Convert to Wood?

[coldintexas]

I purchased a home that was built in the mid '70's and have a question. Please forgive my terminology, I am clueless about this stuff. I've done some "searches" but still am not sure.

The fireplace is mounted in the corner of the room, brick on the outside and a metal firebox (the interior), vents like a traditional with a damper, through the roof. The pevious owner had used a gas log setup, which produces almost no heat. I want to use wood. I've read that it's ok to go back to wood if the fireplace was "originally" wood, but how do I tell? The only tag I could find was a UL metal tag, but no Manufacturer. I'm thinking since the firebox is metal it was not originally a wood burning fireplace. Is this correct?

Also, If I can go back to wood, what material (pipe) to use to continue using natural gas as a starting system?

Any suggestions?

Any information would help.

Thanks

 

[joshuaviktor]

Ok, I'm new here, too, but I have BIG RED FLAGS going up about having a gas line installed anywhere near a wood fire.

The only word that comes to mind is "Bomb".

Be careful, and don't do it until some of the guys here who know what they're doing chime in.

Joshua
P.S. UL tag have a number?

 

[SeanD]

The fact that the firebox is metal does not necessarily mean it was never a wood burning fireplace. We had a home constructed about the same time and the fireplace was built with a "Heatalotor" firebox. It was a metal, double walled firebox with the damper built in. All other aspects of the fireplace were traditional masonry. We had cold air inlets in the hearth with fans that forced air through the inner and outer firebox wall and then the warm air was ducted into an adjacent room.

 

[SeanD]

Joshua,
Gas log lighters are very common, and very handy in starting a fire.
Sean

 

[coldintexas]

Thanks for the response guys. I don't have the UL tag info with me, but I'll post it when I get home.

I'm not wanting to heat the home with this, after all I'm in Texas and it's REALLY cold @ 50 degrees. I just really like burning wood, and not wasting a bunch of money on a fake fire.

My previous home was a masonry firebox and had a natural gas starting setup that I used for 10 years burning wood with no problem. It looked just like a 1/2" metal pipe with 5 holes drilled down the length of it. This is controlled by a keyed valve on the front of the fireplace.

The gas log setup in it now has a metal pan under the logs with a similar type construction, and connects to the 1/2" metal pipe (natural gas supply), so I’d like to remove the metal pan assembly and replace it with a new pipe with holes in it and couple it to the gas supply pipe on the side of the firebox. This also is controlled by a keyed valve on the front of the fireplace

What would be the tell tale signs of this being an original wood burning fireplace. Did they make "gas only" fireplaces in the '70's?

Thanks again.

 

[coldintexas]

Oh yeah, forgot to mention. It's definitely not a heatilator. No fans of any type.

BTW, thanks to Hurricane Rita, we've got firewood covered for about 10 years! Too bad nobody down here really NEEDS it.