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I have a gas fireplace which worked when we bought the house, but after turning off the fireplace for just over 4 years, it does not want to turn back on (the igniter does not glow).

From what research I have done, it appears that we have a fireplace that does not contain a pilot switch but instead it has a intermittent pilot ignition system. The fireplace has a wall on/off switch and a on/off switch on the Honeywell sv9501m2528 smart valve.

When I turn everything on, which is basically

  • turn the wall switch in a on position,
  • turn the switch on Honeywell smart valve controller in on position, and * turn the gas valve on

All I hear is a little buzzing noise coming out of the transformer.

The way the wiring is done on this fireplace is that, the power coming out of the wall with around 120V goes into 2 of the "LINE" ports on the transformer and then the power coming out of the transformer with 24V goes from the "LOAD" ports on the transformer to the Honeywell sv9501m2528 smart valve.

I have taken a few pictures to show how this system is setup currently. I am wondering if anyone has any pointers on what I can try to DIY fix this.

Below are the things i have done so far:

  • replaced the igniter - model Honeywell Q3400A1024
  • used millimeter to measure voltage going through the system. I am getting around 124V going into the transformer (one thing I am not sure if its expected to be this way is, even though there are 2 cables from power line from wall plugged into the "LINE" ports on the transformer, only 1 of them is registering 124V the other one is not showing any voltage at all), and then the 2 ports from the igniter plug on the Honeywell sv9501m2528 smart valve are registering 29V coming out going to the igniter, which basically tells me that the power is flowing correctly?

Please let me know if there are any additional details I can provide.

enter image description here

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  • Usually there is an ignitor (i.e. a spark gap) that is supposed to light the pilot which then is detected by the supply valve which turns on the main gas supply. The ignitor can get clogged up with deposits so that there is no gap or the HV power supply that generates the spark can fail.
    – jwh20
    Commented Dec 3, 2020 at 21:11

2 Answers 2

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You indicated that you replaced the igniter/flame rod and that you're getting 29v to the igniter. That 29v should cause the igniter to glow red and the smart valve should sense this and open the valve to the pilot releasing the gas flow. The fact that you're getting 29v to the igniter indicates that the transformer is working properly. Since you have voltage but the smart valve is not releasing gas to the pilot your only recourse is to replace the smart valve. According to Honeywell the smart valve cannot be repaired but must be replaced in it's entirety.
Edit: I did more research on your model. At this point I'm convinced that the smart valve needs to be replaced. I am attaching a link to a troubleshooting guide from Honeywell that supports that diagnosis. It's for the 40" model instead of the 36" but the ignition mechanisms are the same. The ignition is electronic not millivolt. Although you're getting a 29v output to the igniter it isn't operating the gas valve which is in the smart valve. The Honeywell part number is 62L1801. Below is a link to the part - it's expensive. You might try used.
https://www.allpartsinc.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=Honeywell+62L1801 https://www.manualslib.com/manual/170931/Superior-B-40ren.html?page=15#manual

Replacing the gas valve will obviously entail redoing the gas connections. If you're uncomfortable doing that you may want to bring in a technician.

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  • hmm, ok so i want to make sure that i am using the right terminology on what i replaced, i replaced the part that plugs into the "Ignitor" port on the smart valve, which is suppose to glow, model, Q3400A1024, i didnt replace the flame rod
    – Parag Thuse
    Commented Dec 3, 2020 at 21:52
  • My understanding on that model is that they are one unit and are replaced together. When you power it up does the igniter glow? Is gas flowing? Do you have an owners manual?
    – HoneyDo
    Commented Dec 3, 2020 at 21:57
  • when i power the system up, the igniter does not glow red at all, i am not sure if there is a way to tell if the gas is flowing, i tried to do a basic smell test, and i smell no gas at all. i dont have owners manual, but i think i can find it online, the fireplace is Superior Model BBV-36REN
    – Parag Thuse
    Commented Dec 3, 2020 at 21:59
  • Where are you measuring 29v to the igniter? Have you measured voltage out of the transformer to the smart valve?
    – HoneyDo
    Commented Dec 3, 2020 at 22:03
  • so for the 29V, what i did was that i removed the igniter cable and put my multi meter probes into the 2 ports to read what the smart valve is sending through those cables. If you look at the picture in my post above, its the 2 ports with the white cables is where i put the multi meter probes, i tried to measure voltage from transformer to smart value, but i am not sure how to do that, but if i am doing the 29V test correctly, then is it safe to assume that the smart valve is getting adequate power?
    – Parag Thuse
    Commented Dec 3, 2020 at 22:10
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First, make sure that you haven't turned off the gas shutoff valve and forgotten about it. Check for a manual shutoff valve at the fireplace and also in the basement or wherever the gas line comes from. It's common enough to turn off a gas valve to an appliance that won't be used for an extended time.

If you're sure the electric gas valve has gas pressure delivered to it, turn on the switch that you would normally turn on to light the fireplace, wait a minute or so, then give the gas valve a series of good sharp raps with a lightweight object such as the handle of a screwdriver. You don't want to break anything, but an electric valve can get sticky if not operated for a long time. The vibration from a sharp rap may free the valve.

If that doesn't work, you may be looking at a gas valve replacement as HoneyDo suggests.

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  • I see the red handle of the gas shutoff valve in the upper right corner of the opening in the fireplace floor. Be sure the wings of the red handle are in-line with the gas pipe, not cross-ways.
    – MTA
    Commented Aug 2, 2021 at 0:33

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