LA · Orange · Ventura · San Bernardino · Riverside Counties
Fireplace Repair Across Southern California
Same-day across LA, Orange, Ventura, San Bernardino & Riverside counties. Pilot won't stay lit, no heat, blower not working, gas fireplaces, electric inserts, wood-burning. Heat & Glo, Heatilator, Majestic, Napoleon. Gas-certified, BHGS Licensed #A49573. $89 diagnostic.
Our Branches
8 service territories across Southern California
Fireplace Repair
Southern California
01, About This Service
Across SoCal, fireplaces sit unused for 8 months and then fail the first cold night in November. We see this every year.
Southern California uses fireplaces for maybe three months, November through January, and only on the cooler evenings. That pattern creates a very specific failure mode: the thermocouple or thermopile that held a millivolt charge all summer has oxidized just enough that when you go to light it for the first time in October, the pilot lights but won't stay on. Or the remote receiver lost its battery charge. Or a spider built a web in the pilot orifice during the eight months the gas was off.
See our complete Gas Fireplace Repair page →, covers indoor and outdoor units, brand catalog, and the SCAQMD wood-burning restriction.
These are not catastrophic failures. Most of them are $120–$200 repairs. But they happen reliably, they happen at the worst time (cold evening, guests coming over), and because SoCal homeowners don't think about their fireplace in July, they don't get it serviced before they need it.
We repair all fireplace types across LA, Orange, Ventura, San Bernardino, and Riverside counties: gas fireplaces of every configuration, electric fireplace inserts and freestanding units, and wood-burning fireplace appliances. Gas-certified technicians on every gas call. Heat & Glo, Heatilator, and Majestic parts sourced same-day. BHGS Licensed #A49573.
Turn off the fireplace and open windows. Call your gas utility, SoCalGas at 1-800-427-2200 across most of LA, OC, Ventura, and parts of SB; Southwest Gas at 1-877-860-6020 for Riverside, Anaheim, Long Beach, and parts of SB. They locate the source and confirm the area is safe at no charge. Then call us at for the repair. Never attempt to relight a fireplace while a gas smell is present.
02, The Most Common Fireplace Failure, Explained
"Pilot lights but won't stay on", almost always a thermocouple or thermopile. Here's the difference.
Before you call, try this: hold the pilot button down for a full 45–60 seconds before releasing. Thermocouples need time to heat up. If it still won't hold, call us.
Simple pilot-only systems, no remote, no wall switch
Generates ~25 millivolts from pilot flame heat. That tiny signal holds the gas safety valve open. When it fails or weakens below threshold, the valve closes 15–30 seconds after you release the pilot button, and the flame goes out.
Found in: older gas fireplace inserts, basic manual-ignition systems, many 1990s–2000s installations in SoCal's Craftsman and Mid-Century homes, Silver Lake, Los Feliz, Pasadena, and similar pre-war housing across the region.
Replacement cost: $120–$180 including diagnostic.
Systems with remote control or wall switch
Generates ~750 millivolts, enough to power a remote receiver, wall switch, and electronic controls. Same failure mode as thermocouple but more common in newer systems. Also fails from oxidation after long idle periods.
Found in: most fireplaces installed after 2000 with remote or wall switch operation. Heat & Glo, Heatilator, Napoleon, Majestic systems.
Replacement cost: $140–$220 including diagnostic.
03, Fireplace Types We Service
Every fireplace configuration in SoCal homes
Gas Fireplace Inserts
The most common type across SoCal, a gas unit installed inside an existing masonry or prefab fireplace opening. Self-contained with blower, thermocouple/thermopile, and remote system. Heat & Glo, Heatilator, and Majestic dominant.
Direct Vent Gas Fireplaces
Sealed combustion system, draws outside air for combustion and vents outside through a coaxial pipe. More efficient than B-vent systems and can be installed on interior walls. Common in newer SoCal construction and remodels across all five counties.
Ventless / Vent-Free Gas Fireplaces
No external vent, burns gas completely and releases combustion products into the room. Highly efficient but controversial in enclosed spaces. California has restrictions on unvented appliances in bedrooms. Oxygen depletion sensor (ODS) is a critical safety component.
