I have a Heat-n-Glo vented gas fireplace. Model 6000TRB. The pilot lights ok and stays on, but when I hit the wall switch, the fire will not light. I have isolated the problem to the thermopile (thru testing) but can not see how to remove it from the bottom in order to replace it. How can I get it out? I have the manual, but there are no instructions on replacing parts. Not much room to work with underneath. Thanks

 

Welcome to the forums.

That repair will probably require you to take the inside apart.... the logs, etc. There is next to no room to work under the burner.

 

It is much more likely that the pilot burner needs to be cleaned than that the pilot generator needs to be replaced.

The pilot burner flame should look like a small blue blow torch with a sharp flame that engulfs the pilot generator.

If the pilot has a soft flame that is easily blown around like a candle flame, perhaps having yellow tips or not engulfing the thermocouple, the pilot burner needs cleaning.

A simple and sloppy way of cleaning the pilot burner is to shut off the pilot flame and let the pilot burner cool. Use a straw to blow air down the throat of the pilot burner and see if that solves the problem --- for a while, anyway.

Doing a good job involves disassembling the pilot burner and cleaning or replacing the pilot orifice.

 

Thanks for addressing the pilot flame issue.

You're right.... these fireplaces need a very strong burning pilot light.
Mine is like a miniature blow torch.

 

Microvolts too low to operate the gas valve most often involve a dirty pilot --- with a wall switch not making a good electrical circuit being in second place as a cause.

It was actually fairly rare that I found that the thermopile needed to be replaced.


Man--- I pulled out a LOT of wall switches that has high milivolt losses through them!

Of course most wall switches are designed for 1230 VAC operation, not to switch milivolts on and off.

 

SeattlePioneer; Thanks for the help. Novice at this,(gas fireplaces) so be patient with me. I'm fairly mechanical though and like to fix things on my own where I can. When you refer to the "pilot generator', what is that? And, where is the 'pilot orifice' located? My main problem is that I can not see how to access the pilot assembly. Do I have to remove everything on the inside of the fireplace to get to it? Thanks again.

 

Your insert has two devices... a thermocouple that sits in the pilot flame and holds the pilot valve open. Then there is the pilot generator/thermopile that also sits in the pilot flame and generates the voltage to open the main gas valve. They both rely on a good pilot flame.

In the following link.... is the manual for your unit. Illustration/figure 32 illustrates the above.
hearthnhome/installManuals/389_901.pdf

I'm not sure exactly where the orifice is. That is the pilot assy in the middle and the orifice will be under that hood.