Fireplace Melted

[Daypro600]

I have a hearth and home fireplace. Pilot light went out and blower wouldn't turn on. Looked underneath and the components melted. The outlet was seriously melted and disfigured. The ignition switch melted off and was laying unattached. Blower not working when I plugged it into an external outlet. There is no evidence of anything burning or fire at all. Everything is clean and without any residue.

Thoughts on what could have caused this? Is finding an outlet and blower to replace these parts easy enough?

19 years old.

Rodney

 

[Lennox65]

The only times that I have seen that happen is when the glass panel was not firmly latched on the bottom.
In one of the pictures you can see that the grommets for the pilot line and the thermocouple are down near the valve when they should be up in the underside of the firebox. This probably wouldn't cause the melting, but it will affect the condition of the burner flame and leak the exhaust into your home.

 

[fortune-cookie]

Over time, electrical components can degrade, leading to increased resistance and heat buildup. Also, wiring issues, such as loose connections or damaged insulation, can lead to electrical problems.

 

[Daypro600]

The only times that I have seen that happen is when the glass panel was not firmly latched on the bottom.
In one of the pictures you can see that the grommets for the pilot line and the thermocouple are down near the valve when they should be up in the underside of the firebox. This probably wouldn't cause the melting, but it will affect the condition of the burner flame and leak the exhaust into your home.

Thanks Lennox. I believe you are spot on. My wife cleaned the glass andn forgot to latch the bottom two latches.

What about replacing the outlet, blower and ignitor switch? Where can I get those parts? Can I buy aftermarket parts? Are these parts pretty universal and interchangeable? Thanks Rodney

 

[Daypro600]

Thanks Lennox. I believe you are spot on. My wife cleaned the glass andn forgot to latch the bottom two latches.

What about replacing the outlet, blower and ignitor switch? Where can I get those parts? Can I buy aftermarket parts? Are these parts pretty universal and interchangeable? Thanks Rodney

 

[Lennox65]

The parts should all still be available. Find a local Hearth and Home dealer and they will be able to order them for you.

 

[Daypro600]

Thanks Lennox. I was able to locate the parts. Additional Question - The grate has rust on it. Can I use anything to clean some of this off? What are some reasons for this rust? The dealer told us that this particular part was no longer available. Unit is 19 years old. Vents out the wall just above the fire place unit. Thanks

 

[TheJeff]

I believe the parts are still aviable.

4021-013 is the junction box
291-513 igniter
GFK4B fan kit

These numbers are from the manual and available online.

 

[Lennox65]

Thanks Lennox. I was able to locate the parts. Additional Question - The grate has rust on it. Can I use anything to clean some of this off? What are some reasons for this rust? The dealer told us that this particular part was no longer available. Unit is 19 years old. Vents out the wall just above the fire place unit. Thanks

View attachment 323259 View attachment 323260

You could sand and repaint with high temp stove paint. Just be careful not to get anything in the burner port holes.
The reason that it rusts is because the biggest byproduct of gas combustion is water vapor.

 

[Nevins MHP]

You can remove the burner to repaint it. I'd recommend ordering a new burner gasket. The burner has to have an airtight seal. You probably have time to add it to the order for the other parts.

While you're waiting for parts you should shut off the power to the fireplace and remove the melted outlet box. It should have the 14ga wires connected to it. Disconnect those and inspect them. If they're ok, put a wire nut on each until you're ready to complete the repair. There is a possibility the insulation to the wires was damaged, which could be a fire hazard. Since the fireplace doesn't need a dedicated circuit there are probably other things on the circuit. Leaving the breaker off is unlikely to be the best choice.