Gas Fireplace Won't Light? A Fall Checklist for Lower Mainland Homes

The first cold, wet week of October is when a lot of Lower Mainland homeowners flip the switch on the gas fireplace for the first time since spring, and nothing happens. Or it clicks and clicks. Or it lights, smells a bit odd, and a film shows up on the glass.

Some of that is a two-minute fix. Some of it needs a licensed gasfitter. Here's how to tell the difference, what an annual fireplace service should actually cover, and the FortisBC rebate most people forget to claim.

Start with the boring stuff

A lot of "dead" fireplaces in October aren't broken. Before you call anyone, check these:

• The remote and the receiver. Dead batteries in the remote, or in the receiver box tucked behind the lower panel, cause plenty of no-start calls. Swap them first.

• The wall switch or thermostat. If the fireplace runs off a wall switch or a wall thermostat, make sure nobody turned it off in May or dialled the setting down.

• The gas shutoff. There's usually a manual valve near the fireplace, often behind the lower louvre panel. If it was closed for the summer or during a reno, it needs to be open. If you can't find it or aren't sure which way is open, leave it alone and call.

• Power. Fireplaces with electronic ignition or a blower need power. Check the breaker, and check that the outlet behind the panel is live if the unit plugs in. Some models also have a backup battery pack, and those go flat too.

Standing pilot or electronic ignition? It matters

Many older gas fireplaces use a standing pilot: a small flame that burns all the time and lights the main burner when you ask for heat. Plenty of people shut the pilot off for the summer, which means it has to be relit in the fall.

Your fireplace should have lighting instructions on a label, usually inside the lower panel, and in the owner's manual. Follow them exactly, including the waiting period after a failed attempt. That wait lets gas clear before you try again.

If the pilot lights but goes out as soon as you let go of the knob, or won't stay lit for more than a few minutes, stop there. That usually points to a dirty or worn thermocouple or thermopile, or a partly blocked pilot. It's a job for a gasfitter.

Newer fireplaces often light electronically when you hit the switch. FortisBC notes that some newer units don't have a standing pilot at all, so check the manual before you go looking for one. If an electronic-ignition unit clicks over and over without lighting, or lights and shuts off a few seconds later, the problem is usually in the ignition, flame sensing, or gas supply. Not a DIY repair either.

When to turn it off and call right away

Technical Safety BC lists specific signs that a gas appliance needs service immediately, and FortisBC adds a few for fireplaces. If you notice any of these, shut the fireplace off and leave it off until it's been checked:

• The pilot keeps going out, or the flame looks noticeably different from normal: lazier, wavering, or lifting off the burner

• A boom when it lights, or a delay before the burner catches

• Black, brown, or white streaks of soot inside the fireplace or on the venting

• Condensation on the inside of your windows

• Any smell of gas, constant or on and off

• Headaches, nausea, dizziness, or flu-like symptoms with no fever in people at home

If you smell gas, get out first and call the FortisBC emergency line at 1-800-663-9911, or 911, from outside. We've laid out the steps in what to do if you smell gas in your BC home. If your CO alarm goes off, same rule: everyone out, then call.

Look at the vent outside

If your fireplace vents through a cap on an outside wall, walk around and look at it. After a summer of growth and a few fall windstorms, it's common to find leaves, a shrub that's crept in, or something stacked against the wall. Clear what's around the cap, but don't pull it apart, and don't touch it while the fireplace is running. If anything looks damaged, crushed, or blocked from the inside, have it checked.

What an annual gas fireplace service should cover

Technical Safety BC recommends having home heating appliances serviced every year, and gas fireplaces are part of that. Its checklist for a fireplace service includes:

• Cleaning the glass and the unit following the manufacturer's guidelines

• Checking the whole vent system and the outside termination

• Inspecting the explosion relief flappers and glass door gaskets for a proper seal

• Inspecting the burner, venturi, and air openings

• Inspecting the gas valve, gas components, and pilot system

• Checking log placement against the manual

• Making sure the fan, thermostat, remote, and safety controls all work

Log placement matters more than people expect. Logs get shifted during cleaning or by kids, and a log sitting where it shouldn't can put the flame right into it and start sooting up the glass. The manual shows where each piece goes.

If last year's "service" was a quick wipe of the glass, that isn't what Technical Safety BC describes. Most people book the fireplace at the same time as the furnace or boiler. We cover that side in how often you should service your furnace or boiler in BC.

The FortisBC rebate most people miss

As of October 2026, FortisBC's appliance maintenance program pays $25 per fireplace service, for up to two fireplaces per household. It combines with $50 for a furnace or boiler service and $50 for a tankless water heater service, up to $150 total. The conditions worth knowing:

• You have to be a residential FortisBC gas customer

• The service has to be done by a licensed gas contractor

• Outdoor fireplaces don't qualify

• You apply online within 60 days of the invoice date, and the rebate comes as a bill credit

FortisBC can change or end the program, so check their rebate page before you book.

Renting out a suite? It's required, not recommended

According to Technical Safety BC, the Gas Safety Regulation requires rental property owners to have all gas appliances inspected and serviced every year by a licensed contractor, and to keep the service records on file. A gas fireplace in a basement suite counts. If you're still planning the suite, our post on adding a basement suite in BC covers the plumbing side.

Two safety notes for families

Fireplace glass heats up fast and stays hot well after the flame is off. Glass-front gas fireplaces made from January 1, 2015 onward must come with a protective barrier if the glass can get hotter than 78°C (172°F), and that barrier is meant to stay on. If you have an older unit without one, add a screen that the manufacturer approves for your model. A poorly matched aftermarket screen can affect how the fireplace runs.

Also, put a CO alarm on every floor and near the bedrooms. Technical Safety BC recommends testing them monthly and replacing the alarm every 7 to 10 years. Check the date on the back of yours. A lot of them are older than people think.

Who's allowed to work on it

Relighting a pilot from the label is fine. Past that point, the valve, pilot assembly, thermocouple, ignition module, and gas line are gas work, and Technical Safety BC says that work has to be done by a certified gasfitter employed by a licensed gas contractor. A handyman can't legally do it, and not every plumber is gas-certified. Our post on the difference between a plumber and a gasfitter in BC explains why.

Book a fireplace service or repair

Ark Plumbing & Heating's licensed gasfitters work on gas lines and gas appliances in Surrey, Langley, White Rock, Delta, Burnaby, and across the Lower Mainland. If your fireplace isn't working right, or you're booking a furnace or boiler service this fall, give us a call and we'll tell you how we can help. Our gasfitting installs and repairs page covers the rest of what we do.

Call 604-441-3411 or request a quote online, and we'll get back to you within 24 hours.