Why won't my gas fireplace light after a propane delivery?
Almost always air in the gas line. When the tank runs low or empty before a fill, air and moisture get into the piping, and that air has to be purged before propane reaches the burner. Standing pilots need relighting; electronic ignitions can lock out after failed tries. If it won't catch once the driver bleeds the line, call us.
Air is the usual culprit
Your propane system runs on positive pressure. When the tank drops to empty, that pressure disappears and the line pulls in air — so right after a refill the burner is trying to light on an air pocket instead of gas, and it'll keep failing until that air is pushed out. On any out-of-gas delivery the driver is supposed to bleed the appliance lines and leak-test the whole system before leaving. But in a multi-appliance home — furnace, water heater, range, and a fireplace tucked on a far wall — a fireplace at the end of a long run sometimes gets missed, and you don't find out until the first cold evening you go to light it.
Other reasons it stays dark
A delivery often just surfaces a problem that was already sitting there. Spider webs and dust clog the pilot orifice over the off-season — the single most common no-light call we run in older Asheville homes, and it has nothing to do with the propane itself. On electronic-ignition units, repeated failed attempts trigger a lockout that needs a deliberate reset before it'll even try again. A weak thermocouple or thermopile — the sensor that proves the pilot is lit — or a sooted pilot hood will also refuse to hold a flame, lighting for a moment and then dropping the instant you release the knob.
When to stop
Repeated clicking with no flame, a gas smell, or a pilot that lights then drops — that's your signal to stop. Don't keep sparking an igniter into a firebox that's slowly filling with unlit gas; give it a few minutes and let the room air out first. If you smell gas at all, leave and call from outside. Otherwise, give the line time to purge after the driver bleeds it, or call (828) 545-0525. We keep the common propane-side parts on the truck and fix most of these in a single visit — and no-heat calls get prioritized in winter when it's cold.
Related questions
- Do I need to relight the pilot after a propane refill?
- Does the system need a leak or pressure test after running completely out of propane?
- What happens to my gas fireplace when the propane tank runs empty?
- At what tank percentage should I schedule a propane refill?
- How do I check how much propane is left in my tank?
- How do I know if my house has natural gas or propane?
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