Frequently Asked Questions
We recommend contacting a fireplace professional to diagnose and repair gas, pellet, wood or electric heaters. However, simple cleaning and maintenance is often the only thing that needs to be done. If you attempt to do the maintenance yourself, please take proper precautions by wearing the appropriate safety gear, disconnecting the unit from electricity, shutting off the gas, and allowing the unit to completely cool down.
Pellet
Pellet Insert/Stove not lighting
A pellet heater failing to ignite is rarely due to component failure. Most of the time the heater simply needs a thorough cleaning. Be sure to scrape the burn pot, clean the vent as well as all of the air chambers in the unit, and clean the ignitor housing. Pellet heaters need plenty of airflow to operate properly.
If it fails to ignite after a thorough cleaning we can test it to verify proper function of all of the heater's components.
Gas
Heater pops or bangs when lighting
Sometimes gas heaters can light with a little excitement. This is usually caused by foreign material blocking the pilot or the holes in the burner. First, vacuum any dust, bugs, carbon deposits, or anything that may be blocking the flame from the pilot. Next, make sure no logs or any other object is resting over the holes in the burner. (Please note that some units require some crushed glass or rock wool over the burner holes.)
Call us or submit an online request for us to come clean and test your heater.
Gas
Heater won't light or shuts off intermittently
This is normally due to the thermocouple, thermopile, or pilot electrode. It is possible for these parts to get dirty and fail to operate properly. You can fold a dollar bill to clean them. Avoid bending or changing them in any way. In some cases a wire may have been disconnected or broken.
If your pilot or fireplace still fails to light or stay on, call us or submit an online service request for us to come test your fireplace.
Wood
Heater smokes back into house
Is this a new problem? Something is likely blocking the flue. Call a professional certified chimney sweep to come clean and inspect your chimney.
Always make sure you are burning seasoned wood. Best practice is to cut, split, and stack your wood where air can easily flow around and through it to allow the wood to dry. Allow 1 to 2 years for the wood to properly dry. You can check the moisture content of the wood with a wood moisture meter by splitting one of your logs and pressing the moisture meter into the split portion. You should have no more than 18% to 20% moisture content.