Gas Log Insert into EPA Wood Burning FP

[jbgco]

I have a delima which I hope can be solved by some input here...we live in a small town where the county allows one EPA Cert FP per home, except our little town does not??? We are building a home this summer and do not want to condem the home to never having a wood burner, the town does allow a gas insert into a wood burner if the damper can be pinned open. We may/may not later remove the insert and unleash the damper to use the unit as a house heater. I have looked at the 7100FP, the NZ6000, FPX 44 and some Lenox- we will have two other gas FP's (Heat N Glow Passage) and a Travis unit in othr areas of the home. Can someone give advise to the delima of our desire to install the wood burner but to get by code will have to be modified as mentioned?

Thank You,

Jeff

 

[jtp10181]

Ok I'm lost? Your town wont allow you to put any wood burning fireplaces in even if EPA approved? Never heard of such a silly thing. I doubt any EPA wood fireplace is going to allow the installation of a gas insert or logset. I can tell you for sure the 7100FP and NorthStar both would not allow that at all. Gas inserts / logs are made to be installed into masonry fireplaces or ZC prefab open fireplaces. Your best bet might be to build a masonry fireplace and put a gas insert into it. In the future it could be converted to wood by putting a wood insert of stove inside of it. Would be costly but that's the only thing I can thing of to meet your needs.

 

[jbgco]

I know they are nuts! We have miles of beetle kill lodgepoll also??? A local fireplace dealer suggested I pick a box and frame/chimney the space with a designation of future fireplace and just drywall over the opening, following inspection pay an installer to install w/o permit, I do not really want to do this...but may. I did notice the Opel 2/3 has a gasline knockout on the install manual? Would like something bigger though.

 

[jtp10181]

Have you tried taking it up with the town officials? Maybe get something going and leave the place for it as the dealer suggested. Then maybe if you can get them to allow it, put it in later.

 

[jbgco]

It has been up to the town council a few times over the last 4 years- shot down by a few policy makers??? They allow outdoor firepits though???

 

[jtp10181]

Maybe someone needs to go to them with some hard data. I wonder what their reason is for not allowing and EPA approved wood fireplace?

 

[jbgco]

I do not know, except the ban was in 1995 having to do with air quality concerns for the area as I-70 passes by, though the county did not pass a ban.

 

[jbgco]

Any other suggestions?