The First Cold Night Is When Gas Fireplaces Fail
You press the switch. Nothing. You try the remote. Nothing. You find the lighter, kneel down and peer at the pilot, and it clicks but will not catch.
It happens all over Dallas on the same night every year. A gas fireplace sits unused through a long, humid summer. Dust settles in the pilot. Spiders build webs in the burner tubes. Batteries die. The thermocouple, a small safety sensor, wears out.
Dallas Chimney Care provides gas fireplace repair in Dallas, TX, and the service call is free. We come out, find what is wrong, and tell you the price before we touch anything.
Gas Fireplace Problems We Fix
Pilot light will not light or stay lit
A dirty pilot, a kinked pilot tube or a worn thermocouple is the usual cause. We clean or replace the part and reset the flame.
Burner will not come on
If the pilot is lit but the main burner stays off, the thermopile, the wall switch, the remote receiver or the gas valve may have failed. We test each one in order.
Fireplace goes out by itself
The safety sensor is shutting off the gas because it thinks the pilot is out. A new thermocouple or thermopile usually solves it.
Weak, uneven or noisy flames
Clogged burner ports cause low or lopsided flames and a rumbling or whistling sound. We clean the burner and set the logs back the way the maker designed.
Soot on the logs or glass
Black soot means the gas is not burning clean. Often the logs have been moved out of place. See fireplace cleaning.
Remote or wall switch does not work
We check the batteries, the receiver and the wiring, and replace what has failed.
What Happens on a Free Service Call
- You call. A local person answers, from 7 AM to 11 PM, every day.
- We come out. Same-day and next-day appointments, with a text when your technician is on the way.
- We find the problem. There is no charge for the visit or the diagnosis.
- You get a written price. You decide. If you say no, you owe nothing.
- We repair and test. Most repairs are done during the same visit.
Gas Fireplace Safety
A gas fireplace that burns badly can make carbon monoxide. Keep a working carbon monoxide alarm on every level of your home, and have the fireplace serviced once a year. The National Fire Protection Association has more heating safety tips.
If you ever smell gas, leave the house and call your gas company from outside before you call anyone else.
A Yearly Gas Fireplace Inspection Prevents Most Repairs
Most of the gas fireplace repair calls we get in North Texas could have been avoided. A yearly fireplace inspection and cleaning keeps the pilot clear, the sensors working and the vent open. It also catches fire hazards early, such as a cracked log, a loose connection or a blocked flue.
Gas fireplaces still depend on the chimney. A gas log set in a masonry fireplace vents through the same flue as a wood fire, so that flue needs a chimney inspection each year and a chimney cleaning when soot builds up. A sealed fireplace insert has its own vent, and that needs checking too. If the chimney itself is damaged, we handle the chimney repair.
For a homeowner, the goal is simple: keep your fireplace ready for the one week a year you really need it. We serve Dallas and the DFW metroplex, including Plano, Garland and Fort Worth for larger jobs. If the hearth and surround look dated, ask us about a remodel while we are there.
Why Dallas Chimney Care
Dallas Chimney Care is a small local Dallas chimney company, not a big chain. Our owner has 20 years of hands-on experience with fireplaces and chimneys and is certified by the Chimney Safety Institute of America. We are insured, and our repairs carry a 5-year workmanship warranty.
Thinking about new logs? See gas log installation. For wood fireplaces and everything else, see fireplace repair or our fireplace service for Dallas homes.