We just moved into our house this summer. We have a fairly new (less than 7 yr old) propane fireplace insert that the old owners said heated one end of the house fairly well.

It runs off an automatic thermostat wired to it. Lately the stove will only run for 5-10 minutes before going out (sometimes the pilot will go out too, sometimes not). This is before it reaches the programmed temperature.

I climber on the roof to see if there was an obstruction- none that I could see. We had the house inspected VERY WELL (spent 6 hours looking in every nook and cranny) so I think the form of the chimney much be okay. There are a few hairline cracks in the tube (terra cotta?) that was cemented in the chimney.

Any thoughts on what may be wrong? Amy

-- Amy Richards (tiggerwife@aol.com), October 15, 2000

Answers

Check with your Porpane supplier!

-- Hendo (OR) (redgate@echoweb.net), October 15, 2000.

There are safety devices built into such units that will shut off the gas if the flame goes out or if the rooms oxygen level drops too low. Both of these functions are built into the pilot light assembly. The flame should be heating the end of a thermocouple. If it's not cherry red, the thermocouple may be burn down. If you know the model of the unit, a good heating supply store or a really good hardware store should be able to sell you a new one. If you don't feel comfortable working on such things yourself, you'll have to call a repair person. Sometimes you can add years of useful life to a thermocouple by bending it into the flame a bit more, a few are made to me adjusted too.

Just in case it is a real problem, don't just keep trying to relight it.

-- paul (p@ledgewood-consulting.com), October 15, 2000.

Amy! The pilot burner is dirty. This unit has a pilot generator, more than likely. Flame from the pilot light will burn against the generator and produce mill-volts. The pilot flame can still look good but will not be hot enough to produce the required 750 millivolts to open the main burner valve or even keep the pilot burner open. The second reason would be a malfunctioning O.D.S. The job of the Oxygen Depletion Saftey is to shut the entire unit down if too little oxygen is present in the room. I doubt if the oxygen level is too low and imagine it's malfunctioning. Check for lint in the pilot burner. Last resort-call a qualified repairman. I'd look at it for you but it's probably a long way there and probably in COLD country too. LOL. Matt. 24:44

-- hoot gibson (hoot@pcinetwork.com), October 15, 2000.

Thanks Paul and Hoot! I took your advice and fixed it! I had vacuumed the FP out (not really dirty) and that hadn't helped. I bent the wire (between thermocouple and pilot light) a tad closer to the pilot light. I also took a small toothbrush and lightly scrubbed the top of the pilot light and revacuumed. It works like a charm now.

And no, Hoot, we don't live where it's too cold. Temp at night has been hovering just above freezing. The Pacific NW is not too bad, especially if you live in the Banana Belt, not too much rain, and sunny skies. Amy

-- Amy Richards (tiggerwife@aol.com), October 16, 2000.