Gas fireplaces have become super popular among homeowners who don’t want the hassle of firewood, and with that, the ease of use also brings an attraction to buying a gas fireplace.
One of the gas fireplace owners is my friend Emili. She always asked me doubts about her gas fireplace, and a few days ago she asked me Is it safe to leave the gas fireplace pilot on?
So, in this blog, we are going to discuss and bring a one-line answer Is it safe to leave the gas fireplace pilot on?
Read till the end, in the end, we have a direct answer to it.
Introduction
Nowadays. every modern appliance has sensors placed inside it, and in this case gas fireplace has a thermal sensor that detects the temperature inside the fireplace, if the temperature goes up from a certain limit then it triggers the sensor immediately and takes action to shut off the gas fireplace.
Will Gas Fireplace Shut Off If Too Hot?
Yes, it is one of the best features of a gas fireplace which is an automatic process. A temperature is set for the gas fireplace and if the gas fireplace heat is crossed the set temperature then it will immediately turn off the system.
This quick reaction stops things from getting too hot, which helps avoid damage and keeps your home safe.
All this mechanism works because of a part called the thermal sensor which is one of the most important parts of the gas fireplace.
If you doubt what caused the abnormal rise in temperature, below I’m going to mention 10 common causes.
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Common Causes of Gas Fireplace Shutdown When Too Hot
- Ventilation Issues: It is an issue that eventually creates more issues in the future which is a ventilation issue and this is caused by blocked vents and obstructing debris or dust inside the vents which reduce the airflow and trap the heat inside which increases the heat of the gas fireplace.
- Overheating: There are many causes of overheating it can be due to the continuous running of a gas fireplace without breaking.
- Gas Pressure Fluctuations: There may be an issue of gas pressure fluctuation which messes with the gas pressure and that causes the gas fireplace to be hot.
- Malfunctioning Gas Valve: Sometimes when the gas valve accidentally supplies too much gas at one time and burns those gases gas fireplace becomes too hot.
- Pilot Light Problems: This can be caused by a pilot light malfunction which can affect the heat regulation functions in the gas fireplace.
- Ignition System Issues: Your gas fireplace may be overheating because the problem is related to the ignition system in the gas fireplace, whose duty is to ignite the fire.
- Electronic Control Board Failure: This issue disturbs the whole system of the gas fireplace because the failure of an electric control board is gonna provide uneven electricity to every component in the unit which eventually fails the gas fireplace.
- Worn Thermocouple: An old thermocouple might not control the gas flow properly, which can lead to overheating. This is not a common issue faced by people that’s why it is the last point.
What Happens If Your Fireplace Gets Too Hot?
If your gas fireplace becomes too hot, it can cause several problems, such as safety risks and harm to the parts of the fireplace some consequences are as follows:
Safety Concerns: Overheating is an issue that happens in a lot of appliances which if continuous can cause a lot of safety issues for your house and family. It could eventually lead to weakening of the material of the fireplace and the flooring of the house because hot waves coming from the fireplace damage the surrounding things.
Overheating Components: There are many important components inside the gas fireplace that will be damaged by overheating. It is very dangerous for the house because if certain things get damaged it could cause a serious fire hazard such as gas valves, thermocouples, and thermopiles. Overheating melts the parts inside which malfunctions the gas fireplace.
Damage to Surrounding Materials: As I told you before an overheated gas fireplace affects the things around it means the surrounding material such as furniture, floor, and curtains depends on what things you keep close to the fireplace. The surrounding material can ignite suddenly and cause a fire hazard which can be very dangerous.
Reduced Lifespan: If your gas fireplace is overheated every time because of obvious reasons, it will reduce the life of the unit and if it could work for 15 years constant overheating will reduce up to 7-8 years. Yes, it reduces the age of the fireplace massively because it damages the inner parts inside.
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