About Electronic Ignition Gas Logs
How Electronic Ignition Gas Logs Work
Electronic ignition gas logs will soon be mandatory by the EPA because they conserve fuel and save the customer money over time. When gas logs first come out they had a match lit ignition meaning you turned a knob to let the gas out and then lit it with a match. Then came the safety pilot with a piezo ignition on log set that you pushed a button that created a spark in front of the pilot that heated then the pilot heated a thermocouple to keep the valve open to operate the log set. If it was extinguished for any reason that would cause the thermocouple to cool and then the valve would close not allowing gas to pass. That is why it's called a safety.
Now we have have electronic ignition that allows us to push a button on a remote control that sends a message to a control box spark module creating a spark in front of the pilot assembly using the electronic power of a battery. Once lit the thermocouple heats and then tell the main gas valve that we have an established flame so I am ready for you to send me the main burner gas so my owner can enjoy their gas log fireplace. You will no longer have to get down in the floor to ignite a pilot and the batteries in the electronic control module will last about a year. All of our electronic ignition gas logs come with a remote control that will light the pilot, control the flame height and have a built-in thermostat so you can set a room temperature and maintain it. Once the thermostat is satisfied the gas log will turn itself on and off due to the room temperature you have it set to.
I personally like the remote control on the Empire gas logs by White Mountain Hearth because it's simple to use with very few button and all the bells and whistles. And you can use the gas logs even if the power is off because it all operates off battery power and even has a function to operate without batteries.
By John Fine
