The whole family loves it, and there’s no safety penalty or energy penalty to pay.įor a longer discussion about gas log fireplaces, please check out our podcast from yesterday on the topic: I have one in my basement living room, and that thing gets used a ton. If they’re built to ANSI Z21.88, they can even be counted as a heat source. They’re safer, and you won’t be wasting heat all year. They kick out a lot of heat, especially if there is a blower fan installed. These have a two-pipe system, which allows them to bring in air directly from the exterior for combustion, instead of using the air in the home. If you already have a gas log, consider upgrading it to a newer direct-vent gas insert. My recommendation: Don’t install a gas log in your fireplace. I’ll go on record by saying that nobody has ever done this. Oh, and you’re also required to have a screen present anytime the gas log is operating. Yet the damper should be fully open when the gas log is operated. When the damper is removed or locked fully open, there will always be warm air leaving the house through the chimney, cold air coming into the house through the chimney, or both. They’re going to put the damper clip in place and call it done, or they’re going to do the safe thing and remove the damper entirely. Take a look at the example below, and click on it to get a bigger, readable version:ĭoes anyone honestly believe the installer is going to read these instructions, much less determine the correct row and column, and then calculate the net square inches? NO WAY. In my humble opinion, the installation instructions that come with these gas logs are nearly impossible to follow. To work properly, a damper clip needs to keep the damper open all the way, or at least most of the way. When the damper is mostly closed, most of the exhaust gases will still come back into the home. These damper clips usually allow the damper to close most of the way. I’ve tested several damper clips to see just how effective they are, and most don’t do their job. This damper clip will prevent the damper from closing all the way and is supposed to prevent the exhaust gases from coming back into the house. This will be required by the ANSI Standard that the gas log is built to, ANSI Z21.60. To make sure the damper never gets completely closed on a gas log fireplace, there must be a damper clip installed. These gases can contain high levels of carbon monoxide, making this a safety hazard.ĭamper clips are supposed to fix this issue. When the combustion gases from a gas log fireplace come back into the house, it’s not nearly as obvious in fact, it could be very easy to miss. While you have the same potential for this to happen with a wood-burning fireplace, it will be quite obvious if a wood-burning fire exhausts into the house everything is going to get very smoky, very quickly. What happens if the damper is closed? If the fireplace damper is closed when a gas log fireplace is operated, the combustion gases will come right into the house. These can also be listed as a heat source or not. It won’t have anything to do with a traditional fireplace. You might find it installed on an outside wall, an inside wall, freestanding, whatever. Gas fireplace: a standalone appliance.I’ve asked numerous fireplace experts about the difference between these two fireplaces, and their answer is always “the ANSI standard.” Very funny. You can’t tell the difference between the two without reading the listing tag inside of the unit. The other type is listed under ANSI Z21.50 as a decorative appliance only. There are two types of gas inserts one is listed under ANSI Z21.80 as a heat source. It’ll have its own enclosure, vent liner, glass front, all that jazz.
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