Fireplace starting apparatus

A fireplace starting apparatus for a wood burning fireplace, comprising:

• a control valve for controlling the flow of flammable gas to a fireplace burner, said control valve being located externally of a firebox of a fireplace with the inlet of said control valve being adapted for connection to a source of flammable gas;
• a conduit connectable at one end to a fireplace burner within the firebox and connectable at the other end to the control vale;
• and
• a remotely operable ignition device including an igniter mountable within the firebox;
• a shield surrounding the igniter to protect it from falling logs and other heavy combustible materials commonly found in a wood burning fireplace;
• an inlet conduit having one end connected to said control valve and having its other end adapted for connection to a portable tank and regulator, and
• valve means for preventing flammable gas at a pressure greater than a preselected pressure from entering the structure if the regulator is missing or malfunctioning.

A fireplace starting apparatus, comprising

• a manifold having a first portion and a second portion, with said second portion being adapted to fit through a knockout hole in a wall of a firebox;
• a gas inlet port in the second portion;
• a gas burner port in the first portion;
• a continuous, enclosed first passage connecting the gas inlet port to the gas burner port;
• an igniter port in the first portion connected to an electrode passage through the first portion and the second portion;
• an electrode removably retained within the electrode passage, said electrode being removable from the electrode passage through the igniter port, said electrode having opposed ends and including two separate electrical conductors surrounded by insulating material, said insulating material electrically insulating each of said separate electrical conductors form the other said electrical conductor and from the manifold surrounding said electrode passage;
• a source of electric current to a first one of said electrodes;
• control means to supply an electrical spark to the second of said electrodes;
• and
• means responsive to a discontinuance of current flow through the first of said electrodes for preventing the flow of gas through the manifold in the absence of a spark or flame.