Propane and natural gas fireplace repair in Robinswood

A spark igniter that clicks without lighting

The click tells you the igniter button works. It does not prove a spark is reaching the pilot, or that gas is there to catch it.

The standing pilot charts we have read give four causes, and two of them are not igniter faults at all. Gas has to reach the pilot before any spark can light it, and those supply causes are sent to a plumber or the gas supplier. A spark that jumps somewhere other than the pilot belongs to the igniter check.

We find which cause applies before quoting a pilot assembly, and a supply problem goes on the estimate as a referral rather than a part. The four are checked in this order.

• A spark wire that has come off the igniter
• A faulty igniter with no spark at the electrode
• A closed shutoff or low gas pressure
• An empty propane tank

No extra decor, media or accessories in the firebox

It is tempting to dress up a gas fireplace with extra stones, glass pieces or ornaments. One installation manual allows only accessories its maker approves, warning that unapproved components could make the fireplace overheat and that non-listed accessories void the warranty.

One direct vent manual warns that lava rock or ember chunks scattered on top of the burner may cause sooting, glass breakage and a fire hazard. Anything added can also cover ports or sit in the path the pilot flame uses to light the burner.

We take out anything that is not part of the maker's set and explain why, and approved media or log options for your model can be priced on the estimate. Items like these come out.

• Decorative stones or glass not supplied for the model
• Extra ember chunks on top of the burner
• Ornaments or seasonal decor set on the logs

Gas log sets in a wood-burning fireplace

A gas log set sits in a fireplace that was built to burn wood, and Florida's fuel gas code treats it as a decorative appliance. It is listed to ANSI Z21.60 and installed by the maker's instructions. Apart from manually lighted natural gas sets listed to ANSI Z21.84, a set must light its main burner with a pilot, an ignitor or a direct ignition device and carry a flame safeguard that cuts the gas if ignition fails.

That makes a log set repair a matter of the set's own burner, pilot and safeguard, checked against its maker's manual and label much like any vented gas fireplace. The code allows these sets only in approved solid fuel-burning fireplaces, so the fireplace around the set is part of the picture too.

Existing log sets are repaired here, starting with the label, the ignition type and the safeguard. If a set is beyond repair or you want a new one, that work goes to our gas log installation service and appears as a separate option on your estimate.

The gasket that seals the glass to the firebox

On a direct vent fireplace the glass front is part of a sealed system. Manufacturer instructions for one direct vent line warn that combustion leakage can occur if the glass door is not properly seated and sealed, which makes the seal a safety part rather than trim.

The gasket is the soft seal between the glass frame and the firebox. A gasket that is torn, flattened or pulled away from the frame cannot close that gap. An insert owner's manual lists a gasket seal and glass assembly inspection among the yearly tasks for a qualified service technician, including a check that the glass is properly retained and its frame is undamaged.

We follow the gasket around its full length and look at how the frame sits against the firebox when the latches close. A gasket or glass assembly that needs replacing becomes a glass replacement job and shows on your estimate as its own line, apart from any repair to the burner or controls.