Direct Vent Gas Fireplaces

We have an unvented gas fireplace that we have used for about 4 years. (Yes we have ample cubic feet with our vaulted ceiling and space) It has performed fine and provides quick heat. Tow days ago, for no apparent reason, it began emitting irritating fumes when in use. The fumes are similar to the smell you get when you first shut off a kerosene heater. The fumes are continuous when it is running, and non-existant when it is off. What could possibly be the cause of this?

Jim,
The orifices might be dirty. My guess is incomplete combustion.

I am looking to add a gas fireplace to my finished basement. Is there an option that would not have to have an exhaust vent?
I would like to have a free standing unit or a I can frame something in.

Chrie,
You bet there is. Please read my columns about Vent-Free Fireplaces and Gas Logs. But be sure you understand ALL I say about the water vapor issue!

I have a prefab gas fireplace that I want to update to a direct vent. Is this a big project? How do I start?

Colleen,
You start this task by visiting a store that sells direct-vent fireplaces. Unless there has been a huge disturbance in the Force, I can't imagine how you could successfully retrofit a regular fireplace. If you discover you can, I sure would love to know how!

I don't understand your message. What is the "Force"? Are you saying that this cannot be done?

Hi,
We recently bought a house that has a direct vent gas fireplace. There is no glass door and the fireplace doesn't work. We are planning to replace it. Could you please advice what our options are ? The fireplace is Manufactured by Martin Industries. Is it possible to replace it without distrubing the walls etc.

Thanks
Vinay

Vinay,
Find one that you like that has the same rough-in dimensions of your existing one.

We have a new direct-vent gas fireplace installed flush to the wall in a new home. There is an icy cold draft coming from the face of the unit, mainly at the bottom where the controls are but the draft can be felt all around. On the exterior there is an enclosure with a shed roof. The room gets uncomfortably cold and is unusable without the fireplace burning.
The builder keeps making excuses for the wind etc. and has put me off for five weeks now (He's not the problem - I'll make sure of that) When he returns after the first of the year to make repairs, I'd like to know what to look for. For instance, what caulks and insulations can be used to seal off leaks if the unit is not zero clearance? How should the outside structure be insulated to insure an air tight structure?
Thanks,
Wal

Wal,
Something tells me the exterior enclosure is not insulated. If this is the case, imagine how much convection is happening as that cold air drops down the chimney enclosure, crashes onto the floor and then pours out into the room! Get the written installation instructions from the fireplace manufacturer and see how they say the enclosure should be built.

I am installing a direct vent unit.is there a option to get the intake from in the house.

Tom,
I wouldn't do it that way. Follow the written instructions.

I have the same problem as Wal above. I think that I am getting my draft from the intake/exhaust vent. The fireplace is vented horizontally and the vent is on the windy side of the house. Other than covering the vent on windy days, which means turning of the fireplace, do you have any suggestions on cutting down on this air coming back in through the vent?

Peter,
Build some sort of wind shield??????

We have a vent free fireplace and it has been working properly until recent. It cuts off shortly after starting up like it is not getting enough gas flow. Is there something you can suggest? Can it be the pilot light or is there a kink in the tubing. Could someone had shut off our gas suppply? Any info would be helpful
Thank you,
Adam

Adam,
It could be the oxygen-depletion sensor. Look in your Owner's Manual for some guidance.

I'm having a house built which will have a gas, direct vent fireplace in the great-room. Do you know of any manufacturer that makes a unit that draws combustion air in from the outside? I would think this would be a much more energy efficient set up.
Thanks.

Paul,
I believe MOST of the manufacturers build them this way....... Do you have information that leads you to believe this is not true?

I am looking for information on cold drafts coming from the direct vent fireplace.

Lisa,
The first place to start is the written instructions that came with your unit. See if it was installed correctly. Discover how insulation was supposed to be put around it. My guess is you will find that there is missing insulation and all sorts of air infiltration leaks.

I have the same problem as Wal, except I know all walls are insulated and a lid was put in above the fireplace unit and insulated above. The enclosure is cantilevered out, and the floor joists below are all filled with insulation, and yet we have cold air entering into the house through the area with the controls.

Any suggestions

TJ,
Those hidden chambers, even though they are insulated, get cold. You can have a double-wall effect going where an inner wall is keeping heat from getting into the cavity. The insulation then in the outer wall is useless as it gets as cold as outdoors. Without seeing your situation, it is hard to suggest a fix. You need to get some heat into that hidden area.

