How do I light my gas fireplace manually when the power is out?
It depends on your ignition type. A standing-pilot (millivolt) unit lights by hand with no power at all, using the control knob and piezo igniter per the instructions printed inside it. A battery-backup electronic unit just needs fresh batteries and its switch flipped to battery mode. An electronic unit with no battery backup won't light without power.
First figure out what you're working with
There are three setups, and the answer is different for each. A standing-pilot (millivolt) fireplace keeps a small pilot flame going and needs zero electricity — those light by hand any time. An electronic-ignition unit with a battery backup tray needs power or good batteries to spark. An electronic unit with no battery option is dead in an outage, full stop.
If you don't know which you have, the label inside the lower control panel or your owner's manual will tell you, and so will we over the phone.
Lighting a standing-pilot unit by hand
On a millivolt fireplace there's a manual-lighting procedure printed right inside the unit — on the control panel or a label behind the lower louver — that walks the gas control knob and the built-in piezo igniter through the exact sequence for your valve. Follow those printed steps for your specific model; every valve is a little different, and generic instructions off the internet can be flat wrong for yours. If the label is gone or you can't make sense of it, call us and we'll talk you through your exact unit — that beats guessing on anything that involves gas.
A battery-backup electronic unit is simpler — install fresh AAs, flip the receiver or switch to battery mode, and the on/off switch or remote works normally.
The safety line you don't cross
If you ever smell gas — that rotten-egg odor — stop, don't touch a switch or flame, get everyone out, and call from outside. Don't keep clicking an igniter on a unit that won't catch after a couple of tries; repeated attempts dump raw gas into the firebox.
And don't open up the valve, tamper with the pilot assembly, or "adjust" anything — that's licensed gas work in North Carolina, and it's ours. If your fireplace won't light and it should, call (828) 545-0525; we run 24/7 emergency service and no-heat calls jump the line in winter.
Related questions
- Why won't my gas fireplace relight after a power outage?
- Which types of fireplaces work without any electricity?
- Do gas logs still work when the power is out?
- What's the difference between millivolt and electronic ignition, and which is better for outage-prone mountain areas?
- Will my fireplace remote or wall thermostat still work during a power outage?
- Do I need a permit to install a gas fireplace or gas insert in Western North Carolina?
Still deciding? Talk to a real installer.
Free assessments across Western North Carolina — no pressure, straight answers.