# Pilot won’t stay lit



## redwhtblu (Oct 4, 2008)

I just bought a house and it came with a Majestic gas fireplace. There were no manuals left behind for this fireplace and can not tell what the model number or series is. I only know that it's a Majestic brand because on the bottom left corner of the glass it is shown there.  This particular unit is connected to a thermostat for control and to help with heating of the home. My issue is that once I get the pilot lit and then the fireplace gets lit it will stay on for a while. After about 20 or so seconds it will click itself off and the pilot light will also turn off. How can I get this to stay lit?


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## webbie (Oct 4, 2008)

Could be a couple things...including the thermocouple or thermopile.

https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/articles/how_gas_works

will give you an idea of how these things work. It is not really a job for DIY fixing in most cases..and you should get a manual. You can probably find the model number in a metal tag which is under the unit near the gas valve- usually hooked to a chain.

One problem is we hardly know if the unit worked before! That can make it harder to troubleshoot. 

Some general hints...
Some units have an overheat sensor which turns the unit off if too hot! You can take this out of the equation by trying to lower the hi-lo switch, turn it on and see if it shuts down as quickly. 
Some units have an adjustment for the pilot flame - turning it up a bit may help.
The thermocouple connection to the valve may be loose or need cleaning.
A blocked vent or something like that is possible, but you will often see the flame act up - maybe lift off the burner, etc. if this is the case.

Well, if nothing else, those will help you with telling your plumbing or heating contractor what to do!


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## R&D Guy (Oct 5, 2008)

Red - can you see the pilot well with the unit burning?  One of the many things it sounds like is that the pilot is going out due to a lack of O2 and therefore cutting the gas off to the burner.  If you can see it, then start the burner and keep a close eye on the pilot flames and see if any go out right before the burner turns off.

What is your vent configuration like? Does it terminated on the side of the house about as high as the unit is in the house?  

Do the flames lift off the burner before in the 30 seconds of run time?

How long do you run the pilot before starting the burner?  Some units need a draft established before you start the burner.  You can do this by running the pilot for at least a hour before starting the burner.  If that solves the problem then leave the pilot running all season.


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## drizler (Oct 5, 2008)

That is one handy neat article Craig, thanx a lot.    I will copy and stash that for future use.


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