Gas fireplace repair for Kingswood Manor homes

Control module fault codes and lights

Electronic controls on the models we have read report their own faults with a light and sometimes a beep. Heat & Glo's IntelliFire Touch module, for example, blinks a red and green code with a beep when it locks out.

Each maker prints its own chart, so a code is read only against the chart for that exact control. A code also narrows the fault without finishing the job, since a spark fail still needs the wire, electrode and module checked.

Our technician notes the code at your Kingswood Manor home, confirms the cause behind it and lists that cause on the estimate. One maker's command center flashes its LED in a different pattern for faults such as these.

• Spark fail
• No sensor signal
• Pilot lockout after a failed trial or a lost flame
• Low battery or low thermopile power

The air shutter and a sooty flame

The air shutter lets a measured amount of air mix with the gas before it burns. According to one insert installation manual, the shutter is set at the factory for the minimum vertical vent run, may be adjusted for longer runs and should be opened to give more air if sooting occurs.

That manual gives a table of settings by model and gas, and the owner manual's service list asks the technician to confirm the setting and check that the shutter is clear of dust and debris. A shutter that has been moved or clogged changes the flame even when every other part is sound.

It is a technician setting, made at installation and checked on service, not an owner adjustment. We compare the shutter on your Kingswood Manor fireplace with the manual's setting for its vent layout, correct it where the manual allows and list any soot damage it has already caused on the estimate.

Controls with no power at all

An electronic ignition fireplace that shows no sign of life, no click, no beep and no spark, points to power before gas. The troubleshooting table for one electronic system starts with AC power at the junction box, the adapter that feeds the module and the position of the module's selector switch. Its installation manual also calls for a reset switch on the surround that must be installed and on for the appliance to operate.

The same manual sets two wiring rules. The power cord of that ignition system must not be wired to a switched circuit, because that overrides the safety lockout, and where the fireplace sits in a bathroom or near a sink, the circuit needs ground-fault protection under the electrical codes. Our technician works along the path below and prices the part that failed.

• The breaker and the outlet the cord plugs into
• The reset switch on the surround
• The adapter between the cord and the module
• Backup batteries, where the system uses them

The venting system gets its own yearly check

The flame gets most of the attention, but the vent carries the exhaust out of the house. One maker's direct vent and natural vent manuals both say the fireplace and venting system should be inspected before first use and at least annually by a qualified service person, and that the entire venting system should be inspected to confirm it works properly.

The seasonal venting checks in an insert owner's manual go beyond the cap. They include corrosion or separation, the seals where the vent passes through the building, a draft shield that is damaged or missing, and a screw that holds the vent collar's slide plate.

During service, our technician looks at the vent parts that can be reached at the appliance and at the cap from the ground. Anything that needs work is listed separately on the estimate as venting work for your Kingswood Manor home, so the burner service and the vent work stay distinct.