How do I use the gas log lighter pipe to start a wood fire?
A gas log lighter is a perforated pipe under the grate. Open the gas at its key valve (in the floor or wall nearby), light it with a long match or lighter, and let the flames run under your stacked wood until the kindling and logs catch — several minutes. Then shut the gas OFF at the key valve. It only starts the fire; never leave it running.
What a log lighter is — and isn't
A gas log lighter is a simple starter pipe that sits under the grate in a wood-burning fireplace, drilled with holes so a row of gas flame runs beneath your wood. Its whole job is to get real firewood going without fiddling with paper and kindling. You run it for a few minutes, the wood catches, and you turn it off.
It is not a gas log set, and it is not meant to burn alongside your wood fire. It's a match, essentially — used to start the fire, then shut off.
Start to finish
Open the damper fully first — this is a wood fire, so the flue needs to be wide open. Stack your wood over the grate and the pipe. Find the key valve, usually a small hex fitting in the floor or the wall beside the firebox, and insert the log-lighter key. Crack the valve open and light the pipe immediately with a long lighter or fireplace match, working across so the flame runs its full length.
Give it several minutes with the flame under the wood until the kindling and smaller splits are burning on their own. As soon as the wood is truly caught, close the key valve all the way. Don't leave the room while the lighter is lit.
Safety and long-term care
Never leave the key valve open once the wood fire is going — you don't want an open gas flame near a hot firebox any longer than it takes to start the fire. If the pipe won't light, don't keep cracking the valve and flooding raw gas into the firebox; shut it off, let it air out, and make sure the valve is fully closed. If it stays stubborn, stop and call us.
Over the years the pipe's holes clog with ash and rust and the flame gets patchy — we service and replace log lighters. And if you're tired of hauling and stacking wood, that same gas line is what we'd use to convert you to a clean gas log set or a sealed, efficient insert. Call (828) 545-0525 to talk it through.
Related questions
- What's the best way to build and light a fire in my wood-burning fireplace?
- How do I turn on a gas fireplace with a key valve, and which way do I turn the key?
- What fire starters are safe to use in my fireplace or wood stove — and is lighter fluid ever OK?
- When do I open and close the damper on my wood-burning fireplace?
- How do I light a match-lit gas log set?
- How do I light the pilot light on my gas fireplace?
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