My wall switch for my gas fireplace wont work anymore
Light Switch
Q: Jason, I have a gas fireplace that is supposed to light when the light switch is flipped to the ON position. It worked fine for the first 8 years. but now it won’t light when the switch is activated. In order to light it, I have to go to the fireplace to push the red ignitor button several times.
The pilot is burning OK, and the fire burns fine if I light it with the red ignitor. Is the thermocouple bad? After the fireplace has been burning for a while, I can flip the switch and it will re-light ok, but if I start it cold I am back to using the red button again. – GF
A: GF, Over the last 8 years the copper contacts on your standard wall switch have corroded a bit. In other words, they have that crusty green copper corrosion junk on the contacts. Since this system works on a milliamp signal it is very sensitive to variations or resistance. You can either remove the switch from the wall socket and clean the contacts or purchase a gold or mercury contact wall switch that will not corrode over time.