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Q - What is a direct vent insert?
A direct vent insert is an efficient gas insert made to go into an open wood-burning masonry or
prefabricated fireplace. It is a sealed unit with a glass front. A direct vent insert has two flexible liners
, each generally three inches thick, that are installed into the chimney flue, one for exhaust and one for
air intake, making it a closed system. This insert primarily provides radiant heat through the glass,
although convective heat is pulled around the firebox from the room, often passing through some form
of heat exchanger and returned to the room.
Q - Will a fan add efficiency to a gas fireplace?
A fan will modestly increase the efficiency of a fireplace by accelerating the rate at which room air is
heated and circulated. In our experience, the more a unit relies on a fan for efficiency, the less effective
the unit.
Q - How Often should I have my fireplace serviced?
Most manufacturers recommend servicing your fireplace once a year. However, if you use your fireplace often and as a primary or strong secondary heat source, we would suggest following the manufacturer’s recommendations. On the other hand, if you do not use your fireplace that often, servicing once every two or three years should suffice. A good tip for maintaining your fireplace is to open up the access to the control area and carefully vacuum and clean it out. These areas can be great dust collectors. If not cleaned out, the dust buildup can eventually affect your fireplace. |
Q - Who do I call for servicing?
When setting up a service call, make sure that the technician specializes in the servicing of gas fireplaces and is familiar with your model. There are differences between furnaces, hot water heaters and fireplaces. | Q - Should we leave our pilot light on?
It is advisable in colder weather to keep the pilot on so that some heat is maintained in the vent system. This facilitates the start-up of your fireplace in colder months. In warmer months, if you are not using the fireplace, you can turn the pilot light off. |
Q - Can we change our fireplace from a standing pilot system to electronic ignition?
Historically, most gas fireplaces have operated with standing pilots, much like many furnaces and hot water heaters. Retrofitting existing units with electronic ignitions would require replacement of the valve and pilot system. With most fireplaces, this is not possible due to design restrictions.
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Q - Some manufacturers have rock style burners and use specifically colored and sized ceramic rocks in the
burners. Can these be changed out for other rocks?
In the case of sealed direct vent fireplaces, it is important that the size and placement of the rocks remain approximately the same as recommended by the manufacturer. As long as these criteria are met, the rocks can be replaced with other ceramic rocks of slightly different sizes and colors. With open units, more drastic changes can be made.
Q - Can I change out my direct vent fireplace for another manufacturer’s and hook up to the existing vent
system?
Many direct vent fireplace manufacturers make their own vent systems. Their units are only approved with these systems. You have to be very careful that the new unit will match up with the existing vent system and that approvals are possible.
Q - Can I interchange the trim or log set from one manufacturer to another?
Fireplace components, like most other manufactured products, are generally not universal or interchangeable; especially finishing items such as trims and log sets, which distinguish one manufacturer from another.
Q - Can I set my fireplace on a timer?
Most fireplaces can have a wired or remote control unit installed with a timer feature.
Q - Can we install drywall to the fireplace?
Drywall is considered a combustible. Check the specification of the fireplace you are installing for clearance to combustibles. Note too that drywall finishes will often crack in higher heat situations.
Q - Can we turn down the heat from a fireplace and still have the flames?
More gas, more flames, more heat; less gas, less flames, less heat. A few direct vent zero clearance fireplaces have heat dumps, or heat take offs, but other than this you cannot have the flame without some heat. This will vary depending upon the efficiency of the fireplace.
Q - If we install a fire pit or a built-in exterior fireplace, how much heat can we expect on our deck or patio?
Do not expect to heat your exterior space with a fire pit or fireplace. The radiant heat will take the chill off the immediate surroundings and add a pleasant aesthetic experience to your exterior space.
Q - Do we need a vent for an exterior fireplace?
There are several exterior gas fireplaces on the market which do not require venting off the top or rear of the unit; they simply vent out the front. However for the best flame effect, install a zero-clearance wood-burning fireplace complete with venting, or a full masonry fireplace, and install a gas log set.
Q - Can I change the log set in my zero clearance fireplace or insert fireplace?
The logs installed in gas fireplaces cannot be altered. The set-up of the logs is specific to the way the burner has been tested and works. Also, if you alter the logs, the warranty is likely to be voided.
Q - My wood burning fireplace smokes, if I install a gas log set will it work?
Installing an open gas log set into a wood-burning fireplace is essentially just changing fuels. If your wood-burning fireplace smokes under certain conditions, it is likely that a log set will spill some of its combustion by-products into the room under the same conditions. In these circumstances, it is recommended to install an efficient gas insert with a single or double liner vent system.
Q - Is there a fireplace that can switch from wood burning to gas burning?
There is no fireplace that can perform this dual function. The best you can do is to install a gas log lighter, which is a steel pipe with holes drilled in that is hooked up to the gas and paced beneath your log grate. There'll be a key mechanism outside of the fireplace for you to turn on the gas, which you would then ignite with a match. This setup is strictly for getting wood fires going.
Q - Can you have a gas fireplace that directly vents out a wall without glass?
There are no fireplaces that direct vent without glass, as the waste gas would come into the room if not for the sealed glass. On the other hand, direct vent technology allows for the installation of fireplaces in areas where you could not previously put them and at relative inexpensive costs.
Q - Can I put a TV above a fireplace?
