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How do millivolt gas valves work?

Updated: 9/11/2023
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11y ago

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A millivolt gas valve is used in a standing pilot type of appliance. In a normal application there are actually 2 valves in one. one valve controls gas flow to the pilot and the other part of the valve controls gas flow to the burner.

The pilot burns on a device or devices that produce a small amount of electricity ( millivoltage ) some valves accomplish this with a thermopile producing energy for the pilot and the burner portions of the valve. others use a thermocouple to produce energy to keep the pilot open and a thermopile to produce the energy for the burner side of the valve. In a typical gas fireplace valve the pilot runs on 30mV ( millivolts ) and the burner runs on 500 mV. it sounds like alot but it's only .5volts. This energy creates an electromagnet that pulls the valve open against a spring. That is the fail safe and how the pilot safety function works, if for any reason the energy isn't present, the spring snaps the valve shut shutting off the gas.

Millivolt valves are NOT field serviceable. They should never be disassembled as they will leak. Most issues with millivolt valves are caused by a simple lack of manufacturer recommended service and maintenance.

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Q: How do millivolt gas valves work?
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