Having a fireplace in your home is one of the best indoor luxuries you can have, especially during another long winter. Thanks to gas fireplaces, you can enjoy the warmth and coziness of a home hearth without the inconveniences of storing wood and continually sweeping out ash.
If you’ve had a fireplace installation in Parksville, BC, you may at times need to schedule repairs for it. Our team has expertise with installation, maintenance, and repairs for gas fireplaces, and we’ll go over several of the basic problems you may encounter with your gas fireplace.
The Fire Keeps Going Out
This is one of the most common gas fireplace problems. You’re enjoying the warmth and beauty of your fireplace one night, and then the flames die out, like a wood-burning fireplace that has burnt up all its wood. There are several potential causes for this. It could be the pilot light has gone out (we’ll talk about the pilot light a bit further on).
Another common source for the problem is a faulty thermocouple, which is the device that monitors the flames from the gas burners. If it senses flames aren’t burning while the gas line is open, it will shut off the gas. A faulty thermocouple may turn off the gas even if the flames have ignited. You’ll need professionals to replace the thermocouple.
Another device that can shut off the gas to the fireplace is the oxypilot, which detects if there’s enough oxygen for the gas to ignite. A dusty or dirty oxypilot may shut off the gas accidentally.
Air in the Gas Line
This trouble usually occurs if the fireplace has been dormant for weeks or months. The air in the gas line will cause the fireplace flames to burn inconsistently. If this occurs with your fireplace, you may need technicians to bleed air from the gas line.
Pilot Light Won’t Light
The pilot light should burn steadily through the season when you use it for your fireplace so it can immediately light the burners. Sometimes you can relight an extinguished pilot light on your own. If you can’t, then the pilot light assembly may be broken or gas isn’t flowing to the pilot light.
Dirt and Grime
Gas fireplaces are much cleaner than wood-burning ones, but they can still become dusty and collect grime over time. This can lead to problems getting the fireplace to turn on because the dirt over the burners will prevent them from getting enough oxygen to ignite.
You may also notice popping, crackling, and hissing sounds when the fireplace is dirty. We don’t recommend trying to clean the burners or the fireplace yourself: this requires special chemicals to avoid damage to the fireplace. You can rely on experts for fireplace cleaning that will make a difference.
As with any gas-burning appliance, gas fireplaces are potentially dangerous for anyone who isn’t properly licensed to work on them. Please leave the actual repairs to our team so you can continue to enjoy your fireplace in safety.
Temprite Climate Solutions serves Courtenay, BC and the surrounding areas. For a job done right, call Temprite!