Gas Fireplace Wall Switch Can I Upgrade To A Thermostat?
Yes you can substitute a thermostat for that switch on the wall by your fireplace. You can add most any kind of digital thermostat or even add a remote with Wi-Fi and adjust the temperature in your room without leaving the comfort of your easy chair or take a trip and adjust it from a nice warm beach.
I get lots of questions regarding gas fireplace controls. Like, does a gas fireplace require a special switch? The answer is no, just an ordinary light switch will work and that’s what you more than likely have.
If you are looking for a gas fireplace wall switch replacement I can offer several suggestions and things to think about before doing something you may end up doing over. We live in a day of remotes. Why would you want to have a thermostat on the wall right next to the heat source when you could have it right at your side and sensing your desired comfort range.
Convert Manual Gas Fireplace To Remote Thermostat
I don’t know about you, but I get lazy at times and I don’t want to be jumping up in the middle of a nap to raise or lower the temperature setting. True, the fan helps send the heat out into the room, but I would think that you would want the temperature point of regulation to be from where you sit or where you locate yourself in that room.
The only way to do that is to have a remote that senses and changes the temperature at the location of the remote. Set the remote on your end table next to your easy chair or place it on a table or computer work station.
Amazon has an endless number of makes and models. I prefer this Skytech version because as I’m getting older the small screens become hard to see. Remotes are a simple answer to a lot of issues with thermostats. My daughter has a bowl near the center of her living room and that’s where the remotes for her ductless mini splits reside.
Its a good way to know where they are when you need them. And the remotes are sensing the temperature in the middle of the room or where you decide to set the bowl, but only if the remote has the sensor. Make an adjustment and then put them back in the bowl. They will never slip into the chair or between the cushions.
Complete instructions come with these remote thermostats. You can choose between options of having a fan control and timers or even schedules. The fan option in the Skytech model only allows you to turn the fan off and on but not to change the speed of the fan. That you will still have to change at the knob under the fireplace.
In my opinion, adding a remote to a gas fireplace is a really a simple DIY project.
Step Up To A Smart Switch For Your Gas Fireplace
When the cats away and the mice are playing in your cupboards, you can check on the status of you gas fireplace. We have two Wi-Fi thermostats and use them to lower the temp in winter if we forget to do so when we leave. Or, turn the temp up before we get home so it cozy when we get there.
This Durablow (#ad) Wi-Fi Smart Home Remote Control works with a variety of apps to give you the conveniences we’ve been talking about here.
Works with Amazon Alexa, Google Home & IFTTT Compatible: Supported third-party control devices, such as Amazon Echo, Echo Dot, Echo Show, Echo Spot…etc.; Google Assistant: Google Home & Mini; IFTTT App, varieties of use with your creative applets.
Amazon (#ad)
How Does A Gas Fireplace Switch Work?
It’s no different than any other wall switch for lights in your house. It opens and closes a circuit. On and off is it’s only function.
Before accessing any electrical circuit turn off any power source. Be sure you know the voltage and don’t assume.
If you were to pull your switch out of the electrical box on the wall it should look like this image with smaller wires than normal household wiring. The wires could be different colors than red and white. Also there could be more than two wires. Don’t worry, we just use any two.
Most gas fireplaces are not household current, Meaning they are not 120 volts. Check under your fireplace in the control box where the gas valve and fan are located. You should be able to see the other end of the wires from the switch.
If you want to convert your gas fireplace to a wall switch, this is what you’d use.
Millivolts and 24 volt circuits are rated as a safe voltage to work with but turn off all sources of power to the fireplace before working with the wires.
If your switch is connected to millivolts then I wouldn’t worry about turning off the power because the only way to do that is to turn off the pilot light. The pilot light flame burns onto a powerpile and that creates the millivolts.
Thermostat wires are colored differently that household current wires. House wiring is black and white. Black being the hot and white the neutral.
The wire to the switch sticking out of the electrical box in the image is 18 gauge wire. Normally it would be red and white and much smaller than 14 gauge wire tied to house lights.
Wrap It Up
When I wrote “Wrap It Up” I meant conclude this topic, but then I thought what an excellent gift that some product along this line would make that you could wrap up for a friend or family member that was half way capable of making this upgrade on their own.
Even if you included your time with the gift to install the remote. My kids love it when I do things for them. I love it when they do stuff for me, but that’s our nature I guess. The product line is rather extensive for fireplace remotes. Take a quick look here on Amazon and browse the full line (#ad). Look for good ratings.
I hope this article answered enough of your questions.
