Pilot Is On but the Gas Fireplace Won't Light

Signs to turn it off and call

Most of the time this fault is quiet: the pilot burns and nothing else happens. A few signs change that.

• You smell gas, or a CO alarm sounds. Leave the home, then call 911 or your gas company from outside. See our gas smell and CO alarm page.
• The burner lights late with a loud bang, or the flames look very different from normal. Turn the fireplace off at its switch and don't use it until a gas fitter has checked it.
• Don't jump or bypass the wall switch wires, and don't remove the glass to look at the pilot. That is wiring and burner work for a technician.
• A lit pilot with no gas smell is normal operation while you wait for a repair. If you'd rather shut it off, follow the steps on the lighting label for turning off gas to the appliance.

Why the burner stays off, step by step

A technician follows the path of the signal: from your switch or remote, through the control, to the valve, and then to the gas itself.

• No call for flame. A wall switch at OFF, a remote with dead batteries, or a remote in thermostat mode set below the room temperature leaves the pilot burning and the burner off. Enviro's C34 manual lists a thermostat that isn't calling for heat among the first causes.
• The gas control knob at PILOT. On hand-lit models the knob has to be turned from PILOT to ON before the burner can light, as the lighting label shows.
• The flame turned all the way down. On Proflame 2 remotes, the down arrow steps the flame down until it turns off, and pressing the up arrow while the flame is off brings it back on high, according to SIT's transmitter instructions.
• Smart thermostat mode. In smart mode the remote lowers the flame as the room nears the set temperature, and manual flame control is disabled.
• A weak thermopile. On millivolt fireplaces, the pilot heats a thermopile that powers the valve. For a burner that won't ignite, Enviro's C34 manual has the voltage at the valve measured with a meter; a pilot flame that misses the thermopile, or a worn thermopile, can leave it too low.
• Broken wiring. A break in the wires between the switch or thermostat and the valve stops the signal. Checking that wiring is on the manual's list of fixes.
• The gas valve. If the right voltage reaches the valve and it still won't open, the C34 manual's fix is replacing the gas control.
• Gas pressure. Both Enviro manuals list checking gas line pressure for a burner that won't start or stay lit, which is a job for a gas fitter with a gauge.

Checks you can make without tools

Work through these with the pilot lit, the glass in place and no gas smell.

• Turn the wall switch or on/off switch to ON, and replace the batteries in the remote and the battery holder.
• If you use thermostat mode, set the temperature several degrees above the room temperature, as the C34 manual suggests, then give the burner a moment.
• Press the up arrow to raise the flame from off, check the screen for a lock icon, and see whether it shows smart mode.
• On a hand-lit model, read the lighting label and confirm the knob is at ON, not PILOT. Turn it by hand only.
• Try the other control. If the wall switch lights the burner but the remote doesn't, the burner side is fine, and our remote troubleshooting page is the next stop.
• Clear a lockout the way your manual says. Enviro's G39 manual resets its control from the remote: turn the system off with the ON/OFF button, wait about 2 seconds, and turn it back on.

What the technician tests and repairs

A licensed Massachusetts gas fitter measures the thermopile output and the voltage reaching the valve, checks the switch wiring, and watches how the pilot flame sits on the thermopile. Those readings show which part has failed.

Depending on what they find, the repair is cleaning or adjusting the pilot, replacing the thermopile, repairing the switch wiring, or replacing the gas valve, using parts listed for your model. Thermopile and pilot work is on our pilot light and ignition repair page; valve and wiring repairs are on our gas fireplace repair page.

How to get it fixed

Book our $99 gas fireplace safety inspection and a licensed Massachusetts gas fitter checks the whole fireplace: a full inspection, a gas leak check, wiring and controls, a safety check and a maintenance check. One price covers every gas fireplace in your home. If the burner needs a repair, your $99 is credited toward it; cleaning is extra.

We offer same- or next-day visits, Sunday through Friday, 8am to 6pm, in 2-hour arrival windows: 8 to 10, 10 to 12, 12 to 2, 2 to 4 and 4 to 6. Send a booking request and we confirm by phone or email, or call 617-915-2647.

Other symptoms to compare

A pilot-only fireplace has two close relatives. Compare them before you book.

• The pilot won't stay lit: the pilot itself goes out, which points to the thermocouple or the pilot flame.
• The fireplace won't turn on at all: no pilot, no spark and no beep.
• Curious what a full check covers? See our gas fireplace inspection checklist.