Help understanding what's going on with my fireplace.

[Nicholbry]

Here's the situation:
- Recently purchased this home in a subdivision developed in the 80's.
- Vented with simple firebox.
- Wall-mounted gas valve with key. I smell gas and hear gas flow when opening up the valve.
- Coming into the firebox is rigid metal pipe with other fittings that make-up a "T" shaped design in the center of the floor of the firebox. The ends are capped off. This series of "T" shaped pipes are corroded a bit in some areas.
- There is a simple removable cast iron grate that sits atop the gas pipes where it appears the previous owner burned some wood (ashes).

I've had traditional wood burning fireplaces with inserts where the door closes and a fan can be used to force heat into the room before, but I've never owned this type of set-up before. A couple things become apparent to me, while other details do not.

I understand the need for gas and thereby a gas line into the firebox if you're going to use gas logs (but there aren't any). Perhaps the previous owner removed the gas logs and capped off the line for use as wood burner? If so, shouldn't the gas line be removed from inside the firebox? Otherwise you would have constant fire/embers atop an active gas line (even if it's capped off). I mean...there's gas still inside this line. I just don't understand this set-up.

I would like to return this to a gas log set up if possible. It will soon be a rental home that I'm in the process of renovating. What will I need to buy to return this to that desired set-up?

Any help would be kindly appreciated.

 

[TheRambler]

I think pictures of the ebtire setup would be a good first step to getting you onto the right track. The gas forum section might yield better help also

 

[Nicholbry]

Anyone care to help without need to upload a pic. I'm not at the house right now...out of town and I don't have a pic of it yet.

 

[Sodbuster]

It's a fire starter. You would load the fireplace with wood, then turn on the gas and ignite the burner, once the fire is going, you turn off the gas. Putting in a gas log set would be a breeze since you already have a gas line with valve to the firebox.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Make sure the gas was, in fact capped off. Previous owners do some weird things.

If I wanted to do a gas log setup, I'd probably buy a new kit and install the whole thing new and make sure everything is up to the latest codes. This would definitely be done if it was going into a rental where liability is so much greater.

 

[Nicholbry]

It's a fire starter. You would load the fireplace with wood, then turn on the gas and ignite the burner, once the fire is going, you turn off the gas. Putting in a gas log set would be a breeze since you already have a gas line with valve to the firebox.

Thank you for your help recently. You were spot-on regarding it being a log-lighter. I had a plumber come out and cut off the corroded bit of line and install a new section. I purchased a gas log setup but now I'm wondering something and perhaps you can help.

The valve is a Blu Flame valve with a simple on/off (key). Since this was originally a log-lighter, in the "On" setting will this valve provide enough gas output to make a fire that looks realistic or is the gas output in these log-lighters too low.... to simply get a wood fire started?

Thank you for any help that you can be.

 

[Hogwildz]

That ain't no fire starter. Its a gas fireplace, that the prior owner took the log set out, and tried to burn wood in. Not a good idea.
A real wood fire will burst that gas line and the results will not be good. Not to mention that gas fireplace would never hold up to a wood fire. Or, is this an old masonry fireplace, that the prioe owner converted into a gas fireplace?
Go to a gas fireplace shop with the fireplace make & model number, tale some photos, and tell them you need a log set and the proper line(s) and fittings to make it properly usable again.
Check the inside of the fireplace real good, there is the possibility that the prior owner burning wood in there may have done damage.

Make sure it vents correctly to the outside. Some say unvented gas appliances are okay, but I would not go that route.

 

[Sodbuster]

That ain't no fire starter. Its a gas fireplace, that the prior owner took the log set out, and tried to burn wood in. Not a good idea.
A real wood fire will burst that gas line and the results will not be good. Not to mention that gas fireplace would never hold up to a wood fire. Or, is this an old masonry fireplace, that the prioe owner converted into a gas fireplace?
Go to a gas fireplace shop with the fireplace make & model number, tale some photos, and tell them you need a log set and the proper line(s) and fittings to make it properly usable again.
Check the inside of the fireplace real good, there is the possibility that the prior owner burning wood in there may have done damage.

Make sure it vents correctly to the outside. Some say unvented gas appliances are okay, but I would not go that route.

