Fire place is on even when it's turned off?

[micheal.m]

I just moved back to my place after renting it out for a while. I noticed that the fireplace gets a little warm and after closure inspection, there's a small lit fire from the gas and it's heating up the glass on the outside. Now I don't think it's suppose to be on as it's just wasting gas. I can see it being an issue but ever since the house was built (2006) I think it was always on. Is this normal or who should I contact to fix it? Thanks!

[NRGie]

There is usually a gas valve under your fireplace where you can shut it off from but its normal

[USED1]

It's called a pilot light, it's there so the flame will light when you want to have your fireplace on. If you want to shut it totally off, open the panel on the bottom and turn it to off.

[tobypaddock]

thats ur pilot light, its supposed to be on

[89coupe]

Originally posted by micheal.m
I just moved back to my place after renting it out for a while. I noticed that the fireplace gets a little warm and after closure inspection, there's a small lit fire from the gas and it's heating up the glass on the outside. Now I don't think it's suppose to be on as it's just wasting gas. I can see it being an issue but ever since the house was built (2006) I think it was always on. Is this normal or who should I contact to fix it? Thanks!

Its your pilot light. Just turn your gas off during the summer months. The pilot light will turn off.

[bignerd]

You will have to follow the relighting instructions for the pilot light in order for the fireplace to work in the winter though. Usually the grate under the fireplace pulls open, mine has lighting instructions on a metal plate attached under on a chain that you can pull out.

[Kloubek]

I want to facepalm this, but if you don't know, I guess you just don't know.

And now he knows.

[Zero102]

As said above, its just the pilot. I turn mine off for the summer and re-light it in the winter. They usually have a thermocouple in them that takes a minute or so to warm up so it takes about that long to get it going again in the winter. Go ahead and turn it off :)

[superflychief]

Why do 10 people all have to respond by saying the exact same thing. Once the first person responded with the answer you can /thread.

[SJW]

Originally posted by superflychief
Why do 10 people all have to respond by saying the exact same thing. Once the first person responded with the answer you can /thread.

Because most people fail at reading.

[Type_S1]

I vote for....home is possessed...call the church!

[BokCh0y]

Go to your furnace in your basement, and shut that off too to save gas.

[hampstor]

If you do not know what a pilot light is... relighting it may prove to be challenging. Leave it

[kaput]

.

[Tik-Tok]

Won't all you people feel silly if he has a electronic ignition system, and no pilot light :rofl:

[Sugarphreak]

...

[benyl]

Originally posted by Sugarphreak
I've got a question about how fireplaces work that has been bugging me.

Mine is similar to the OP's and has a pilot light going all the time; if there is a power outage, the switch (basically a standard light switch) that turns on the fireplace on still works.

How does this electrical switch continue to work when the power is out?

Some fireplaces have a 9v battery backup.

[Sugarphreak]

...

[benyl]

behind the grill.

Otherwise, your fireplace might be possessed.

[cet]

There's usually a thremocouple in the pilot light which creates electricity to close the valve on the pilot light in the event it gets blown out. The thremocouple could be producing enough electricity to light the fire place.

[kenny]

Originally posted by Sugarphreak
I've got a question about how fireplaces work that has been bugging me.

Mine is similar to the OP's and has a pilot light going all the time; if there is a power outage, the switch (basically a standard light switch) that turns on the fireplace on still works.

How does this electrical switch continue to work when the power is out?

The electrical switch is not connected to your electrical panel. All it does it complete a circuit within the fireplace to control the gas value. The electrical current in this circuit is generated by the heat of the pilot light.

Figured that out when I was having trouble with my fireplace not igniting.

[Sugarphreak]

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