Fireplace won't stay on

[Dargo]

Hi everyone.

I have a new FireplaceX DVL 34 natural gas insert. The installation was completed about two months ago, and things seemed fine. Yesterday was the first day cool enough that I felt like it might be nice to run it for real.

The problem is that the flame comes on, runs for a few seconds (10-30), and then everything shuts off (flame and pilot). I had read somewhere (?) that one reason to keep CPI on when it is cool is to maintain good airflow. The pilot had been out (CPI shuts off after seven days without use), so I turned that back on and waited until morning. No luck.

Messing around this morning, it looks like a ventilation problem since it runs OK if I open the glass panel at the bottom and let some air in. When I do this, the outbound shaft gets hot, and the intake stays cool.

As I said, I was able to keep it running right after the installation, but not now that the weather has changed. Does this sound like some happy critter managed to build a nest in the intake, or does it seems like something with the fireplace installation itself? I want to avoid calling the installer for something simple.

Thanks for the tips.

 

[Dargo]

Hi everyone.

I have a new FireplaceX DVL 34 natural gas insert. The installation was completed about two months ago, and things seemed fine. Yesterday was the first day cool enough that I felt like it might be nice to run it for real.

The problem is that the flame comes on, runs for a few seconds (10-30), and then everything shuts off (flame and pilot). I had read somewhere (?) that one reason to keep CPI on when it is cool is to maintain good airflow. The pilot had been out (CPI shuts off after seven days without use), so I turned that back on and waited until morning. No luck.

Messing around this morning, it looks like a ventilation problem since it runs OK if I open the glass panel at the bottom and let some air in. When I do this, the outbound shaft gets hot, and the intake stays cool.

As I said, I was able to keep it running right after the installation, but not now that the weather has changed. Does this sound like some happy critter managed to build a nest in the intake, or does it seems like something with the fireplace installation itself? I want to avoid calling the installer for something simple.

Thanks for the tips.

One more note - I tried a few settings for the restrictor, and it didn't seem to make any difference.

 

[DAKSY]

It sounds like a venting problem…Can you film the flames during the operation of the unit? That may point us in the right direction.

 

[Dargo]

It sounds like a venting problem…Can you film the flames during the operation of the unit? That may point us in the right direction.

Good idea, thanks. I've attached a video...

 

[DAKSY]

It doesn’t appear to be venting to me. With a venting issue, the flames will “lift” off the burner. Yours are just going out. Here’s the wiring diagram from the manual. In the middle of the left hand side there is a ground wire. It’s probably attached to the bottom of the unit with a screw. Make sure the screw is tight…
Let us know if this helps…

 

[Dargo]

Thanks for the tip. Given the tight space below the unit, I can't see where that wire is attached. I suppose there is some chance that it isn't attached at all.

I have relented and called the dealer, so we'll see where that goes. I'll post something back here once the problem is resolved.

Out of curiosity, would the loose ground wire make sense if the system works OK without the glass? Are you just thinking that things are different in that situation, or do you think something more subtle is going on?

Thanks again.

 

[DAKSY]

Hmmm. I had forgotten that. What is your vent configuration? Horizontal or vertical? I have seen this happen when the pilot is agitated by incoming combustion air, causing shut down. Tall vertical venting can be an issue., but your restrictor adjustment didn’t help. Can you see what the pilot looks like during operation?

 

[Dargo]

The service guys came out (very quickly - thumbs up!), immediately laughed, and told me I had a spider in the pilot assembly. I was skeptical, but sure enough, there was a tiny amount of fluff in the pilot hood. It was believable that this had been a little spider and/or web.

The blockage was small enough that the pilot would still come on, but the flame wasn't strong enough to keep the detector hot when the flame came on. Open the glass, and the airflow is different enough that the sensor stays hot.

One last note, they also pointed out that you can tell this is the problem because the pilot light had a lot of orange in it ("it looks like a candle") instead of being a lovely pure blue. Being new to this, that didn't tip me off (though I guess you would have seen that if I posted the shot of the pilot itself). Pro tip: Keep the pilot light on all the time, at least when your house is in the woods.

Thanks again for everyone's help. I hope this post helps someone else.

 

[DAKSY]

Wow. I have encountered spider nests many times, but I have never seen them in the pilot gas line. Learn something new …