Heatilator- Remote & Receiver bypass?

[Cowboy Rich]

Hey all,
I have a Heatilator gas fireplace; Model: GNDC33E NAT Serial#: GA168753 with a Heatilator APT-1300 remote and receiver unit installed in a 1997 build house.

Some time ago the fireplace stopped working, possibly because I dropped the remote on the tile, but I am not sure if that is the reason. (Hey, I try not to judge.) It was actually the first time I was going to use it since the previous winter.

Fresh batteries in the remote and still nothing. No battery pack on/in the receiver. The receiver has a constant power source and the power indicator light is on. The remote indicator lights up when either "On" or "Off" are pushed.

Under the hood:
There is a wall outlet that has a brown plug coming from it to the back of the receiver. A black plug comes off the receiver and disappears into the rear of the compartment. (Possibly the blower or IPI?)

A separate brown plug comes off the outlet and links with a set of black wires with what looks like a Tamiya plug. These wires also lead to the back of the compartment.

The blower is activated by a wall switch, not a thermostat.

Now, I said all that to ask; Can I just unplug the receiver and plug what may be the IPI into the outlet or will this cause me to explode?

Before I am forced to spend 100+ dollars on a remote and receiver, I would like to be sure it is the problem. 100 bucks can buy a lot of gear.

Thanks in advance,
Rich

P.S. I can post pics if needed.

 

[DAKSY]

Can you post the wiring diagram from your manual, or do we need to find it on line?

 

[Cowboy Rich]

I forgot to mention, there is a part on the left hand side that has an "On/Off" switch. I am not sure what function it serves.

I will post some pictures of the components area.

 

[Cowboy Rich]

 

[DAKSY]

Try the ON/OFF switch. That is known as a "Tech Switch" & is there for the service guy when he needs to have the unit on or off.
If that doesn't work, let us know.

 

[Cowboy Rich]

It is in the "On" position now and has been. Should I turn it to "Off"?

3rd pic from the left, next to the red gas shutoff.

 

[DAKSY]

It is in the "On" position now and has been. Should I turn it to "Off"?

3rd pic from the left, next to the red gas shutoff.

Turn it off & then on again. It may reset everything. If it doesn't, your manual may show a wiring schematic without the remote.
You should be able to activate the unit with the tech switch once the remote is out of the system.

 

[Cowboy Rich]

Ok, gotcha. I will give it a shot and report back. Thanks!

So the remote set up is just a convenience, not an integral part of the system, correct?

 

[DAKSY]

Ok, gotcha. I will give it a shot and report back. Thanks!

So the remote set up is just a convenience, not an integral part of the system, correct?

I believe that to be so. There has to be a way to use the fireplace if the remote fails.

 

[Cowboy Rich]

No dice. I am going to look at the remote/receiver wires/plugs to see if I can figure out how to remove it from the system.

I figure, if I shut off the gas the worst thing I can do is electrocute myself right?

 

[ScubaSteve]

You don't have a IPI system. you have electronic ignition. The remote is not your typical standing pilot remote control and they will no work on your unit. if you need to replace the remote you will have to get the sky tech remote called santas helper. If you are having an issue with the burner coming on and off it could be several things such as a burner that has some rust through, it could be the ignitor/flame rectifier is not gaped correctly or is not grounded or the flame is not hitting it. You could have a bad transformer or you could have a bad safety switch or the switch is grounding out on the foil blanked that sits right above it in the cavity your distribution air blows through up left corner.if the switch bellow does not turn or attempt to turn it on. I would advise you to pay someone to come and service it that knows old school heatilators

 

[Cowboy Rich]

Sorry guys, been dealing with sick kids, sick wife and bulk trash clean up days.

I was actually able to locate (finally) a tech in my area and explained the problem to him. I gave him the model and serial and started explaining the remote. He stopped me and said, "Ya you've probably got one of those old grey ones and it has like a little orange light on it right?"

Yep, exactly.

"Okay, just unplug that box from the outlet and plug the ignition into the outlet. Then you can turn it on or off with the switch underneath. Those old models didn't come with remotes from the factory and this is how they are originally set up."

Awesome!

So, I did what he said and the thing fires right up. You hear a few clicks as the piezo strikes and the flame catches. After that all is quiet and warm.

Thanks again for all the help guys. I really appreciate it!