South Salt Lake · Salt Lake County
Gas Fireplace Work in South Salt Lake Homes
Gas came to these fireplaces as a retrofit rather than a design. Somebody ran a line to an existing brick firebox and set logs in it, and the result can be anything from excellent to alarming depending on who did it and when.
Three different things people call a gas fireplace
A vented log set sits in an existing open firebox and burns with the damper open. It looks the most like a real fire and it heats the room least, because the chimney is still wide open above it. A vent-free set burns without a chimney at all and puts its combustion products into the room, which is why it is restricted in many places and why we look at those installations carefully. A sealed direct-vent insert is a complete appliance with its own liner and its own air supply, and it is the one that both heats properly and vents predictably. Knowing which of the three you have changes almost every answer about maintenance and safety.
The retrofits we find in old fireboxes
The recurring problems in houses of this age are consistent. A log set installed with no damper clamp, so the damper can be closed on a burning appliance. Logs rearranged over the years until they sit in the flame path and soot heavily. A gas line run without an accessible shutoff. And venting into a flue that is unlined or has open joints, which is the same underlying issue the wood side of the house has. None of those are exotic faults and all of them are worth finding before winter.
What servicing involves and what we check
The burner and pilot get cleaned, the log placement is restored to the manufacturer's layout, the pilot assembly and safety devices are tested with instruments, and the flue or vent is examined along its length. On any installation in an older chimney we pay particular attention to the connection point and to whether the flue is sized appropriately for what is now attached to it. If the appliance is a vent-free unit we will tell you clearly what it is and let you decide with the facts in front of you.
It is worth doing this before December rather than during it. Down on the valley floor in South Salt Lake, the days the state declares a mandatory action are the cold, stagnant ones when you most want a fire. Those restrictions apply to wood burning; a gas appliance is generally still allowed, which is a large part of why people convert. Check the current rule with the Division of Air Quality rather than taking our word for it. That is a poor week to discover the pilot will not hold.
Where an old retrofit is beyond making right, converting to a sealed insert with a proper liner is usually the recommendation, and we would rather explain why than keep servicing something we do not trust.
Questions
Gas Fireplace in South Salt Lake — common questions
How do I know whether our gas logs are vented or vent-free?
A vented set requires the damper to be open when it burns and it will normally have a clamp preventing the damper from closing fully. A vent-free set has no such requirement and typically carries an oxygen depletion sensor. If there is any doubt, treat it as a question worth answering properly rather than guessing.
Someone told us our damper has to stay open all the time. Is that right?
With a vented gas log set, yes, and that is exactly why they heat so poorly. The flue stays open whether the fire is lit or not, so warm household air escapes continuously. If that bothers you, a sealed insert is the fix, not clamping the damper shut.
Can we run a gas line to a fireplace that has never had one?
Frequently yes, and the practical questions are the route, the accessibility of a shutoff, and whether the existing meter and piping can carry the additional load. In older houses the route is usually the interesting part. We survey it before quoting rather than assuming.
Our gas fire has a smell we cannot place. What should we do?
If it smells like gas, shut it off at the valve, ventilate, leave, and call the gas utility before anyone else. If it is a hot or acrid smell while running, turn it off and book a service. Dust burning off at the start of the season is normal for a few minutes and nothing beyond that is.
Also in South Salt Lake
Our other services here
Chimney Sweep Inspection Chimney Repair Fireplace Repair Installation Caps & Dampers Dryer Vents All South Salt Lake services
Nearby