When you go out to light your fire pit or gas grill and get nothing, you may need to look at getting a fire pit electronic ignition kit.
In this article, I will go over the steps when you do not get a flame by following the normal steps. This has happened to me on several occasions.
I will cover each component that has to work to get a proper flame for your fire pit and give you clues on how to fix each one.
Fire Pit Electronic Ignition Kit
Proper steps to light a fire pit
- Make sure there are no obstructions on the burner, lava rocks give off dust that may block holes in burner
- Before turning on tank, make sure it has enough gas for your burn
- Turn propane tank on fully, then turn on burner knob to the light position
- Push igniter knob until the flame lights
- Adjust flame control knob to desired flame height
My fire will not light
The following is my list in order of the things I check when I do not get fire right away. Start with the easy things first.
- If you do not get a flame, follow the steps below.
- Check the burner holes near the igniter for debris. Lava rocks will shed a small amount of dust that may block some burner holes. Just clean and retry to ignite. Rodents and insects may block holes with nests or dead bodies. This is an easy fix, just clean and retry.
- Next is the propane tank. Turn the tank off, take the hose connection off and reconnect. Turn the tank back on and try again.
- Listen for the sound of the spark from the business end of the igniter. If you have a clicking sound, go to the next step. No sound, check the battery first. New battery and still no spark, check the business end of igniter to make sure there is a small gap between the metal pieces at the end, sometimes debris will get in this area causing a no spark condition. On occasion, a rodent will chew on the insulation on the wire causing it to short out on a metal surface. Just inspect the wire for damage. Replace just the wire if you can, some are directly connected and require the replacement of the entire igniter system.
- If you have a long match or a long lighter, you can try to light the flame with that. If you get a flame with the alternate method, you probably have a bay igniter. See more information below.
Finding the right replacement fire pit electronic ignition kit
I would refer to the owner's manual of your fire pit for replacement parts. There are many styles of igniters for fire pits and gas grills. Getting the correct part is better than getting a generic version that maybe will fit.
If you do not have a manual, look at the igniter to try to find a part number and do a search on the web. I know this does not answer your question or problem.
There are some replacements that will include both the igniter and flame control, these are quite expensive.
How to swap electronic ignition switch
Most will only need the control panel removed and one screw holding the spark end on. Some will have a removable wire between the two and you could replace the end that is not working after testing.
As some fire pits are different, again having an owner's manual will be a great help.
My final thoughts on starting fire in a gas fire pit
Although this is a problem that does not occur very often when it does it could ruin your evening. If you find yourself not getting your fire lit with the igniter, I would light it with a long match or long lighter and enjoy the evening.
Check all of the other things to find your problem the next day when you are not troubled with having to tell your guests that you have no fire.
For a replacement gas fire pit, look at some of my examples here.
If you have any questions or comments, use the forms below and I will get back to you shortly.