Hello Chad I have a Lenox insert that is that has 2 switches on the wall,one to turn on the fireplace and one to turn on the fan. Is it possible to change the setup to where i dont have to fool with the wall switches and install a thermostat?
Greg, I don’t know the voltages or the configuration, but it should be possible. Most anything can be done with a transformer and a couple of relays.
Chad,
Can I replace the wall switch with a Kasa Smart wi-fi light switch? (tp-link) That way I can control it by Alexa App.
Dave, I’ve never used one. But it’s just a switch with WiFi. Should work. These products usually have a customer support number to be sure. Sometimes there are people to answer phones these days, and sometimes not. Good luck. Chad
HI Chad,
I have a new fireplace being installed, A Cozy Heat Bayport 36, which has it’s own native remote control. The BayPort is replacing an existing fireplace that died. I have no millivolt wires in my living room, only a 120 volt wall mounted thermostat that turned the old unit on/off . Hence the need for a remote.
The new Bayport comes with a remote which has many features to augment the appearance, flame height, lights… but no ability to schedule any on and off times, based on the ambient temp it reads. And no ability to remotely connect or schedule events.
I want to control the BayPort with a smart home hub of some sort, to be able to schedule off and on times in the morning and again in the evening, turn it on and off remotely, exactly how programable controls should work.
I also want to regain the aesthetic controls of the native remote control.
Is this all possible?
Thank you so much,
Ryefield
Demian, just a thought, disconnect the power source to the wall switch. Mount a thermostat that has a scheduling feature and use the two wires to disrupt the power to the fireplace. There is a lot more to this idea and make sure you are comfortable working with electricity. Be safe. turn off all power. Hire a professional if necessary. If they are sharp they will understand how to do this. Knowing how to use two conductors and have a common wire is a trick. It can be done. Option is to use a thermostat with battery power. Chad
Hi Chad
I have a Duluth natural gas 32,000 btu insert. The remote is the thermostat. I have replaced the remote several times but the same issue continues to happen. The fireplace either does not turn off or come on at the set temperature. I replaced the batteries. I have also contacted procomm but they have no answers. As this is my only source of heat I would like to have this working properly. I contacted Skytect and they said their remotes are not compatible. Any suggestions?
Paul, I’d get rid of the receiver and replace the whole control. That way you could use a Skytect product. It should only be two wires to contend with.
I have a free standing gas fire place. The heat stays around the fireplace. Looking for resolution for circulation. Is there a fan that can be added to a free standing gas fire place?
Sarah, Some of them can have a fan added. I’d reach out to the manufacturer of your stove and see if they can help. – Chad
I have an on/off remote for my gas fireplace. I just want to be able to control temperature. Love the ambiance, but, the heat will blow you out of the room within 10 minutes. Any suggestions?
Laurie, if you search amazon for a “remote fireplace thermostat” you can find lots of different models. Find the price you like read the details and make sure you are able to change the temp. – Chad
I think I need to replace my wall switch for my gas fireplace. Looking at the old switch, I see it is connected to two smaller wires, similar to your picture above. From what I read, it’s recommended that I use a millivolt switch. Is this true or can I use a regular 120V wall switch? I’m having problems finding a decent, millivolt switch for sale.
David, I am unfamiliar with a millivolt wall switch. Always have used just an ordinary wall switch. I hope that simplifies your search. Chad
I have a gas fireplace that is connected to what appears to be an old line volt thermostat on the wall. Inside the gang box is only one wire (I’m assuming a thermostat wire?) that contains white, blue and orange wires. It is hooked up to the line volt thermostat by screw nuts one white/orange and the other white/blue. The thermostat only controls the on/off of the fireplace flame. I have a separate ac within the fireplace that controls the fan. I would really like to upgrade the thermostat to either a programmable or better yet WiFi model. I have accidentally kept the thermostat up at night and thinking it was off I went to bed to find out it ran all night. My other heat sources are wall mounted electric forced air 240v which run off the same model thermostat. It would be great to have them all on the same app, I was looking at the MYSA line volt but don’t think it will work for the fireplace. I use the fireplace mostly to heat my place. Do you know if I can use a WiFi line volt with this setup? I think my fireplace has a pilot generator like you have discussed prior. I could not shut it off from the electrical panel, only the fan.
Thank you very much!
Lisa, I am very fond of the Honeywell T6 thermostat (for the fireplace). It’s not terribly expensive, comes with Wi-Fi (you have to search for the correct model) you can program it with your fav schedule. I don’t do a lot of work on line voltage wall heaters. I did a little research and it looks like the one you suggested should work. Good Luck – Chad
Thank you Chad! I appreciate your help. I will look into the Honeywell thermostat!
