Gas Fireplaces: All your burning questions answered - Bassemiers (2023)

FAQs

Why is my gas fireplace not burning properly? ›

A clogged or faulty burner can cause performance issues resulting in a low gas flame. In addition, carbon build-up, gas residue, and debris can inhibit the burner's ability to function correctly, leading to premature failure. If cleaning the burner doesn't solve the problem, it may need to be replaced.

You can run a vented gas fireplace all day with little concern for anything other than gas usage.

Firelogs & Fireplaces. Can duraflame firelogs be burned in all types of fireplaces? Duraflame firelogs are Underwriter Laboratories (UL) Classified for use in zero-clearance manufactured metal fireplaces and are suitable for use in all types of traditional open-hearth wood-burning fireplaces.

If gas is coming out of the pilot, but it still won't light, the spark igniter could be the problem. Alleyne says to look for and clear out any debris between the igniter and thermocouple. 4. The pilot lighting, but not staying lit, indicates that the thermocouple is worn out, Worthen says.

How Long Can a Gas Fireplace Last? Generally speaking, you can get a good ten to fifteen years of use before you need to replace your gas fireplace.

The answer is yes in almost all cases. A gas fireplace pilot light produces a flame from a small trickle of gas and does almost nothing else. This small flame is not enough to pose a threat, and the trickle of gas is immediately burned up, so it doesn't hurt anything either.

The initial and foremost guideline of any gas fireplace system is to have it inspected every year. With professional chimney companies, you can usually have your annual chimney cleaning and gas inspection scheduled at the same time. Matter of fact, your whole system should be inspected annually, top to bottom.

That means it will cost about $0.49 per hour to run your fireplace. If you run your fireplace for 8 hours a night, it will cost $4.41 a day. That can cost you $132 a month to run if you use the fireplace for 8 hours a day every single day.

Cleaning Gas Logs

Use a damp rag or lint-free cloth to wipe off the soot, carbon, and dust from the logs, at least once per year. Be careful to avoid scratching the logs, or they will no longer be useable. Liquid gas log cleaners are also available at your local fireplace dealer and may make it easier to clean.

Artificial burning embers are designed to be placed underneath the burner in your gas fireplace. They do a wonderful job imitating the look of the real wood fireplace. There are several types of glowing embers. Rock wool is the most common type.

Can you burn gas logs all night? ›

It's not safe to leave it on. Why Isn't It Safe? The biggest reason is that gas fireplaces can release deadly carbon monoxide gas, which is odourless and can go unnoticed until a person dies from carbon monoxide poisoning. It is best to not leave your fireplace on for more than three hours at a time.

The color of the pilot light should be blue because that means that only natural gas—without any other condensates—is reaching the pilot light through the gas main. The principal chemical compound found in natural gas is methane, and methane burns blue.

If you're able to light the pilot light, but it goes out when you release the control knob, the thermocouple probably needs replacing. The thermocouple is a safety device that shuts off gas flow if it senses the pilot light is out, but when damaged it loses its regulatory ability.

Burning gas can deplete the oxygen in your home you should crack open a window to replace the oxygen in your room. Keep your fireplace damper open to allow carbon monoxide to escape.

Ventless fireplaces are more energy efficient than vented fireplaces because no heat escapes up the flue, so you'll save money on gas utility bills. A vented gas fireplace uses more gas to create the same level of warmth because some of its heat escapes through the flue.

A healthy gas flame will burn steadily with a yellow or orange. If the flame is not yellow or orange it may be a sign that your gas fireplace needs adjusting or cleaning, which should be done by a qualified technician, such as those we have at Kozy Heat.

While gas fireplaces don't produce creosote, they do still need annual cleaning. Both propane and natural gas are clean burning gas fuels, so they don't produce the same byproducts as wood, but they can still produce buildup that needs to be cleaned away.

A Gas fireplace might cost anywhere from $556 - $1,112* per year when being used for supplemental heating with natural gas. A Freestanding Gas Stove might cost anywhere from $1,016 - $2,031* per year when being used as a zone heaters with natural gas.

Q: How long do gas logs last? A: In the average home, a well-maintained vented log set with ceramic logs will last 10 or more years. A well-maintained vent-free log set with ceramic logs can also last a long time, but, if heavily used, will begin to wear in 3-5 years.

A little heat is produced when your pilot light is on so turning it off in summer can help reduce the heat inside your home. The less heat there is, the less you have to use your air conditioner needs to cool down the house. You can get savings and conserve energy if you turn off your pilot light.

How much does it cost to run the pilot light on a gas fireplace? ›

Monthly costs of running a pilot light range from $4.49/month (natural gas) to $11.34/month (propane). Pilot lights that run on propane are about 2 times more expensive to run than pilot lights running on natural gas (that's because natural gas is cheaper per produced BTU – British Thermal Unit).

We recommend that you turn off your gas fireplace pilot light seasonally. Turning off your gas fireplace's pilot light can save a substantial amount of energy and money. It is important to remember that not all gas fireplaces have “standing” pilot light, or, a pilot light that is “always on”.

Even if you opt to clean the fireplace yourself, it's still a requirement to have an inspection—yearly, at the very least. Inspections of a gas fireplace don't take long to conduct and won't break the bank. Your chimney should be cleaned annually, as well, to clear away any debris and nesting materials from animals.

Bust the Dust: Dust your natural gas fireplace logs from top-to-bottom using a paintbrush or soft-bristled toothbrush. Next, wipe down the glass cover with a dry cloth and an alcohol-based fireplace cleaner (one that is not ammonia-based) for a spotless shine.

Regular cleaning of the glass will ensure that you're always aware of how your gas fireplace is performing. It will also keep things running beautifully for many long years. Old and new fireplaces can sometimes get a white-grey build up on the glass.