Hate to disagree Hogz, but here's a quote from a home inspection bulletin. I had one of these in one of our homes that was built in the 50's


"Up until the mid 1960s it was not uncommon for fireplaces to be equipped with gas igniters to eliminate
the need for having to use kindling to start a fire. These igniters were typically nothing more than a
lateral length of ½ or ¾ inch steel pipe with multiple perforations uniformly spaced along the top and
capped at the downstream end. The upstream end typically passed through one side of the firebox and
was attached to a key-operated in-line shutoff valve located in the wall or floor adjacent to the fireplace."

Clearly smarter head prevailed and the codes were changed to no longer allow these.

SB

 

[Hogwildz]

Hate to disagree Hogz, but here's a quote from a home inspection bulletin. I had one of these in one of our homes that was built in the 50's


"Up until the mid 1960s it was not uncommon for fireplaces to be equipped with gas igniters to eliminate
the need for having to use kindling to start a fire. These igniters were typically nothing more than a
lateral length of ½ or ¾ inch steel pipe with multiple perforations uniformly spaced along the top and
capped at the downstream end. The upstream end typically passed through one side of the firebox and
was attached to a key-operated in-line shutoff valve located in the wall or floor adjacent to the fireplace."

Clearly smarter head prevailed and the codes were changed to no longer allow these.

SB

He stated his development was built in the 80's.
I stand by my statement.

 

[BobUrban]

X2 or how many others want to chime: There is NO WAY I would use a fire place, wood stove, solid fuel appliance that had a gas assisted igniter that remained in the fire box. I don't care who inspected it or what code I was grandfathered into. That is just scary on so many levels.

 

[bholler]

He stated his development was built in the 80's.
I stand by my statement.

Sorry but a on off gas valve outside the box and a simple t pipe with holes in it is a log lighter not a gas fp. And just because it was built in the 80s doesn't mean anything we have seen them from many different time periods from the 50s up to new installs.

X2 or how many others want to chime: There is NO WAY I would use a fire place, wood stove, solid fuel appliance that had a gas assisted igniter that remained in the fire box. I don't care who inspected it or what code I was grandfathered into. That is just scary on so many levels.

That is why the gas valve is located far outside the box there is no gas anywhere near the firebox when the valve is off. And they are still allowed by code now if done properly there is no danger at all

 

[bholler]

To the origonal poster it may be possible to reuse the gas line for a log set but you need to get someone in to check it out. If everything was done correctly originally and the valve has enough volume there is no reason mot to reuse it.

 

[Retreadsme]

Either way - if it is a gas log supply or a wood lighter, do you really want to leave that in a rental unit for someone without a single clue to mess with ? Seems like a bad situation just waiting to happen to me, but to each his/her own.

 

[bholler]

Either way - if it is a gas log supply or a wood lighter, do you really want to leave that in a rental unit for someone without a single clue to mess with ? Seems like a bad situation just waiting to happen to me, but to each his/her own.

Personally i recommend against letting renters use wood burning appliances at all. The log lighter would have do bearing on my decision about that there are just to many problems that can come from renters burning wood. As a rental i would pull the log lighter and install a gas log set or a gas insert and be done with it.

 

[Hogwildz]

Without more details and photos, who knows if it is a log lighter or gas fireplace, the original poster never supplied this info, so we will never know.

 

[bholler]

Without more details and photos, who knows if it is a log lighter or gas fireplace, the original poster never supplied this info, so we will never know.

I have never seen a keys valve outside the firebox for anything but a log lighter and i have never seen a log set that just had a tee pipe with holes in it. Both of those things strongly point to a log lighter. I agree that a pic would be best but i am at least 95% sure it is a log lighter

 

[Sawmonkey]

It's a log lighter

 

[Ram 1500 with an axe...]

Op, don't light a wood fire till your 100% sure that you can..... It could be a bomb just waiting to happen.....plus, what's the chimney like, that needs to be inspected as well. Get professional help..... Post pics and keep us updated.....

 

[Hogwildz]

It's been almost 3 months since the original post, and 1 month since the OP's last post. Glad you guys want to keep a debate fueling, but fact is, we have no clue what it is since no one has seen it, and the original poster has decided not to post pics.
Mod might as well put this puppy to bed.