We've recently moved into a new rental home which has a fireplace. It's a basic fireplace with a flume and a gas line. There are individual gas logs on a grate covering the gas line. After removing some cobwebs, and opening the vent, I turned the gas flow on, and used a match to light the fire. Everything was fine. Although the fire was visible, it did not produce much heat. Standing 1 foot away, you could not even tell there was a fire. Any suggestions in arranging the individual logs to keep some heat in the house rather than it going out the flume. As I wrote earlier, this is a basic fireplace. There is no air circulation unit within the fireplace. Any suggestions you might have would be greatly appreciated!!
Fireplace in new home
- Thread starter crowegreg
- Start date
-
Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.
We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.
We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil. -
Super Cedar firestarters 30% discount Use code Hearth2024 Click here
- Status
Most vented gas logs are not listed to be "heaters" but are in fact listed as "decorative". There are two ways you can get real heat from this old fireplace.
1) Get a direct vent gas insert.
2) Get an EPA tested wood insert.
It sounds like you have a match light gas log also, which can be dangerous. There should be a wall or floor key valve to turn the gas off to the burner. Make sure you remove the key and hide it someplace so no one turns it out without lighting the burner. If you don't have any sort of key valve you should talk to the property owner about getting at minimum a gas log set with a safety pilot so it is safe.
1) Get a direct vent gas insert.
2) Get an EPA tested wood insert.
It sounds like you have a match light gas log also, which can be dangerous. There should be a wall or floor key valve to turn the gas off to the burner. Make sure you remove the key and hide it someplace so no one turns it out without lighting the burner. If you don't have any sort of key valve you should talk to the property owner about getting at minimum a gas log set with a safety pilot so it is safe.
BeGreen said:
and with natural gas prices where they are, it's not even worth the show.
I find that when people burn these, it takes a lot of the heat out of the house and might be warm in the immediate area only - just like a regular fire place
- Status
Similar threads
