How do I turn the pilot light off completely?
Turn the control knob to OFF — that cuts gas to both the burner and the standing pilot, and the pilot flame goes out. On most valves you press the knob in slightly and rotate from PILOT to OFF. For a long shutdown or the off-season, you can also close the appliance shutoff valve in the gas line to be completely certain.
The knob does the job
Turning the control knob to OFF is what actually extinguishes the pilot — it cuts gas to both the burner and the standing pilot flame at once. On most valves you press the knob in slightly and rotate from PILOT past to OFF; some require a gentle push to clear a detent. Once it's off, look through the glass and confirm the little pilot flame is truly out, not just lowered. That's the whole procedure on a standing-pilot unit. If yours won't turn to OFF or the pilot stays lit after, don't force it — that points to a valve issue for us to look at.
When to also close the shutoff valve
For a long shutdown — summer, an extended trip, or before service — you can go a step further and close the appliance shutoff valve in the gas line feeding the fireplace. It's usually a small quarter-turn valve within reach of the unit; handle in line with the pipe means open, handle crossways means closed. That's belt-and-suspenders certainty on top of the knob. In propane country — Fairview, Candler, the cabins — closing that valve before a supplier swaps a tank is common practice. For a normal off-season, though, turning the knob to OFF is genuinely enough.
Should you turn it off at all?
Worth a pause before you do. A standing pilot left lit through summer keeps moisture and spiders out of the burner and orifices — our number-one cause of a no-light come fall — but it does sip a small amount of gas doing it. Both choices are defensible; it's your call. And if you've got electronic ignition, there's no standing pilot to shut off in the first place. Whatever you choose, if it won't relight next season, that's a quick, inexpensive service call at (828) 545-0525.
Related questions
- How do I shut the pilot light off for the summer?
- Should I leave my gas fireplace pilot light on all summer or turn it off?
- How do I completely shut off the gas to my fireplace, and where is the shutoff valve?
- What do the OFF, PILOT, and ON positions on my gas fireplace control knob mean?
- How do I light the pilot light on my gas fireplace?
- 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?
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