- Nov 27, 2012
- 0
Question:
I was given a new wood fireplace for my house.
I live in Central FL, and would like to install the fireplace and use a gas log set. I am going more for the looks as opposed to the heat value.
My problem lies in the chimney.
The fireplace will be on an exterior wall, but the roof (1 story) has solar on it for the pool, so I can not put a full chimney in.
I would love to vent out 3 or 4 feet above the top of the unit to the outside, but I am concerned that it will not provide enough draft for the gas unit.
This is my first gas fireplace, but I have put in 2 traditional units before.
The fireplace has an outside air vent to feed and glass doors.Can this be done? All of the dealers I have talked to didn't know.
I really don't want to have to go out and buy a direct vent unit if I have the wood unit already.
I would rather not have vent free logs
Answer:
Unfortunatly you have to meet wood burning codes when installing a wood burning fireplace no matter if your installing gas logs or not. Most vented gas log companies will tell you that the logsets must be installed in a fully functional wood burning fireplace. The problem you run into when making the chimney short is draft and chimney clearances to combustables and Insurance problems. Most manufacturers have minimum chimney height requirments for their fireplaces also. The gas log manufacturer will also recommend closing your outside air and keeping your doors fully open when the logset is on. I had a person call me recently where he had is outside air open and the doors closed while burning the log set and the exhaust went out the outside air port and melted his vinyl siding. There are only a few recommendations I can make to you and thats to either move the fireplace to another location away from the solar panels or get a direct vent fireplace.
I was given a new wood fireplace for my house.
I live in Central FL, and would like to install the fireplace and use a gas log set. I am going more for the looks as opposed to the heat value.
My problem lies in the chimney.
The fireplace will be on an exterior wall, but the roof (1 story) has solar on it for the pool, so I can not put a full chimney in.
I would love to vent out 3 or 4 feet above the top of the unit to the outside, but I am concerned that it will not provide enough draft for the gas unit.
This is my first gas fireplace, but I have put in 2 traditional units before.
The fireplace has an outside air vent to feed and glass doors.Can this be done? All of the dealers I have talked to didn't know.
I really don't want to have to go out and buy a direct vent unit if I have the wood unit already.
I would rather not have vent free logs
Answer:
Unfortunatly you have to meet wood burning codes when installing a wood burning fireplace no matter if your installing gas logs or not. Most vented gas log companies will tell you that the logsets must be installed in a fully functional wood burning fireplace. The problem you run into when making the chimney short is draft and chimney clearances to combustables and Insurance problems. Most manufacturers have minimum chimney height requirments for their fireplaces also. The gas log manufacturer will also recommend closing your outside air and keeping your doors fully open when the logset is on. I had a person call me recently where he had is outside air open and the doors closed while burning the log set and the exhaust went out the outside air port and melted his vinyl siding. There are only a few recommendations I can make to you and thats to either move the fireplace to another location away from the solar panels or get a direct vent fireplace.