Hi Chad, thanks for the great writeup.
My gas fireplace in my condo is an interesting setup. The pilot light is always running, and the fireplace is controlled by a Dimplex TS901W thermostat. It looks like the same unit used in all of my electric baseboard heaters, and apparently it is 120v/240v line voltage. However, there are only two wires in the gang box and they are thinner than the ones used with the electric heaters.
Would this be a millivolt system? The condo is 19 years old and I’m in Canada.
Thanks!
Chris, There would be a couple of ways to check. Looking under the fireplace at the gas valve, the wires leaving the valve should look like the wires at the thermostat. Smaller, approx 18ga, what we call thermostat wire. Thermostat wire is not used for line voltage of 120V or higher. Lets hope not anyway. If those wires leaving the gas valve look like a match for the wires at the stat then the next best test would be to measure the voltage at the stat. You will need a voltmeter. Less the 15 buck at harbor freight. Make sure it has a MV setting. Everyone needs a voltmeter anyway. Be safe, turn of all power when in doubt. Millivolts are pretty safe to work with. -Chad
Hi there, turn on the fireplace it stays on for a certain amount of time it shuts off on its own. It does it when it’s in the low setting more than the high. I’m confused? Does replacing the thermostat prevent the fireplace from going out?
Biachi, I would check to see if the pilot flame is burning strong onto the pilot generator. Or it could be a pilot generator failing. Is your thermostat a millivolt stat. If not that could be the problem.-Chad
Chad, I have a couple of gas fireplaces that I would like to install a Wyze thermostat so I can automate them. Currently they are all just using a standard light switch. Looks like they are using millivolts off of the pilot for signal. There is no easy way to get power to the previous Thermostat location
Trent, I’m not understanding your question. Previous location? Is it across the room or something? Did it have a thermostat at one time? Get back to me with a little more info.- Chad
Chad, sorry. In the existing switch location for the fireplace (originally was a Light switch) I installed an old mercury thermostat. I would like to upgrade that thermostat to the Wyze smart thermostat so I can control the furnaces and fireplaces from the same app. I only have the two wires at the thermostat location. I am thinking if I run a 24vAC adapter to the new Wyze thermostat it should work? Running new wiring may be a real pain though. Just looking for any advice. If I dont think I can get the wires ran through. I think the Durablow devices may be an option?
I appreciate the advice!
Trent, I am not to familiar with the brand Wyze. But with the little research I’ve done I see it would require at least 3 wire to even use the c-wire adaptor. Your alternative to run a 24V adapter would work great. Just connect it to a relay to operate the fireplace. But, it seems you have that figured out. Good luck. Chad
Hi Chad, I have a fireplace that is connected to my fireplace to turn it on and off. Can I just remove those two wires from the switch and connect them to my Durablow TR 1003 that I purchased at Amazon? They lead down to the TH/TP and the TH on the other side. Am I wrong or is it just that simple? Thanks in advance for your answer. Scott…..
Scott. I have a similar model stat in my gas fireplace. Just set the sending unit under the stove and connect it to the same two wires going up to the switch. The switch then becomes just be a dummy switch that does nothing. You can even put a blank cover over the box. Good Luck, Chad
Thanks Chad! Done….. :0)
I am planning to put a direct vent gas fireplace in the basement of a vacation rental. I am concerned about guests leaving it on or turning up the thermostat high so it stays on after checking out. I have a wifi controlled thermostat for the house HVAC system that I can check on remotely.
What would you recommend for the fireplace controls? A separate wifi controlled thermostat? Ideally I would like to have it on a switch to make it easy for people to turn on and off as they desire, but would also like to be able to monitor/control remotely.
Jonathan, I understand your concern. We have vacation rentals also. I use the Honeywell 8000 Pro WiFi. You could use any wifi stat if you install a relay and a 24V transformer to switch the fireplace. I just installed a Honeywell T6 with wifi on a unit heater in a detached garage/family room. It was very simple to do. Let me know if you need help with wiring – Chad
Hi Chad, I have this same issue I am trying to address. I have a Napolean Oakville gdix4 gas fireplace insert. It has variable flame and blower settings and it is controlled by remote control only at this time. Since it will be a short stay rental I am also concerned with persons leaving it on after they leave and wasting energy. The unit has a receiver with a switch with the positions on/remote/off. I want to control it with a nest thermostat. Can you let me know if I am on the right track. I will adjust the flame and blower settings to my desired level. I will turn the receiver to the ‘on’ position and then open the circuit of the ‘on’ line routing it to through the thermostat. I will then power the thermostat with a 24vac transformer. Am I on the right track? Thanks in advance.