Zone Heating with Gas Fireplaces

Operating a furnace for one hour at 75,000 -100,000 Btu cost a homeowner $1.12 - $1.49 based on last month's national average natural gas rate. By comparison, a natural gas fireplace running at 30,000 Btu per hour cost only 45 cents.

Usually it is more fuel efficient to have the fireplace on because it doesn't lose any heat traveling through ductwork, but that also means the heat is localized and won't warm the entirety of a large house. So if everyone is cozied up in one room it is often better to have the fireplace on.

According to the National Association of Real Estate Appraisers, adding a fireplace to home can increase the resale value of the home by as much as 6-12 percent.

DO NOT USE WINDEX or other glass cleaners – gas fireplace glass is special and so it needs a special cleaner. Stop by and pick up some Gas Fireplace Glass Cleaner (try saying that one five times fast). It's a cream-based cleaner that will help lift that white film without scratching or doing damage to the glass.

It is important to clean a gas fireplace monthly even when it is not being used heavily. This will prevent dust and dirt from harming the system and allows you to inspect for damage – potentially catching something that could, later down the road, become an issue.

Do you need to replace the sand in a gas fireplace? ›

Sand can last two to three years before it needs to be replaced or added again, depending on the usage and maintenance of your gas burner system.

Ghosting Flame: lack of combustion air. Wispy, transparent blue flames that lift off the burner and float through the firebox looking for oxygen. Fireplace will only run for a short time before it shuts itself down. Typically due to poor draft or flue gas recirculation.

Having your gas fireplace inspected annually is the best protection against carbon monoxide poisoning. Regularly checking blowers, glass doors, pilot lights, and carbon monoxide detectors is also recommended.

The most common causes of soot buildup in a gas fireplace are ceramic fire-logs that have been moved out of their proper position and burner ports that are clogged. If your firelogs have moved, then this can interfere with the path of the flames that work to ensure the clean burning of the gas.

Prevent carbon monoxide (CO) build-up.

An open window can help to vent the gas, and this is especially important in newer homes that were likely built with airtight construction techniques.

Many people have reported physical symptoms from using unvented fireplaces in their homes, such as headaches, eye irritation, chest congestion and coughing spells. Ventless fireplaces may also aggravate existing respiratory issues, such as asthma, bronchitis, or allergies.

Yes, gas fireplaces can cause house fires. Gas fireplaces use a different venting system than wood-burning fireplaces. Wood fireplaces burn much higher temperatures than gas fireplaces, reaching 2,000 degrees. This high temperature can ignite combustible materials nearby.

Blue Flame Means Safe Burning

It is worth periodically inspecting any gas-burning device to check the color of its flame and make sure that it burns blue. This may not be the case for fireplaces, which are often treated with orange or yellow flames to have a more realistic look. There you have it!

A yellow flame indicates improper adjustment and a possibility of excessive carbon monoxide. Do not use the oven as a source of heat.

A direct vent gas fireplace or fireplace insert has a sealed piece of tempered or ceramic glass on the face of the fireplace. As a result of normal operation of these fireplace products, the glass front will become very hot. It is not unusual for the glass to reach sustained temperatures of over 475° Fahrenheit.

How do you fix a gas fireplace that won't stay lit? ›

When Should You Call a Professional? Problems with a gas fireplace continuing to go out are often the result of sensors that are faulty or dirty. In many cases, cleaning the pilot light, oxypilot, thermopile, or thermocouple can resolve the issue. It is often the case that these crucial parts do need to be replaced.

To quickly clean your thermopile, turn off the gas supply. With the help of a stainless steel brush and fine-grit sandpaper, you can scrub off as much piled up soot as possible.

The pilot flame should touch the thermocouple at a specific level. If the flame is blue and weak, and barely reaches the thermocouple, it needs to be stronger. If it extends well above the thermocouple, it's too strong.

Some gas fireplaces come with electronic ignition wall switches, which are easy to use. Just turn the On button, and the pilot should startup; if not, you will have to light the pilot manually.

Push the igniter button once every second until it lights. Depending on how long it's been since the gas fireplace was last used, ignition may take multiple attempts. After the pilot lights, keep the pilot button held down about 15 to 30 seconds to warm up the thermocouple and ensure that the flame stays lit.

Your gas fireplace or stove can get clogged by dust and other debris. The gas logs break down over time, and can crumble into pieces that block fireplace or stove vents. A water-damaged chimney will crumble and can send debris tumbling into your fireplace or stove.

Ventless gas fireplaces emit the highest amount of heat with 100% efficiency and are eco-friendly. They have the look and feel of a traditional fireplace, but don't require a chimney.

Here's an example to help illustrate this, with a fireplace with a Btu rating of 30,000: (30,000 x 1.63) / 100,000 = 0.49. That means it will cost about $0.49 per hour to run your fireplace. If you run your fireplace for 8 hours a night, it will cost $4.41 a day.

A healthy gas flame will burn steadily with a yellow or orange. If the flame is not yellow or orange it may be a sign that your gas fireplace needs adjusting or cleaning, which should be done by a qualified technician, such as those we have at Kozy Heat.

Even though gas fireplaces do not burn wood or make smoke, cleaning a gas fireplace monthly is essential, even when it is not being used. Regular cleaning will prevent dust and dirt from harming mechanisms and allow you to inspect the system for damage.

Should damper be open or closed with gas logs? ›

One caution, though: Fireplaces with installed gas logs are required to have the damper open at all times. That's either because a pilot light is constantly burning under the logs or because the homeowner might forget to open the damper when he or she turns on the fire.

While gas chimneys often don't need as much cleaning as their wood counterparts, it doesn't mean they don't need any cleaning at all. They are just as vulnerable to other chimney problems and it strongly behooves you to have them cleaned and inspected every year.