Electric Fireplaces
Heating element + flame effect display. No gas, no venting, no thermocouple. Failures are the heating element, blower motor, flame effect mechanism (LED or motor), remote receiver, or control board. Simpler repair than gas systems in most cases.
Wood-Burning Fireplace Appliances
Gas starters, damper systems, and fireplace blower inserts in traditional wood-burning fireplaces. We repair gas starter valves, igniter systems, and electric blower fans. Chimney inspection and cleaning is a separate specialized service, we refer to certified chimney sweeps.
Gas Log Sets
Decorative gas logs installed in an existing fireplace with an open flame pattern. Typically use a standing pilot or electronic ignition. Thermocouple, gas valve, and burner orifice are the common failure points.
04, Common Failures
What our technicians diagnose most often in SoCal fireplaces
Pilot Won't Stay Lit
Thermocouple or thermopile failure, see the detailed explanation above. Hold the pilot button for 45–60 seconds before releasing. If it still won't hold, it's almost certainly one of these two components. We test with a millivolt meter to confirm before recommending replacement.
Remote Control Not Working
Failed remote receiver (the radio frequency module inside the fireplace that receives the remote signal) or dead batteries. Replace batteries in both the remote and the receiver first, receiver batteries in fireplaces are often overlooked. If new batteries don't solve it, the receiver has failed. Receiver replacement is typically a $140–$200 repair.
Blower Fan Not Working or Noisy
Failed blower motor or worn motor bearings. The blower circulates room air over the firebox to distribute heat, without it, the fireplace heats only the immediate area. A grinding or rattling blower is the bearing failing before total motor failure. Catching it early saves money: bearing replacement is less than full motor replacement.
No Flame at All / Won't Light
On systems with electronic ignition: failed igniter module or spark module not generating the ignition spark. On systems with standing pilot: pilot orifice blocked by debris or spider webs (very common across SoCal after long idle periods). We check and clean the pilot orifice before recommending any parts replacement, it solves the problem about 25% of the time without parts cost.
Flame Too Low / Uneven
Partially blocked burner ports or a failing gas valve restricting flow. On gas log sets, individual log positioning affects flame pattern, sometimes what looks like a failure is a displaced log blocking a burner port. We check log positioning and burner condition before diagnosing gas valve failure.
Electric Fireplace Not Heating
Failed heating element (the coil that generates heat) or failed blower motor. Electric fireplaces can show the flame effect while not heating if the element has failed and the fan/display components still work. Or vice versa, heating but no flame display. Both are separate systems we repair independently.
From 1920s Craftsman bungalows to Hollywood Hills modernist builds to Newport Coast estates, every SoCal home is different
Southern California has an unusually diverse housing stock. The Craftsman bungalows of Silver Lake, Los Feliz, and Highland Park were built in the 1910s–1930s with large masonry fireplaces, many converted to gas decades ago with aging systems. The Spanish Colonial estates in Hancock Park, Pasadena, and parts of OC have original decorative fireplaces that were retrofitted with gas log sets in the 1970s–1980s. The mid-century modern homes in the Hollywood Hills, Beverly Hills, and Newport Beach coastal builds have sleek built-in fireplace walls that are architectural features as much as heating systems. Newer Westlake Village, Thousand Oaks, and Inland Empire estate builds default to direct-vent contemporary inserts.
Each era and style has its own failure pattern. We've repaired all of them across all five counties. When you call, tell us the approximate age of the fireplace and whether it has a remote, that's usually enough for us to come prepared with the right parts.
05, Brands We Service
Every fireplace brand across Southern California homes
Gas-certified technicians for all gas fireplace work across all five SoCal counties. BHGS Licensed #A49573. For chimney inspection, cleaning, and masonry repair, we refer to certified chimney sweep professionals, separate scope from fireplace appliance repair.
06, Recent Repairs
What our technicians actually fixed recently
"Pilot lights but goes out as soon as I let go of the button"
Textbook thermocouple failure on a Heat & Glo gas insert in a Silver Lake Craftsman. The homeowner had been struggling with it for two weeks, trying different hold times on the pilot button. The thermocouple was generating 8 mV, far below the 18–20 mV minimum needed to hold the gas valve open. Surface oxidation from eight months of the fireplace sitting idle had degraded the thermocouple tip enough to drop output below threshold.
