Fireplace shuts off along with Pilot light.

[thellamattina]

I have a Desa vented gas fireplace, model number DVF36TA.

The pilot will light and stays lit, and then I flip the switch on the wall for the fireplace to turn on and the fireplace will turn on and burn for a little while.

I then hear a loud "CLICK" and the fire goes out along with the pilot. I am not very familiar with gas fireplaces but have read that I can repair some things on them myself as long as I use caution and take my time.

The pilot light is blue, not yellow.

The unit is also controlled by a "light switch" on the wall next to the fireplace if that makes any difference.

Any ideas as to what this could be?

Here is a picture of the pilot, not sure if you can tell anything by looking at it.

 

[DAKSY]

Are you sure of the model number? I can't find it on the Desa site.

 

[Heatsource]

watch the pilot flame closely, is there turbulence pulling the flame away from the thermocouple (on left side of pilot flame)

i'd guess marginal t-couple output...

 

[anastasio]

I have some gas logs that just started doing this that I need to look at tomorrow.
There are two critical things to check: enough gas and the flame/pilot sensor (thermocouple) is clean.

1. Make sure the gas feed is completely cleared. Blow, vac or brush it out very well. It doesn't take much to reduce the flow enough that it easily blows out.
2. Clean that powdery buildup off of the thermocouple. It the unit doesn't sense that there is flame or pilot, that is, the thermocouple doesn't get hot enough, it will cut off the gas supply to keep you from blowing up or asphyxiating.

Good luck!