Gas Fireplace Red Light Blinking [7 Easy Solutions]

Gas fireplace red light blinking indicates your gas fireplace has some problem or malfunction. The most common causes of red-light blinking are spark igniter, ignition failure, flame flickers, incorrect gas pressure, wrong size flame, and many more.

The seven troubleshooting tips we have discussed in this article will help you understand what causes red light blinking in a gas fireplace. We also incorporate a detailed solution to each problem. 

Gas Fireplace Red Light Blinking [7 Easy Solutions]

The red light staying on means the gas fireplace is operating well. On the other hand, red light blinking means there is some problem. The most common problems and their solutions are the following: 

1. Flame Flickers

Flame flickers are a significant cause of the red light blinking of the gas fireplace. Again, the flame may spit or flicker because of the room draft. But, a dirty gas orifice is also responsible for flame-spitting.

Solution:

The solutions to the flame flickers problem are the following:

• Remove the dirt from the gas orifice and clean it
• Use a stiff wire to clean the orifice
• Remove the assembly of the pilot light while using the stiff wire

2. Spark Igniter

The spark igniter could be the problem for the blinking red light in the gas fireplace. The probable causes of spark ignitor problem are the following:

• The buildup of dust, debris, and dirt in between the thermocouple and igniter
• Insufficient air in the pilot area
• The pilot is not emitting gas

Solution:

Check the pilot whether is emitting gas or not; otherwise, the red light will still blink. Clean and remove the debris and foreign objects between the thermocouple and igniter. The area blows the compressed air in the pilot and waits for a few minutes to fix the problem.

3. Thermopile Fail to Generate Sufficient Millivoltage

If the thermopile of your gas fireplace fails to generate sufficient millivoltage, the red light may start blinking. This is because thermopiles create the voltage, and millivoltage runs on it.

Therefore, the red light may blink if the thermopile generates less voltage than the standard 500-750 millivolts.

Solution:

Make sure that your gas fireplace thermopile is getting sufficient millivoltage. The Millivolt system is the frequent gas-controlling process of the fireplace.

Contact an expert and check whether your thermopile is generating the standard 500-750 millivolts or not.

4. Wrong Size Flame

Thermocouples won’t release fuel for the too-small flame. Thus it could be a probable reason for the red light blinking in the gas fireplace. Other possible reasons are the following:

• Too small flame size
• Thermocouple releasing insufficient fuel
• The fireplace is not kicking it on

Solution:

Adjust the wrong size flame according to the thermocouple’s requirement and do the following:

• Adjust the blot of the flame screw
• Find the flame location for adjusting it
• Make it smaller or larger and resize it

5. Incorrect Gas Pressure

Incorrect gas pressure is not enough to trigger the fuel release from the gas fireplace. As a result, the red light of the fireplace may blink. Other causes of this problem are the following:

• Insufficient extreme gas pressure
• Insufficient fuel releasing
• Misaligned burner
• Dirty burner orifice

Solution:

If the red light of your gas fireplace is blinking, frequently check the gas pressure of your fireplace. And do the following to solve the problem.

• Adjust or screw the gas pressure (minimize or maximize the pressure)
• Make sure that the thermocouple is releasing sufficient fuel to stay on the light
• Placed the burner appropriately
• Use a soft burner brush to clean the orifice

6. Ignition Failure

A widespread problem for which your gas fireplace may start blinking red is ignition failure. However, it can happen for the following reasons:

• Bad ignitor
• Bad flame sensor
• Malfunctioning gas valve

Solution:

The solutions to the ignition failure problem are pretty straightforward. And the keys are the following: 

• Detect the ignition failure causes and fix it
• To check the malfunctioning gas valve and destructive flame sensor, call a professional

7. Dirty Pilot Burner

Sometimes the gas fireplace’s dirty pilot problem becomes responsible for its red light blinking. For example, if the inner and outer section of the burner consists of blockage because of dirt or debris buildup, your fireplace light won’t work correctly.

This is because the inner section directs the gas and the outer part brings combustion air. Thus, a dirty pilot burner hampers their way of work. 

Solution:

Solve the dirty pilot burning problem by following several solutions. Those are:

• Clean the pilot burner using compressed air 
• Ensure easy operation of the pilot’s inner and outer sections. 
• Clean and remove dirt and debris.

FAQ:

What Can Go Wrong with Your Gas Fireplace?

The gas fireplace may encounter several problems, such as:

• Gas fear/Gas leak
• The red light is blinking
• The light is not turning on
• The gas fireplace stopped working
• Dirt, debris, and dust buildup in the burner
• Dead or expired batteries etc.

Why is My Gas Fireplace Not Working?

The fireplace stopped working because of the improper screwed of the thermocouple. The pilot light and gas valve’s temperature sensor is a thermocouple. It ignites the necessary gas in the fireplace by generating the required electricity. If it is not placed or screwed correctly, the gas fireplace may not work.

How to Clean the Thermocouple in the Gas Fireplace?

For cleaning the gas fireplace thermocouple, follow the following steps:

• Switch off the gas valve in the fireplace
• Eliminate the fireplace’s front panel
• The thermocouple appears as a small straight pipe; find it
• Use the Compressed Air Can for cleaning the dust
• Blow away the debris, dirt, and dust gently from the thermocouple

Do Gas Fireplaces Produce Off heat?

When the gas fireplace is on and burning the flame, it only produces heat. It means that if the gas fireplace remains turned off, it will not make heat for your place. However, heating is not the only primary purpose for using the gas fireplace.

How Often Should I Replace My Gas Fireplace Logs?

If you maintain your vented gas fireplace log set in a very proper way, it can last for more than ten years. However, the ceramic vent-free logs also last longer if you take care of them correctly. Otherwise, the gas logs will only last 3-5 years with rough and heavy use.

Conclusion

The gas fireplace’s red light blinking is a significant problem; you should take care of it and fix it immediately. We hope that by reading the above article, now you can also solve or detect the problem yourself.

Well, you may face or experience any issue except the above-mentioned 7 problems for the red light blinking. In that case, just let us know in the comment box about your issue. We’ll come to you with a solution ASAP.