Natural Gas Log Set - Vented or Not? How to tell?

In my house - which I've owned for about 18 months now, there's a fireplace with a natural gas burning log set... wifey and I were looking at it last night, trying to figure out if it actually threw any heat - or was it purely for the nice-fire-burning-atmosphere... anyways, I turned the gas off months ago when we bombed the house for bugs. And I couldn't get it lit and didn't want to spend all night on it. That's not my question.

In the course of looking at the fireplace, I noticed that something was placed in the damper to keep it from closing fully. But oddly enough no cold air was blowing down the chimney...

The question - since the damper is open, I am now questioning whether or not the log set is vented or vent free. Is there a way to tell?

Reply to
mark.wolven
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Because your warmer room air was moving up the chimney? Burn a cig or some paper dear the damper and watch where the smoke goes.

Well with the current 'slightly open' damper, it IS vented. Burning gas needs to be vented.

Reply to
Leroy

Oh pshaw, on Tue 11 Dec 2007 08:16:34p, meant to say...

I can't speak to your damper or chimney, but I know of no open fired log set that does not need venting. There are plenty of sealed log fireplaces/inserts that do not require chiney vented They are usually vented through the rear wall, but that doesn't sound like what you have. Make sure you have a working vent to avoid cabon monoxide buildup. It culd kill you.

Reply to
Wayne Boatwright

Alot of money is going up an unsealed chimney , its like an open window.

Reply to
ransley

Yes but as with any gas burning appliance is it not mandatrory that you have CO detector.

Reply to
terry

On Dec 11, 10:16 pm, snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com wrote:

buffalo ny: when an unvented natural gas burner is installed in my office, part of the instructions for its use include to open a window to provide replacement air. your heat rises up a chimney from a warm house since heated air is lighter, taking away any heating benefit of a decorative logset. if there is a gas controlling device related to the logs, check the labels for more clues. open fires in fireplaces whether gas or wood require venting. a direct vented gas heater is enclosed and has a two-way horizontal flue outdoors thru which it receives its own fresh air and gives exhaust. in the absence of a manual or model number, the best guess would be you need to replace it with a modern safer labeled device. since the condition of the chimney flue regarding cracks or leaks into the house is presumably unknown as well, let's start by installing a CO detector in the sleeping rooms, have the chimney relined, install new enclosed heat rated gas log fireplace vented up the newly lined chimney with a btu rating to warm the house all the way to its newly insulated walls. but first have your brother-in-law as santa come down the chimney with his brand new hd recorder camera and visually check it for leaks! :) also, next time you're hanging a picture or working on an electrical outlet, check for actual insulation in the walls. it will be related to the heat calculations for the btu ratings your new fireplace heater. if you still have kids, never mind. remove the gas logs, close the climney with its damper lever and put in a decorative lighted fake until they are 12.

Reply to
buffalobill

Lots of gas appliances are unvented, safely.

Nick

Reply to
nicksanspam

Oh pshaw, on Wed 12 Dec 2007 04:08:30a, meant to say...

Most of the types of gas logs that are intended to be placed over a gas jet in the fireplace are not designed for unvented use.

Reply to
Wayne Boatwright

????? Huh ???? I've been using an unvented gas log set for almost

10 years in my basement/family room. It was purchased from a gas log fireplace store and they sell LOTS of different unvented units. My flue is closed and virtually all of the heat comes into the room rather than up the chimney. I have a CO detector in the nearby hallway and have NEVER had a problem with CO buildup, moisture, etc etc etc. My family and pets are all still alive and kicking.

--Jeff

Reply to
Jeff B

Oh pshaw, on Fri 14 Dec 2007 06:27:57a, Jeff B meant to say...

Obviously there are different designs and requirements for different log sets. The logs we had in our home in Ohio definitely required venting. It was indicated in the owner's manual and stated clearly by the isntaller.

Reply to
Wayne Boatwright

The only way to tell (safely) is to get the manufacturer and model# off the unit, and check with the manufacturer.

I don't think you could tell by looking.

Dave

Reply to
spamTHISbrp

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