Mat, It sounds like an interesting project that may work. Honestly for what you say is a short stay I think I’d just hide the remote and tell your guests to find a sweater or a blanket if they feel a chill. Chad
HI Chad, I was reading your comments and wanted to confirm with you – my gas fireplace White-Rodgers switch had a broken wire which I fixed. Suspect it will go again -can I upgrade to something like the Howneywell Lyric T5 WiFi unit (on sale now Lowes) or do I need a low voltage unit. Simply have a black and a white wire coming from the gas fireplace unit. – Thanks Jim
Jim, here’s a link to article that explains a simple way to do what you’re looking for.
https://diy.stackexchange.com/questions/55766/can-a-wifi-thermostat-to-control-milivolt-operated-fireplace/125466
Thanks so much Chad, I will give that a try – Jim
I have a set of natural gas logs purchased from Lowes years ago. It only has a SkyTech battery pack with on/remote off and came with a remote that can shut off at a desired temp. The remote quit working. I can turn it on/off with the battery box. I want to install a smart switch to turn it on and off remotely. However just breaking the power circuit doesn’t turn the fireplace off. If you turn the gas logs on manually and disconnect the battery pack the logs stay on. You have to reconnect the battery pack and to turn it off. Any suggestions. It seems that you have to have battery power to turn it off as well as on.
Happy New Year Todd,
The batteries are necessary to make the switch function. SkyTech should have a matching replacement remote for you and I’m not sure if that’s what you want.
Chad
Hi Chad, I have a old gls-24 fire place that the flame won’t stay on more than 5. I replaced the pilot assembly, but the issue is still there. Mine has a big black box that plugs into the wall outlet and on that black box there is a little red button that when I press it the flame comes on. Do you think this is a wall suit issue and should I get rid of the box with the red button and connect it directly to a switch?
Thanks for your help.
Armin, I don’t have enough information to answer your question. When you changed the pilot assembly did you change the power generator? Is the pilot flame burning on at least the top quarter inch of the generator (even when the burner is on)? Does it have a thermostat or a switch to turn unit on? Have you bypassed the control to see if it is shutting off the unit. Comment back if you want to continue.
Chad
I have a HTI-12-007 Wall switch for a quadra fire QV36-A-FB gas fireplace. The wall switch key pad goes bad after a year or so every time. What would be a good digital wall replacement with remote if possible.
Hi Dawn, I just installed a simple remote to my fireplace. It doesn’t require a digital wall gismo. You could just put an on/off switch there and this remote connects under the fireplace. Here’s a big link.
https://www.fire-parts.com/products/flameworks-thermostatic-gas-fireplace-remote?variant=29079746445398¤cy=USD&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&utm_campaign=gs-2019-09-30&utm_source=google&utm_medium=smart_campaign&gclid=Cj0KCQiAtqL-BRC0ARIsAF4K3WHYi-esXIiv-t-FstdwN2LzbXYMS1ySeTjisYTRurynI2_76R2PAOkaAqEREALw_wcB
Can I replace a 120v wall switch by installing a 24v transformer to a programable thermostat? for an electronic igniter fireplace.
Thank you
Manuel,
You bet. Does this wiring diagram make sense or relate to what you want to do? http://www.hvacproblemsolver.com/floor-wall-furnace.asp
If not just do a search for wiring diagrams for gas fireplace with remotes and thermostats. Good Luck. Chad
Hello Chad,
I currently have Majestic gas logs with a variable speed control blower that still works on/off but has lost the ability to change the blower speed. The blower is powered by a wall switch so my question is: Could I just replace the on/off wall switch with a dimmer switch and control the blower speed that way?
Thank you.
Jason, don’t know if I have enough information. Does the wall switch turn on the burner and the blower? Is there a thermostat the turns on the burner? What’s the voltage at the wall switch?
we lost power and our new gas fireplace on 1st level cut out immediately. I then went upstairs and tried that fireplace – an older unit with a wall-mounted thermostat came on? Can you explain why? It has a continuous pilot but how was the gas valve opened?
Sure Joe, your gas fireplace has a pilot generator. On some units you can see it right in the pilot flame. When the pilot burns onto a pilot generator it creates enough electricity to operate the gas valve. Hope you get your power back on soon. Chad
Thanks for the explanation Chad!