Gas Fireplace Pilot Light Won't Stay Lit

When to stop relighting

The pilot's safety shutoff is doing its job when it closes the gas. Never wedge the knob down, block a sensor or try to bypass it to keep the flame going.

• If you smell gas at any point, stop. Leave the home, then call 911 or your gas company from outside; our gas smell and CO alarm steps list the local numbers.
• Before any relight, the lighting label tells you to smell all around the fireplace, including next to the floor. If you smell gas, don't light anything.
• If the pilot won't stay lit after several tries, the label says to turn the gas control knob to OFF and call a service technician or the gas company.
• If the knob doesn't pop back up when you release it, stop and call, as the label directs.
• Don't relight with the glass front removed, cracked or broken, and use only your hand on the knob, never tools.

Causes of a pilot that keeps going out

A technician first works out which pilot system you have. A standing pilot is lit by hand, often with a push-button igniter, and a thermocouple holds its gas open. An electronic system, often called IPI, sparks the pilot when you turn the fireplace on, and a flame sensor proves the pilot before the main burner opens. Then the checks run in this order.

• The lighting steps. The knob has to stay pressed long enough for the thermocouple to heat. Enviro's C34 lighting label says to hold it about 60 seconds after the pilot lights, or until it beeps, and its valve won't let you relight until the thermocouple cools.
• Air in the gas line. After the gas has been off, the pilot can die while you're still holding the knob. The C34 manual lists that exact symptom, and the fix is bleeding the line and checking the gas pressure.
• A pilot flame that doesn't wrap the sensor. A flame that is too small, dirty or pointed away leaves the thermocouple too cool. The manual's fixes are checking the gas pressure, adjusting the pilot rate and checking the pilot head for damage.
• A loose or worn thermocouple. A loose connection at the back of the valve, or a thermocouple reading 5 millivolts or less, lets the valve close. Tightening the connection or replacing the thermocouple is the usual repair.
• A built-in 7-day shutoff. Many newer fireplaces turn the pilot off on purpose after 7 days without use. Valor's H4 manual and Enviro's C34 label both describe it, so a pilot that was out after a quiet week may not be faulty at all.
• Electronic ignition faults. On IPI models the spark lights the pilot, and the main valve opens only after the flame sensor proves the pilot flame. A dirty or failed sensor, a weak spark or a control lockout can make the pilot drop out.
• The gas valve. If the pilot flame and thermocouple test good, the technician looks at the gas valve itself, which may need replacing.

Owner checks from the manuals

None of these steps involve taking parts off. Do them only if you don't smell gas.

• Find out which system you have. The lighting label near the controls says whether you light the pilot by hand.
• Follow the label's lighting steps exactly, including the full hold time and the wait before trying again. Valor's manual says to wait 2 minutes after the pilot goes off before relighting it.
• On remote-controlled models, replace weak batteries in the handset and the battery holder before anything else. Valor's manual uses a faster series of beeps than usual as its warning that the holder batteries are critically low.
• Think back a week. If the fireplace sat unused for 7 days, the pilot may simply have shut itself off. Valor's manual says its pilot comes back when you turn the fireplace on again with the handset or wall switch.
• On cold days, Enviro's G39 manual recommends continuous pilot mode when it's below 50°F outside, which keeps the vent warm for starting.
• Note exactly when the pilot goes out: the moment you release the knob, after a few minutes, or only when the burner comes on. That detail points a technician to the right part.

How a gas fitter fixes it

A licensed Massachusetts gas fitter confirms the model, watches the pilot light, and measures the thermocouple with a meter. Depending on the readings, they clean or adjust the pilot, tighten or replace the thermocouple, bleed air from the line or check the gas pressure, following the manufacturer's steps for that model.

On electronic ignition, the work is cleaning or replacing the flame sensor or igniter, checking the control module and its power, and clearing any lockout. Our pilot light and ignition repair page explains these jobs in more detail.

If the pilot stays lit but the burner later cuts out, the cause may be the thermopile, the valve or the vent instead. See why a gas fireplace keeps turning off.

Booking a pilot repair visit

Start with our $99 gas fireplace safety inspection, done by a licensed Massachusetts gas fitter. It covers a full inspection, a gas leak check, the wiring and controls, a safety check and a maintenance check. One price covers every gas fireplace in your home, cleaning is extra, and if the pilot needs a repair, your $99 is credited toward it.

Visits are same- or next-day, Sunday through Friday, 8am to 6pm, with 2-hour arrival windows. Book online and we confirm by phone or email, or call 617-915-2647.

Related pilot and ignition problems

If what you see doesn't match this page, one of these may fit better.

• The pilot stays lit but the burner won't light: a different fault, usually the thermopile, the switch or the valve.
• Nothing happens at all: start with power, batteries and switches.
• Due for service? Our guide on how often to service a gas fireplace covers what manufacturers recommend.