pilot on gas fireplace.

My tank is 60% full. Valve on the tank is open. Valve going to the burner is open. When I try and start the pilot light (method is correct) I get the little spark but pilot won't light and I do not have a trace smell of any propane. Any ideas. What is a thermopile? Thanks

 

Are you able to access the burner? Has the unit been unused for awhile? Sometimes the holes in the burner can be obstructed with corrosion and need to be cleaned. This can be done with a wooden toothpick acting as an awl but before you do anything, turn the propane off and be sure the system is empty!!

 

sometimes if the valve on the burner is open when you open the tank it activates a safety on the tank and does not turn on..

 

try bleeding the line. (safely) if your not smelling gas, then your not getting gas. you depending on how old the unit is, you may need to clean the pilot assembly. thermocoupler is the copper coated line that is coming from your gas valve (inside the unit) to the pilot assembly. we normally clean ours with sos pad, or fine sand paper. if you clean it make sure your gas is off obviously.

if your not sure what the hell your doing, have a service guy come look at it.

 

Good advice if you are not 100%.

 

I just bought the house and I think the original owners left the pilot light on most of the time. When I looked at the house the thing worked great, everytime I flipped the switch the fireplace lit up right now. Then when those owners were moving out they turned everything off. The unit is 5 years old. I think someone said to turn the valve off under the burner before I turn the propane tank valve on I haven't tried that I think on my gas grill if you turn the burners on before you turn on the tank they will not light even after shutting them off and turning them back on.

 

If it's been awhile since you used it, or changed tanks, you may not be waiting long enough for the gas to get from the valve to the pilot burner. If that's not the case, either you have a blockage, or the regulator is hosed. The pilot should always work regardless of the thermocouple, it just won't stay lit if it's bad.
This is assuming you're running a vent free burner from a propane tank.

 

dam did you swallow an encyclopedia

 

gas had plenty of time to get to the burner. I believe this is a vented system

 

can you smell gas yet? does it have a union? is it gas pipe or gas tite? sounds like a gas issue. what kind is it? pic?

 

They way to tell if it is a vented fireplace is if there is glass on the front of it.(an enclosed combustion chamber) This type fireplace will also be vented out a wall or the roof to a cap. If you have a spark and no ignition you probably have air in your line. At 60% LP in the tank you are 80% full on gas. Try to use a aim a flame grill lighter as you are holding in on the gas valve. That will speed up the bleeding of the line. You may have to break the flex underneth the unit to break the air lock on the valve. If it is a vent free unit you will have nothing or just a screen in front of the unit. In this case as sson as you smell gas you should have the air out.

 

Yes it does have the glass surround. I have a hunch you are correct about an air lock.