When a gas fireplace is installed newly, it works excellently and serves for a certain period of time. However, things could dive after a few months or years with failing components causing issues.

In other words, your gas fireplace may cease to work.

This situation can be puzzling and frustrating if you’ve tried all the usual actions to put it on. The fact is, your gas fireplace may be malfunctioning due to a fault. If so, you’ll need to find reasons or answers to why it isn’t working.

We’re here to help point out common issues with malfunctioning gas fireplaces.

Gas Fireplace Won’t Turn On: What’s the Problem?

This is the first question you’re asked when a fireplace or chimney service comes around.

When a gas fireplace is said to be non-functional, it could mean different things. The general idea is that it doesn’t come up any longer when it’s ignited.

However, there are several other possibilities when it comes to malfunctioning gas fireplaces or gas fireplaces not working any longer. Some homeowners may feel that their gas fireplace isn’t functional as it used to, or some anomaly is being observed.

Whether a gas fireplace completely fails or partially works, the problem needs to be identified and fixed to allow for normal functioning.

Identifying Gas Fireplace Problems

When a gas fireplace stops working, the focus is on finding out what the problem(s) is. In a bid to identify the problem, a troubleshooting process begins where multiple processes are kick-started to unravel the cause.

In a bid to find the actual problem, each of the possible causes needs to be ruled out. This narrows down the focus to a single area or component. So, can homeowners carry out repairs on their faulty gas fireplaces?

It depends on who you ask.

Some homeowners are good with technical stuff and won’t find it difficult to resolve certain issues. However, not all problems can be fixed by everyone. Chimney technicians will readily carry out such repairs when called upon.

Plus, this is the easiest or stress-free option available to you.

Common Reasons Why Your Gas Fireplace Won’t Light

When a gas fireplace suddenly ceases to work, it’s likely due to several reasons.

Some of these possible explanations include an absence of pilot lights, old batteries, lack of maintenance, burner failure, gas still turned off, the air in the gas line, and tripped circuit breakers.

What more, you could experience a gas fireplace breakdown when thermopile, wiring, and thermocouple have issues.

  • Absence of Pilot Lights

Whenever gas is turned on, it’s delivered to the fireplace unit where pilot lights are always on to help ignite your gas. These pilot lights receive a little supply of gas to keep them perpetually on.

However, these pilot lights can be turned off for a strong draft or other reasons.

When it happens, you’ll need to put them back on following the manufacturer’s instructions. Newer gas fireplace models will automatically turn off the gas supply sustaining the pilot lights.

So, whenever you turn your gas on but discover it doesn’t come on or stops working check your pilot lights.

A gas fireplace not working is likely due to this reason. Before you call a technician, performing a routine check would save you the stress and help with the resumption of normal functioning.

  • Old Batteries

All remote-controlled gas fireplaces have a set of batteries placed in the receiver located beside or behind gas logs.

The other set of batteries are placed in the remote control. With continued use, these batteries wear out and die. When they do, you won’t be able to start your gas fireplace as usual.

One of the troubleshooting actions to take involves taking out or exchanging the dead batteries for new ones. If the problem is restricted to this area alone, your gas fireplace should come back on without an issue.

If it doesn’t, then you may have to look at another possibility.

  • Lack of Maintenance

Proper functioning of your gas fireplace and maintenance are closely linked or intertwined. It’s only natural that a gas fireplace will stop working when necessary and basic maintenance procedures aren’t followed.

Maintenance in this case refers to periodic cleaning and inspections. Gas fireplace inspections should be done yearly as a way to detect and fix issues at their early stages before they worsen.

An experienced and certified chimney sweep should be called for such gas fireplace maintenance tasks.

  • Burner Failure

Burner failure more often than not results in gas fireplaces not working. Now, quite a lot of homeowners keep pets. These cute creatures shed constantly. So, how is this tied to burner failure?

First, consider how combustive action occurs.

When a gas fireplace comes on, fire requires air or oxygen to burn. There’s an inward pull of such air into the fire.

Pet hair and dander are known to sometimes float in the air. These come into contact with the fire. Ordinarily, this wouldn’t be a problem if the process happens only once.

However, this continued action results in your burner sucking up all sorts of debris including pet hair, and dander. This worsens when frequent maintenance activities such as cleaning the gas log aren’t done.

  • Gas Still Turned Off

When the cold season ends, it’s common for people to turn off the gas leading to the fireplace.

Most times when another cold season sets in, you may be a bit rusty over basic controls such as the gas valve.

Turn the valve back on. This should solve the problem. However, when it persists, consider calling a licensed chimney sweep for repairs.

  • The air in Gas Line

Whenever air gets into your gas line, it prevents the flow of gas.

This is most common when you haven’t used your gas fireplace for long. A simple troubleshooting action such as hold down your pilot knob should allow the flushing out of such air. This should help start the fire.

These are some of the common reasons why your gas fireplace isn’t working. You can perform the troubleshooting actions mentioned above or you may have to call a chimney sweep to have it checked.

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