We have a gas log fireplace that we never use. Been here 5 years and flipped it on a couple times when we moved in but that’s it.
Always figured I should have it all inspected before we actually use it. Always found other things to spend the money on.

Well the fireplace is out of the way and just a decoration in the wall pretty much. Never really up close to it. Went to grab one of the kids toys and noticed the glass was warm to the touch.

I guess I should just flip the pilot switch to off and switch the gas valve off? Or is there something else I need to do?

quote:

I guess I should just flip the pilot switch to off and switch the gas valve off?

That should do it.

There might be a valve upstream. In our old house the valve was under the house just before the piping went into the floor. There was also a valve in the fireplace itself.

Concur -- 22 y/o house, gas comes into the house and to the attic where heater portion of the system lives. Main shutoff before it splits one side into heater (with it's own shutoff) and the other back downstairs to the gas logs (with it's own shutoff). Line just before it enters the fireplace is yet another shutoff. Lots of repetative reduncity going on, but . . .

Finally,no pilot light -- it's one of those piezio buttons to light the logs.

Tinyman

Every once in a great while cycle it on for a moment or two. Spiders seem to enjoy the smell of natural gas and will nest in your pilot and burner orifices. Seen it several times.

I'm going in the camp of more than a few seconds, and more than a very distant once in a while depending on if this is vented or the ever-popular ventless crap.

The house we're in has two shitty gas log fireplaces. That's fine, our next one will apparently have a masonry fireplace that my bride can once again stand on the roof of dropping whole logs down into a raging fire.

The shitty fireplace had to be tested on move in of course. What a shitshow. 5 years of dust, dirt, spiders and who knows what else that had settled in there had to burn off and it looked like we'd lit a grill inside. Yeah, ventless.

Since then we have turned them on once a year for 10-15 minutes on a fall or spring day when it's a good temp to close off rest of house, open doors/windows, add fans and clear that shit out. One day, when you decide to sell, this will happen and this is the best way we know to avoid that being a complete mess.

For the record, I think this is the most shits I've used in a post in my time here but, well, it's just a shitty substitute for a fireplace.

My cutoff in a 1958 house in Lex was on the floor next to the fireplace. I had to buy a fireplace key at Lowe's, but it completely cut off the gas to the fireplace. When I needed the logs, I turned it back on. Good in case of a power outage.

Ours is off 95% of the year. I just shut off the valve in the basement under the fireplace/hearth and the re-prime and light the pilot for the 1 or two weeks we might use it over Christmas / New Years.

Sounds like you already have it sorted.

 
Our gas log fireplace is able to provide most of the heat we need for the whole house, during our mild winters, and at much less propane use than the central system. I leave the pilot on all winter, then turn it off when the weather warms up. The pilot stays on about 4 months of the year.

Mine's nice to have when I get the occasional mood for a pretty fireplace, and as a backup heat source in case of a winter storm power outage, but it stays shut off 99.9% of the time.

(A gas fireplace plus gas water heater makes a huge difference when big ice storms come through every few years and knock power out for days.)

There's a shutoff key valve in the wall on the side of the fireplace, and another quarter turn valve inside the fireplace next to the gas log insert, plus an Off setting on the dial on the gas logs.

If I decide I want to use it (which is maybe once or twice a year for an evening), I turn on the gas and light the logs, then shut it all down again when I'm done.

I turn the valve & pilot on in November, then off in March. We use it fairly frequently as it's in the family room & we keep the t'stat lower in the rest of the house.

We removed our 25 year old gas log fireplace, it stopped working 10 years ago, turned off the pilot though when it did, when not in use.

Replaced the whole unit since the old gas unit deteriorated internally, rust clogged ports, it would not stay lit. Went with an electric insert, less money, still has blower for heat, multiple flame settings, dang thing looks real when turned on, with a remote. Wife loves it, which means I like it..

https://www.heatnglo.com/firep.../electric-fireplaces