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What to Know About Fireplace Ignitions
Now that we know what your fireplace should look like, let's determine how you want the fire to start. There are three main ignition types for hearths: manual, millivolt, and electronic. Let's break each one down below:
Different Pilot Types
- Manual: A manual ignition means your fireplace does not have a standing pilot. It will be ignited via a match or a push-button starter. Due to their basic but effective nature, these are often the lowest-cost ignition systems.
- Millivolt: Millivolt ignitions are often called standing pilot lights. The pilot light will always stay lit, meaning your system can easily ignite from the pilot once triggered. This is considered the "basic" ignition for many fireplace brands. One plus side to this type of ignition and manual ignition is that your fireplace can still mostly or completely be used during a power outage.
- Electronic: Also known as an IPI ignition, electronic ignition uses electricity to turn your fireplace off and on by opening and closing the gas valve. This saves you money on fuel and avoids the potential hazard of a standing pilot, though both are safe for operating your fireplace. However, this feature is considered premium and may be available for fewer fireplaces.
If you'd like more details about pilot lights and their use, please check out our article on Pilot Light Types. The next step works hand in hand with the ignition type—control. So, let's talk about controls, shall we?