"Remote stopped working, tried new batteries, nothing"
Failed radio frequency receiver on a Napoleon Havelock gas fireplace. The receiver (the module inside the fireplace that receives the remote signal and controls the gas valve) had failed, fresh batteries in both remote and receiver made no difference. The homeowner had already replaced the remote itself thinking it was the problem. The fireplace could still be operated manually from a small toggle on the receiver board, confirming the gas system was functional, just the RF module had died.
"Flame is very low and uneven, used to look so much better"
Partially blocked burner ports and a weakening gas valve on a 32-year-old Majestic gas log set installed in a Newport Coast home original fireplace. The burner ports, the small holes through which gas flows to create the flame pattern, had accumulated decades of debris, dust, and minor scale (coastal salt-air conditions accelerate corrosion of brass burner components). The gas valve was still functional but restricting flow at roughly 70% of original capacity. The result: a thin, pale, uneven flame rather than the full log-fire effect the homeowner remembered.
"Flame effect works but no heat coming out, just blowing cold air"
Failed heating element on a Dimplex Revillusion electric fireplace insert built into a custom millwork surround in a Westlake Village modern home. The Revillusion's flame effect (an LED projection system) operates on a separate circuit from the heating element, so the visual effect was perfect while the heating function was completely dead. The homeowner had used the fireplace as a decorative feature for months before a cold spell revealed it wasn't actually heating.
07, Pricing
Transparent pricing. Written estimate before any work begins.
All repairs include a 90-day warranty on parts and labor. Annual fireplace service (pre-season check, cleaning, millivolt test) available, call about scheduling before the November rush when appointments fill up.
08, Frequently Asked Questions
Fireplace repair, what SoCal homeowners ask us
How much does fireplace repair cost?
Diagnostic is $89, waived with repair. Thermocouple $120–$180, thermopile $140–$220, remote receiver $140–$250, blower motor $160–$320, gas valve $180–$320. Electric fireplace repairs typically run $120–$280. Written estimate before any work begins.
Which areas of Southern California do you cover for fireplace repair?
Same-day across Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, San Bernardino, and Riverside counties, Silver Lake and Los Feliz Craftsman bungalows, Pasadena and San Marino historic homes, Beverly Hills and Hollywood Hills modernist builds, Newport Beach and Newport Coast OC homes, Thousand Oaks and Westlake Village suburban builds, Riverside and Temecula estate homes. Eight service territories total. Heat & Glo, Heatilator, Majestic, Napoleon, gas-certified across the entire footprint. BHGS Licensed #A49573.
My pilot light won't stay lit, what should I try first?
Hold the pilot button down for a full 45–60 seconds before releasing, longer than most people try. Thermocouples need time to heat to the threshold temperature. If it still won't hold after a full minute, it's the thermocouple or thermopile. Call us at .
My gas fireplace smells like gas, what do I do?
Turn off the fireplace and open windows. Call your gas utility, SoCalGas at 1-800-427-2200 across most of LA, OC, Ventura, and parts of SB; Southwest Gas at 1-877-860-6020 for Riverside, Anaheim, Long Beach, and parts of SB. They locate and clear the gas source at no charge. Then call us for the repair. Never relight while a gas smell is present.
What is the difference between a thermocouple and thermopile?
A thermocouple generates ~25 mV from pilot heat, used on simple manual systems with no remote. A thermopile generates ~750 mV, used on systems with remote controls, wall switches, or electronic ignition. Both fail from the same cause: oxidation reducing millivolt output below what the gas valve needs. We test both with a millivolt meter to confirm before replacing.
My fireplace worked last year but won't light this year, why?
The classic SoCal first-use-of-season failure. After 8–9 months unused, thermocouples oxidize, remote receivers drain, and pilot orifices collect debris. Most of these are simple fixes, often under $200. Schedule a seasonal service call before the first cold evening rather than after.
Do you repair electric fireplaces?
Yes. Heating element, blower motor, flame effect LED/motor system, remote receiver, and control board. No gas work, no permits, no mess. Same-day repairs in most cases.
09, Related Services
Other appliance repair services across Southern California
Fireplace repair across Southern California, same-day service
5 counties · 8 service territories · BHGS Licensed #A49573 · 90-day warranty. Heat & Glo, Heatilator, Majestic, Napoleon, gas and electric. $89 diagnostic.