How do I light the pilot light on my gas fireplace?
Turn the control knob to PILOT, press it in to start gas flow, then click the piezo igniter (or hold a long match at the pilot hood) until the small flame catches. Keep the knob pressed a full 30 to 60 seconds after it lights so the thermocouple — the sensor that proves the pilot is burning — heats up and can hold the gas valve open on its own. Then release and turn the knob to ON. Every unit prints its exact sequence inside the lower panel; if you smell gas, stop and call us.
The standard sequence — and where to find yours
Nearly every standing-pilot gas fireplace lights the same way. Pull off the lower louver panel to reach the control knob, turn it from OFF to PILOT, then press and hold the knob in while you click the piezo igniter button — or touch a long fireplace match to the pilot hood. Keep that knob pressed a full 30 to 60 seconds after the little flame catches, release, and rotate to ON so the burner lights. The exact steps, and the spot to aim the flame, are printed on a label right inside that panel. Read yours before you start — a Napoleon reads a hair differently than a Heat & Glo, and the label always wins.
The part everyone gets wrong: holding the knob
That 30-to-60-second hold isn't optional. You're heating a thermocouple — the small sensor that proves the pilot is actually lit — until it generates enough signal to hold the gas valve open on its own. Let go too early and the valve snaps shut, the pilot dies, and you're back to square one. If you've held it a full minute twice and it still won't stay lit, stop cycling it. That's usually a clogged pilot orifice or a tired thermocouple, not something to keep fighting.
When lighting turns into a service call
Lighting your pilot is normal homeowner operation. Rebuilding what's behind the valve is not — that's licensed gas work, and it's ours. We see the same call every first cold snap across Asheville and Weaverville: spiders and dust clog the pilot assembly and burner orifices over the warm months, and suddenly the flame won't hold. A quick cleaning fixes it. And the rule that never changes — if you smell gas at any point, don't keep trying. Leave the house and call us from outside at (828) 545-0525.
Related questions
- How long do I hold the pilot knob down when lighting it, and why won't it stay lit if I let go too soon?
- What do the OFF, PILOT, and ON positions on my gas fireplace control knob mean?
- Do I have to take the glass off my gas fireplace to get to the pilot light?
- How long should I wait before trying again if the pilot doesn't catch on the first try?
- Is it safe to relight the pilot myself, or should a professional do it?
- Does a gas fireplace with electronic ignition have a pilot light I need to light myself?
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