I am about ready to explode!!!!!!!  Ask my kids--they think I already did.

Last week I tried to light the pilot light in my gas fireplace in preparation for the upcoming cold weather.  Pilot would light but not stay lit.  Spent about an hour that day and just gave up.

Finally called for help/advice.  I was advised that I probably needed a thermocouple replaced in the POS.  Ordered the part, picked it up today.  They told me that I probably could replace it myself.  So I figured, WTF, of course I can replace this simple little part!!!  Any idiot could do it.

Wrong.   This fucking idiot just spent the last 2 1/2 hours taking the damn fireplace apart trying to access this part.  Too many things in my way and no room for any tools to loosen the fittings!!!  Damn--my hands are just too fucking big to fit behind everything.

WTF--now I'm starting to get really pissed!  Took a short break at 8 to pick the kids up in town and back at it a short time later.  Break must have done me good, cause I finally got the last fitting undone.  Small victory--couldn't get the replacement thermocouple's fittings to screw back in.   FFFUUUUUUUUUCCCCCKKKKKK.

Took another small break to yell at the kids and send them to bed.  Must have been the break I needed--the fitting just magically threaded back on.  See....I knew I could do it.

Put all the parts back together--no extra screws left over--huge victory.  Turned the gas switch back on, turned the knob to ignite, hit the button and................................
NOTHING..........FFFUUUUUCCCCCCKKKKKKK!!!!!!!

Guess tomorrow I will be calling a service man to come fix the fucking thing for me.  Wish I had done that in the first place.hat.hermocouple experience will involve me and a S.O. wrapped in flannel!!!!

This is why I don't work on my own airplane.

My mechanical skill suck all sorts of ass. You're playin with a fireplace...if that doesn't work, you turn up the heater. If I screw up, my ass falls out of the sky.

I feel your pain.

SIgned

Kurt "Tim the Toolman ain't got shit on me" Austin

thermocouple should only be the problem if the pilot is on but the main burner won't light

(thermocouple tells it when there is heat there, i.e. a flame, so the appliance is not turned on and not burning thus just letting out gas)  edited to add this is not always the case, depending on application so either way the thermocouple WAS a good idea to start out with, and an inexpensive route at that....................

if its one of those finicky bitch pilots im thinking of, there should be a shaft, probably made of porcelain that leads up to the pilot orifice.  run a q-tip through there with alcohol on it and if you have a way, blow it out as well with compressed air, then try again.

more helpful advice from your resident ARFCOM propane expert.  

all advice void where prohibited by law, all compensation for advice to be paid in cold beer

Quoted: thermocouple should only be the problem if the pilot is on but the main burner won't light (thermocouple tells it when there is heat there, i.e. a flame, so the appliance is not turned on and not burning thus just letting out gas) if its one of those finicky bitch pilots im thinking of, there should be a shaft, probably made of porcelain that leads up to the pilot orifice.  run a q-tip through there with alcohol on it and if you have a way, blow it out as well with compressed air, then try again. more helpful advice from your resident ARFCOM propane expert.   all advice void where prohibited by law, all compensation for advice to be paid in cold beer

I'm not touching that fucking bitch again.  I've got a cold 12 pack in the fridge now and can go for more.  I'll wait till you get here--you're in Texas right?  Guess I will have to get more beer.....hinking.gif

Just put a grill in the middle of the room and crank it up.

- BG

Just lit mine tonight

Quoted: Just lit mine tonighthr

Now that just makes me feel better!!!!(On a side note... my 22 mo old son learned a new word or two tonight)

Quoted: (On a side note... my 22 mo old son learned a new word or two tonight)

I doubt that.

I've never seen one that the pilot stayed lit with a bad thermocouple. That's part of the safety of it; If the pilot goes out (thermocouple gets cold) it shuts off the gas. Otherwise your house would fill with gas if the pilot went out.
  You'll have less trouble if you leave it lit all year long. It doesn't use much gas, and it prevents a lot of oxidation in the heat chamber. If it's been out for months you need to check the gas ports on the burner before you light it again.

Maybe the thermostat is bad or the gas valve the thermostat goes to??

I feel your pain.......I just finished unclogging my kitchen drain......what a stinky pain in the ass.  I had to rent the motorized snake from the local Ace Hardware store.  There is just about no room under the sink with the damn garbage disposal in the way.  I had to pipe wrench so I got a 24" one figuring the leverage it offered would come in handier than its awkward lenth.  Wrong!!!!  Had to go back and buy a smaller one too.  Of course you run the snake in till it either goes the entire length or stops hard against something.  I managed to get in  about 10 feet or so before it stops cold.  I though/prayed that might be far enough.  So I go to put it all back together and of course the pipe threads are all crumbling from age and corrosion and won't go back together.  So it's back to Ace to get a new piece of pipe.  Get it all together and of course it runs great......for a little while and them stops up again......oh man was I pissed!!!  I took the plunger and was hoping/praying/cussing my ass off trying to get that clog free.  Finally it blew passed or did whatever the hell plugged drains do after being snaked and cleared up on me.......I hope it lasts!!!  Nothing like trying to do a job without the proper tools already at hand and making a crapload of trips to the hardware store.  Oh yeah.....my plumbers putty was too old and dried out so I have to go back again tomorrow to get some and reassemble the whole thing all over again!!!!  Arrrggg!!!!!

Quoted: Just put a grill in the middle of the room and crank it up. - BG

WTF is up with your avatar man!

Did you do the stand in parts for Lawrence in FMJ?

I always measure my home repair efforts based on how many trips to the hardware store it takes AFTER I start the damn project.  If I'm *really* good, it only takes one (Ok, maybe two).

If it's bad, watch out!  Start early, and hopefully on a day when the local store is open late.

I think my worst to date for a single project is like six trips...

I repair these things all  day.  Thermocouple when in the flame generates voltage, 30 mV to be in the ballpark. This Millivolt "source" of electricity is what holds open the pilot portion of the gas valve. To light the pilot there is a piezio ignitor that you must push. It snaps as you push it in and generates a spark to light pilot. 9 times out of ten the wire that leads from the piezio ignitor to the electode by the pilot is melted and SHORTED to ground. Alas no spark.

If you have spark......

Then when you push the gas valve knob when it is aligned with the pilot markings, do you hear gas flow? Is this natural gas or propane? If propane do you have gas in the storage tank?

If you hear gas then the next issue is the flame hood. If this is sooted up and blocking gas flow to the spark then you need to clean the pilot assembly. If it lights and NOW goes out THEN suspect the thermocouple.

Next thing is if you have a good pilot, blue not exceedingly yellow in color and aimed at the thermocouple AND the thermopile. does the main burner light? If not then perhaps wait for the flame to generate enought Millivolts in the THERMOPILE. If you can measure the direct current milivolt reading from the thermopile it should be no less than 350mV on pilot and plenty warm. If higher, like 450mV GREAT good Excellent. Otherwise then replace thermopile as you had previously cleaned that as well with sandpaper and a vacuum when you cleaned the pilot assembly.

Railgun....

Read this again he said Gas Fireplace(not gas furnace)!  Maybe he is not telling us everything!!!

Bob

Quoted: This is why I don't work on my own airplane. My mechanical skill suck all sorts of ass. You're playin with a fireplace...if that doesn't work, you turn up the heater. If I screw up, my ass falls out of the sky. I feel your pain. SIgned Kurt "Tim the Toolman ain't got shit on me" Austin

That's good to know, now just break out yer check book and lemme get started on your annual.....