Local gas fireplace repair with a free inspection in Stoneybrook East

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

The burner orifice and its size

The main burner orifice, which some manuals call the injector, is a fitting with a precisely sized hole. That size sets how much gas the burner receives. The rating plate lists it, and the maker's service parts list names the right one for each model and gas.

Two things can go wrong. Soot, dirt, lint or corrosion can partly block it, and a wrong orifice can end up in the unit after earlier work or a conversion. A yearly checklist from one manufacturer covers both, asking the technician to inspect the orifice for soot, dirt and corrosion and to confirm its size against the parts list, and other manuals add clearing lint from around the injector.

During a repair in Stoneybrook East, the orifice is checked against the plate and the parts list. A dirty one is cleaned as the manual allows, and a wrong or damaged one is replaced with the listed part and shown on the estimate as its own line.

A wall switch that stopped working

Many gas fireplaces can be turned on from a switch on the wall. On the millivolt and electronic systems in the manuals we have read, that switch runs on low voltage. It is not a light switch, even when it looks like one.

The direct vent and natural vent manuals from one maker both warn not to connect the wall switch to a household circuit and limit the switch wire to a set length and gauge, noting that extended lengths may keep the fireplace from working properly. An insert manual adds that low voltage and household voltage cannot share the same wall box, so the two are run apart.

The switch and its wire run are tested with the checks in the maker's troubleshooting table, which isolate the switch, the wire and the valve terminals one at a time. A switch that was swapped for an ordinary light switch or tied into house wiring is written up for correction before the fireplace in your Stoneybrook East home is run from the wall again.

Carbon monoxide alarms in a home with a gas fireplace

Burning gas indoors is one more reason to have working carbon monoxide alarms. The gas is colorless and has no odor, so it cannot be seen or smelled. The NFPA heating safety tip sheet says to install and maintain CO alarms, and CDC guidance calls for battery-operated or battery back-up alarms near every sleeping area.

The fireplace manuals describe what exposure can feel like. Early signs of carbon monoxide poisoning are similar to the flu, with headaches, dizziness or nausea. Some people are more affected than others, including pregnant women and people with heart or lung disease.

If a carbon monoxide alarm sounds, or those signs appear while the fireplace runs, move everyone out into fresh air and dial 911 from there. The fireplace stays off until a qualified service person has inspected it and found the cause.