The short answer is yes, however depending upon the fireplace, care must be taken to provide adequate clearance. Each fireplace has tested clearances to combustibles specs for the area above that should be followed carefully. We would also recommend insulating the framing in the wall above the fireplace to prevent heat going up through the wall, as well as installing some sort of deflection to direct heat away from the face of the TV. Ultimately, you have to decide if you want to watch a TV that is at least half way up the wall.
Q - Will putting doors on an open fireplace increase its efficiency?
Most gas or wood fireplaces that have been designed to operate "open" will not work properly with the doors closed, and in doing so, you may run the risk of melting the valve. The real benefit of having doors is to keep the warm room air from going up the chimney when the fireplace is off.
Q - Is there a choice of logs with my prefabricated gas fireplace?
Almost all gas fireplaces come with complete log sets that cannot be altered. The fireplaces are tested with a particular burner and log set up that cannot be altered without voiding the manufacturer's warranty. Some of the more basic "builders" units have burner upgrades available, and a couple of the higher-end specialty direct vent units are starting to offer a couple of burner options, but for the most part, most gas fireplaces have no options for different burner and log set ups.
Q - Can I increase the efficiency of my open fireplace by adding glass doors and a fan?
Adding a set of doors to an open fireplace will not increase the efficiency of a fireplace. Furthermore you may blow the doors out or melt the valve of your gas fireplace by operating the fireplace with the doors closed. However, when the fireplace is not operating, having the doors closed will prevent heat from your house from going up the flue, whereas with gas fireplaces the damper is always open. Some open prefabricated gas fireplaces have the facility for adding a fan which will push some of the heated air into the room, but there is no way to add a fan to a basic log set to recover heat.
Q - What are the regulations regarding installing a gas fireplace in a bathroom?
If the bathroom has a door, the fireplace must have a direct vent-balanced flue system - no open B vents. The fireplace must operate on a timer or thermostat and must be 18" from the tub or shower. The glass on the fireplace should be ceramic.
Q - What are the regulations regarding gas fireplaces in bedrooms?
Any type of gas fireplace can be installed into a bedroom, as long as it can be controlled by a thermostat and there is adequate fresh air makeup.
Q - Can you replace a direct vent fireplace with a different fireplace by simply hooking up to the existing vent?
If the new fireplace has been made by the same manufacturer as the old one, you should have no problem. If not, the complete vent system including the exterior vent termination will have to be changed. This is because each manufacturer receives approval for their units based on the use of their own vent system. So one manufacturer's fireplace will not be approved with another's vent system. There are a few exceptions with some smaller manufacturers that use common vent systems made by third-party approved vent manufacturers.
Q - Can I vent an open gas fireplace out a wall?
Only sealed direct vent fireplaces can be vented horizontally out a wall. The only exception would be an open fireplace with a power vented system, which is usually noisy and not recommended in residential installations.
Q - I have a wood-burning brick and masonry fireplace that faces one direction. We would like to open it up so that is see-through and put in a gas insert.
Your chimney has been designed to vent your existing size of fireplace opening, so opening it up on the other side will essentially double the space needed to be vented. This is unlikely to work. What you can do is install glass on one side or use a vent top power draft inducer.
Q - I have a wood-burning fireplace that does not vent very well. I’d like to put in a gas insert to solve the problem, preferably an open gas log set.
If your fireplace does not vent very well with wood, it will not vent well with an open gas log set, since all you are doing is exchanging fuels. You do have several options: One is to install a chimney top powered draft inducer. Another is to install a set of doors that remain partially closed while the fireplace is in use. You can test for this door option by restricting the opening and seeing what happens. The best option in terms of heat is to install an efficient wood or gas insert. Both of these require liners in the chimney and operate with closed glass.
Q - I am looking to replace my existing open gas or wood burning fireplace with a more efficient sealed gas unit, and I want to accomplish this without affecting my finishes.
In 49 out of 50 times, you will not be able to completely take out your existing fireplace without affecting your surrounding finishes. There are small efficient inserts available specifically designed to fit into existing fireplaces. There also is the option to partially cut out your existing fireplace and install an efficient insert with a zero clearance kit.
Q - I have a smoky wood burning fireplace and wish to install an open gas log set to fix the problem.
By exchanging gas for wood you will not solve the problem, you are just exchanging fuels, and if the problem is severe enough and you change to gas, you might make yourself sick or worse. You can however change over to a sealed gas unit to solve your problem.
Q - Are there direct-vented fireplaces with less metal and louvers exposed?
A few manufactures have come up with designs that have minimized the exposed metal on direct vent fireplaces. For examples see the links below.
http://www.vangasfireplaces.com/section.asp?pageid=4316
http://www.vangasfireplaces.com/section.asp?pageid=4304
http://www.vangasfireplaces.com/Town-and-Country.asp
Q - What size of gas pipe do I need to use for a particular fireplace?
The size of the pipe required for a fireplace will depend upon the amount of BTUs used and the gas pressure along its route to the fireplace and back to the meter. In most cases, gas fireplaces can be fed by copper pipes from 3/8" to 5/8" or steel pipes up to 3/4".
Q - Can I use vented gas logs in a stove? In a fireplace? In a coal burning fireplace?
Vented gas logs can only be used in a wood-burning fireplace. A coal-burning fireplace is too shallow. Vented gas logs are not recommended for a stove because of safety concerns.
Q - What does remote ready mean? Does it come with a remote?
Remote ready means that you can turn the unit on and off via the remote (wired or wireless). This requires a millivolt valve that creates millionths of volts of electricity to control the valve. Remote ready units do not come with a remote because there are up to 20 different kinds of remotes.
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