Concerns about direct vent gas insert installation

[Mark Wade]

We just had a Hearthstone direct vent gas fireplace insert installed by a local dealer. The first installer hooked everything up but every time he started the fireplace it was reverse venting. Another installer came out and fixed the problem by unattaching the chimney intake pipe from the fireplace and attaching an open ended 6 foot pipe to the fireplace intake. This open ended pipe extends up the chimney. So basically the fireplace draws air from the chimney cavity which draws outside air from the open ended chimney intake pipe. The installer assured us this was safe and we weren't sacrificing any efficiency. The gas inspector hadn't seen this configuration before but decided it was safe. The fireplace seems to work just fine but we are very uncomfortable with what seems to us to be a jury-rigged install. Before contacting the dealer we want to get outside feedback on this install. In particular we have the following questions:

1. Is this safe?
2. Is this still a direct-vent system? It seems to me that combustion air could be drawn from both the outside and the room, which would negate some of the heating efficiency if we are pulling heated air out of the house. Thanks for any information provided. Regards, Mark Wade

[SQLit]

If I understand your exhausting and venting from the same chimney... My GUESS is that the exhaust has to go to the chimney top. There was a company in Tucson AZ called Wells. They made a fireplace that used a triple wall pipe. One for insulation one for fresh air and then the exhaust... Worked great. Yours, I sure would be worried about CO2. Sounds hinky/lazy to me

[Mark Wade]

I may not have explained this well enough. The fireplace is supposed to use a two vent pipe system that attaches to a cap on the top of our existing chimney. One pipe if for intake air for combustion. The other pipe is for exhaust. The exhaust pipe is connected as it should be between the fireplace and chimney cap. The intake pipe is supposed to be attached between the cap and the fireplace but has been detached from the fireplace and left just hanging free in the original fireplace space. Then the new 6 foot pipe was attached to the fireplace intake and positioned up the existing chimney.

[v]

Where/how does the fresh makeup air get into the chimney?

-v.

[Andrew Duane]

Have you contacted the manufacturer? These installations are *very* well specified, and they should be done just as required. All the correct heights, flue sizes, drafts, etc. are calculated by the manufacturer.