes out when you release the gas control knob after holding it in for the recommended 20 to 30 seconds, that's the sign of a thermocouple malfunction. Don't worry, Heat & Glo provides helpful step-by step directions for relighting your pilot light. If the pilot light goes out, you can relight it after the gas is shut off using a match or the unit's electronic ignitor if it has one, following the proper safety precautions. Can a Pilot Light Outage Be Dangerous? Often times a pilot light won’t turn on, resulting in absolutely zero flames happening in your fireplace. A draft from the chimney can blow it out, or a problem with the pilot light may cause it to turn off. Almost all gas appliances using a pilot light for ignition have a combination valve which turns to three positions: OFF, Pilot, and ON. The pilot light on your gas fireplace is out and you can't get it going again. When relighting it, make sure that you follow the manufacturer’s instructions carefully. A thermocouple is a safety device and is a component of the ignition system. The way to relight a pilot light on a gas-burning fireplace depends on whether it has an electronic pilot light or a flame-lit pilot. The pilot light was still burning, so gas was still getting to the unit. If you can't get the flame to light at all, and you're sure the gas is on, there's probably an obstruction in the pilot tube. To prevent it from happening again, make sure the vent cap is secure. We turned the gas lines back on and bled out all the air. However, this is much less of a scare in modern days. When a pilot light goes out on a gas fireplace, there is cause for concern if the gas flow hasn’t been interrupted. Repair or replace it if necessary. The function of a pilot light . Call a service technician to repair these problems. If your gas fireplace has an energy-saving, alternating pilot ignition system, it will need electricity to trigger the pilot flame every time the fireplace is used. And the second is to ignite the gas once the valve is opened. My Fireplace Pilot Light Won’t Stay Lit. The gas valve is usually the last option when troubleshooting why your gas fireplace won’t stay lit. Has the pilot light on your Heat & Glo fireplace gone out? Set it to Pilot, and with a match near the pilot flame tube, push on the knob. Gas fireplace with the pilot always on, has a hole with key in it on the floor right next to fireplace (based on prior answers thats for gas supply), a ‘light’ switch across the room that when flipped on basically turns the flames on and entire fireplace lights up, then a knob next to the light switch that when turned clockwise increase the size of flame, and vice versa. Other problems like low gas pressure, a loose or faulty thermocouple or a gas control valve that's not working right can also cause the pilot light to keep going out. Turning off your gas fireplace’s pilot light can save a substantial amount of energy and money. Please dont forget to check below the fireplace firva shut off valve or even in the ceiling if it has a drio ceiling. Having your fireplace serviced each year, taking proper precautions if your pilot light does go out, and knowing how to relight it when necessary, will help keep you and your family safe. The stove vents towards the ocean and I am up on a hill where we can get some strong swirling winds. One of the biggest problems associated with gas fireplaces is related to the pilot light. It is a rare case to get a malfunctioning gas valve but we cannot completely rule out its possibility. The pilot flame should light. Many models have a battery backup that can be used to light the pilot during a power outage. It is important to remember that not all gas fireplaces have “standing” pilot light, or, a pilot light that is “always on”. the pilot stays on just fine. Mendota Gas Fireplace pilot light goes out We have a newly installed Mendota, there is a high wind cap on the chimney. On my fireplace, the pilot light but goes out when switch is turned on. There are two crucial functions of a pilot light. Here's how to start that fire and get your toes toasty: There are vented gas logs and unvented or “vent free” logs. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to relight the pilot. Its purpose is to not allow the gas valve to open if the pilot light isn’t lit. If the gas fireplace still refuses to light or stay lit, the wiring or thermopile may be damaged. If you have a propane fireplace, the pilot light should be on all of the time.However, there are many things that can cause the pilot light to go out. Pilot lights can be blown out by an interrupted flow of gas or from a strong draft. We recommend that you use experts when you detect that the gas valve is the problem. If this gas were to collect inside your house and then ignite, it would create an explosion. This happens because yellow flames do not burn as hot as blue flames. When it does get windy, which is fairly often, the pilot light will blow out. After burning the fireplace for several hours, the whole thing goes out... pilot light, fire, everything. The worry here is that when a pilot goes out, the gas valve that supplies the fuel for the pilot flame could still be pumping gas. Ok the pilot does let out a minimal amount of gas and if you cant turn anything to the off position and dont smell anything its probably going up the chimmeny. The first issue is that the pilot light will frequently go out and need to be relit. They turn off the gas lines during the summer so that the line runs to the pool heater. 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