I have a gas fireplace that is operated by a light switch. It worked during an outage. Can anyone explain how?

Question

Recently we had a pretty widespread power outage in Seattle. To my suprise and delight, my gas fireplace worked just fine. This seemed like a Christmas miracle because the fireplace turns on and off with an electric switch. I looked for a battery or something and didn't see anything that resembled a battery. But I flicked the switch on and off and the fireplace responded completely normally. Can anyone explain how this works?

Answer 1

Sorry, it was not magic or a Christmas Miracle.
Your system is what is commonly referred to as a Millivolt, Powerpile, or Pilot Generator system. In lay person’s terms, it’s a standing pilot gas valve that functions by the use of very low voltage (millivoltage) that is produced by the heat of the standing pilot, through the use of what looks like a very large thermocouple (Powerpile Generator). Your switch simply allows this low voltage to open the main burner valve within the gas control valve.

So the gas portion of the system requires no outside electrical power, now if you tell me the blower motor came on as well we could be looking at a miracle.

The grill igniter, and hidden capacitor answers are absurd.
And, Holy Cow! Its technology that has been around for many years…. No need to miraculously resurrect Albert Einstein to figure it out. Anyone in the HVAC business will gladly explain it to you most likely with more detail than I have here.

Answer 2

well, it is kind of like a gas water heater. they are ignited by a pilot light. there is a thermocupler inside the water heater that is heated by the pilot light. if the pilot goes out, the thermocupler gets cold and shuts the gas off. the thermocupler generates a small electrical current that holds the gas valve open. your switch simply interupts this circuit. your pilot light stayed light so the thermocupler continued to generate electricity. i must say, it is a great idea, that way you are never without heat in a power outage. the thermocupler would have to be powerful enough to run two valves, one to control the main burner, and one to shut off the gas if the pilot light goes out.

Answer 3

Your propane furnace will NOT work in an electrical outage unless you have some form of back up power. A generator can be wired to run your furnace and other critical appliances.

Answer 4

the fireplace works off gas. the lightswitch controls the gas valve. some models have an internal battery backup that will activate the valve just fine even when the house does not have power.

Answer 5

Contact the builder because there are many ways this happened.You left out to much(about further trials of use) to gain knowledge on this happenstance. The reality of convienence allways blinds us of the invention behind it. Unless your Einstein at every step you have no idea of the graduation and perfection of invention. We ultimately succumb to the advantages of our time at the expense of those who made the impossible.....possible! Wake up to the blinding light of progress!

Answer 6

It is totally unrealled to the electrical system. Think of that switch as the ignighter on your gas grill, istead of a button that clicks, you flip a switch that happens to match the rest in your house.


There is no battery, it is not a part of your electrical system!!!

Answer 7

GAS... fire is lit by a piezo electric igniter....not conected to the house supply at all..(unless there is a fan connected)

Answer 8

Could be generating it's own millivoltage if pilot light stays lit all the time.

Answer 9

It has a capacitor hidden in there somewhere that acts like a
battery.

I was wrong, sorry for wrong info.

Answer 10

you better listen to Ipgnh3,that is how it happens.