Fireplace Remote, Thermostat and Blower Repair in Sioux Falls

When a gas fireplace will not answer its remote, wall switch or thermostat, or the blower hums, rattles or quits, the fix is usually the control or the fan, not the fireplace. In Sioux Falls a remote receiver, wall switch or wall thermostat typically runs $150 to $400, and a blower or fan kit typically runs $250 to $600. A diagnostic call typically runs $150 to $300, and we test the circuit before we replace a part.

Remotes and receivers

Most remote kits have two halves: the handheld transmitter and a receiver near the valve, often under the firebox or in the lower access area. Common faults:

• Dead or weak batteries, in the handheld or the receiver. Check these first; they are often the whole fix.
• Lost pairing after a battery change. Some receivers need to learn the remote again.
• Receiver switch left in the off or remote-off position.
• A failed receiver, which we test at its output before replacing.

Some fireplaces shut themselves off on purpose. Heat & Glo’s manual says its control module automatically shuts down the fireplace after 9 hours of continuous operation without a command from the RC300 remote. If yours goes off after a long evening, that is the likely reason.

Wall switches and wall thermostats

On a millivolt fireplace, the wall switch or thermostat sits in a very low-power circuit made by the thermopile. A long or thin wire run can be enough to stop the main burner. Napoleon’s GD33 manual lists a remote wall switch wire that is too long, with “too much resistance”, as a cause of the main burner going out while the pilot stays on, and gives these maximum lengths:

A wall thermostat that is faulty or mounted where it reads warm air can also cycle the burner off early. We test the switch, the wire and the thermopile together, because a weak thermopile and a long wire often show the same symptom. If the burner shuts off and the pilot stays lit, see flame goes out and relights.

Power outages

A standing pilot millivolt fireplace usually lights and runs without house power. Electronic units depend on house power or batteries. Heat & Glo says its IntelliFire Plus system has a battery backup option, and that batteries should only be used as a power source during something like an outage. Sioux Falls has 65.6 days a year when the high stays at or below 32 F (NOAA normals), so it is worth knowing which kind you have before the lights go out. The blower will not run on a millivolt fireplace without house power either way.

Blowers and fan kits

A blower moves heat off the firebox into the room, and on many inserts it moves a good share of the heat you feel. Common faults are a dirty wheel, a worn motor bearing that hums or squeals, a failed speed control, or a heat sensor that will not switch the fan on. Lint can build up on the wheel; Napoleon notes that excessive lint from carpeting or bedding can call for more frequent cleaning. A replacement blower or fan kit typically runs $250 to $600.

Wiring inside the city

Some blowers and receivers plug into an outlet in the firebox area. Adding or moving that outlet is electrical work. The City of Sioux Falls says a Fireplace Contractor is not allowed to do any electrical, plumbing or mechanical work unless they also hold the additional licence that work requires, so ask who is doing any wiring and which city licence they hold.

Related: gas insert repair, fireplace will not turn on, and our pricing page.