Gas Fireplace Won't Turn On

Stop and get help first if you notice these

A fireplace that won't start is rarely an emergency, but a few signs mean you should stop trying. Lighting labels make you wait between attempts so unburned gas can clear, so pressing the start button again and again is never the fix.

• You smell gas, or a carbon monoxide alarm sounds. Leave the home first, then call 911 or your gas company from outside. Our gas smell and CO alarm page lists the Greater Boston numbers.
• The glass front is cracked, broken or out of place. Enviro's C34 owner's manual says never to run the fireplace with the glass front removed, cracked or broken.
• Any part of the fireplace or its controls has been under water, for example after a basement flood. The same manual says not to use it until a qualified technician has inspected it and replaced any control part that was under water.
• The gas control knob won't push in or turn by hand. The lighting label says never to use tools or force it, and to call a technician instead.
• None of your gas appliances are getting gas. National Grid treats no gas at your gas appliances as a gas emergency, so call your gas company.

Why a gas fireplace won't turn on, in the order a technician checks

A technician starts with power and settings, which are quick to rule out, and works toward the gas parts inside the control compartment. Each step below describes what that cause looks like from your living room.

• Batteries and power. Fireplaces with a remote or electronic ignition need power at the receiver or control module, and many fall back on batteries when the power is out. Weak batteries in the handset or the battery holder are the first thing to rule out.
• Switches and settings. A wall switch or on/off switch at OFF, a remote in thermostat mode set below the room temperature, or a locked keypad will each keep the burner from starting.
• A remote that lost its pairing. If the receiver doesn't beep when you press the power button, and everything has power, the handset and receiver may no longer be paired. Our remote troubleshooting page walks through it.
• Gas supply. The fireplace's shutoff valve may be closed, the gas control knob may sit at PILOT or OFF, or there may be air in the line after the gas was off for a while.
• Pilot and ignition. A standing pilot can go out on its own, and some newer fireplaces turn the pilot off after 7 days without use. On electronic ignition, too many failed sparks put the control into a timed lockout.
• Sensors, wiring and the valve. A weak thermocouple or thermopile, a loose wire, a failed ignition module or a gas valve that no longer opens. These take a meter and a licensed gas fitter.

What you can safely check yourself

These checks come from manufacturers' owner's manuals and don't involve gas fittings, wiring, the burner or the vent. Do them with the fireplace off and cool, and stop at the first hint of a gas smell.

• Look at every switch. Enviro's C34 owner's manual lists an on/off switch turned to OFF, a gas control set to PILOT or OFF, and a pilot that has gone out as reasons the remote won't work.
• Replace the batteries in the handset and the battery holder. Valor's H4 homeowner's manual says that if the fireplace still won't turn on after you follow the remote or wall switch steps, the batteries may be low, and that a faster series of beeps than usual means they are critically low.
• Check that the receiver has power. Regency's Proflame 2 owner guide says the receiver plugs into a standard outlet, has a battery backup, and should beep once when you press the remote's power button.
• If you use thermostat mode, set the temperature several degrees above the room temperature, as the C34 manual suggests.
• Check whether the gas supply valve to the fireplace is open. If it's closed and you don't know why, leave it closed and call us. On models with a gas control knob, check that it sits at ON; if it doesn't, follow the lighting label, turning the knob by hand only.
• Let a lockout clear before trying again. Enviro's G39 owner's manual says its control waits 5 minutes after too many spark attempts. If the pilot still won't light after the lockout clears, stop and have a gas fitter check it.
• Before relighting a standing pilot, read the lighting label and follow it exactly. Valor's manual says to wait 2 minutes after the pilot goes off before lighting it again.

What a no-start repair involves

A licensed Massachusetts gas fitter starts by finding the model and serial number, then follows the manufacturer's troubleshooting steps for that model. On a standing-pilot fireplace that means measuring the thermocouple and thermopile with a meter. Enviro's C34 manual calls for more than 5 millivolts from the thermocouple and at least 300 millivolts from the thermopile with the burner switched on.

On electronic ignition, the gas fitter checks the spark, the flame sensor, the control module and its power. Typical repairs include cleaning or adjusting the pilot, replacing a thermocouple, thermopile or igniter, fixing a loose connection, replacing a receiver or module, or replacing the gas valve, using parts listed for your model.

Pilot and igniter work is explained on our pilot light and ignition repair page, and other fixes on our gas fireplace repair page.

Getting a licensed gas fitter out

The simplest first step is our $99 gas fireplace safety inspection. A licensed Massachusetts gas fitter does a full inspection, a gas leak check, a wiring and controls check, a safety check and a maintenance check. One price covers every gas fireplace in your home, and if a repair is needed, your $99 is credited toward it. Cleaning isn't part of the inspection and is extra.

We offer same- or next-day visits, Sunday through Friday, 8am to 6pm, in 2-hour arrival windows. Request a visit online and we confirm the time by phone or email, or call 617-915-2647. We work in 68 towns across Greater Boston.

Similar problems

Starting problems often look alike. Pick the one closest to what you see.

• The pilot is lit, but the burner won't come on: the fireplace reaches the pilot stage and stops there.
• The pilot won't stay lit: the pilot lights, then goes out when you release the knob or a few seconds later.
• It starts, then shuts itself off: settings, a weak sensor or the vent may be the cause.
• First fire of the season? Read our guide to starting a gas fireplace after summer before you begin.