I have recently noticed numerous builders in my area installing these direct vent fireplaces with the exhaust outlet under decks, porch roofs, and very close to doors and windows (within a 3-4 feet). It seems as if there is no regard for where the heat will go when these are in use. It will typically go up, and the nearest housing component is a wood ceiling in the porch, or the wood framing of a deck...sounds like a fire hazard to me. What are your thoughts.

Super Inspector,
My thoughts are to use lots of common sense and realize that the building code is almost always a set of minimum standards.

I have a Octa Therm fire place that is about 25 years old i converted it to gas several years ago.I am now adding a 2nd floor to the house. Since i will never use wood again i would like to close off the blower and cirulating air vents also the chimney i think is 9"doi need that big a chimmey for a gas fire place?If not what can i do?
Yhank You, Paul

Paul,
I can't help you on this one. It requires a visit to the site.

Wal,
I'm having the same problem with regards to drafty direct vent fireplace. It feels like there is a window open it's so drafty at the bottom louvers. It really annoys me when it's cold out as it makes the family room very cold. It was windy last night so I opened the bottom louver and felt around underneath, seems like a good majority of the air coming in is around the corners of the combustion (for lack of right terminology) metal box, I'm thinking about getting some fireplace caulking and closing up these areas and seeing if that takes care of it.

I have the same GDV fireplace problem as well. Not only does my GDV fireplace have a draft but the glass actually frosts up. What is wrong and what can be done?

Please help..... We recently purchased a home with a direct vent gas fire-place (Flame-Glo 1998). 'Direct vent' where the fireplace vents through the living room wall to the outside.
The outside vent is an 8"x8" steel cage-like box.

If you look inside the fireplace, you can see direct light coming in from the vent (flue?) from the outside. There is also a terrific cold draft pouring in through the bottom louvers. Obviously, in the winter we're losing heat and $$ and in the summer well.....you get it. Please advise if there is anything we can do to correct this.

I have natural gas vent free fireplace and I also have the same smell as JIM who wrote to you on Dec 8th
I get a strong smell of lighter fluid???
How would i fix this problem

Lori,
Contact Flame-Glo and see if there is a missing damper. If they are no help, stuff the opening with something that will stop the draft.

Bill,
Try to determine the source of the odor. Is it the gas or the appliance. Do you have a gas stove? Does it smell?

Dear AskTheBuilder -

We have a direct vent, corner gas fireplace that works well, but I want to change its location to the living room and not to the corner, but instead to the middle of a wall. Would this be possible or do I have to buy a new unit?

Luis,
Contact the manufacturer and see if your planned location is an approved use of the device.

Hi, we have just purchased a new construction home that has a vented gas fireplace in the center of the room. it is way too big for the room and we want to remove it and install a smaller unit on the side wall. any tips on where to begin?

Tcopp,
Make a template out of cardboard of the new sizes to make sure you get the right one for the room.

Hi,
I'm wanting the diagram of framing in my direct vent gas fireplace out of my livingroom wall. I'm going to install one taken out of my friends home, they have replace it with 2 newer ones. Judy

We have a 9 year old direct vent fireplace that we haven't used in a year. This summer after heavy rains we noticed a bad must odor coming from our fireplace. We figured it could be mold. I thought it smelled like a dead animal although I don't know how one would get in there. We cleaned it out as much as we could and ran the fireplace hoping to burn out the smell. It just rained again last night and the smell is back. Do you have any ideas on what this is or what we should do? Thanks.

I want to replace a 30 year old masonry fireplace with a gas unit. This is being done as part of refacing the fireplace. The opening is roughly 45 by 40 and 25 deep (to the firebrick. Without the firebrick it would be 50 by 40 by 29. All the inserts I see have small openings (20 deep, 20 high, 30 wide. We really want a larger viewing area. Fireplace units (as opposed to inserts) have larger openings - is there any reason? Could I just pull the firebrick out and install a complete unit? Also I see direct vent and vent-free. The latter is more efficient, but do they look any different when operating (one look more realistic than the other)?

I wnat to intall a direct vent fireplace in my basement on an exterior wall which has a deck above it. The deck is approximately 3 - 4' above where the vent box would be installed

We'd like to direct vent a propane fireplace from the inside of our home to the oustide which would be inside a screened in porch. Is this possible? Thanks

We have a CDVR36 direct vent fireplace in our new home and it seems it just doesn't give off much heat. There is quite a bit of heat that comes out of the vent outside the house, but not much into the house. Could it be installed incorrectly or what should we do to improve the heat in the house?

Thanks for your help
Betsy

I have a Majestic direct vent fireplace that was installed when my home was built approximately 10 years ago. It has hardly been used due to the odor it emits after being on for about 20 minutes. It gets REAL REAL hot too. I had the service tech out from Majestic and he adjusted it but nothing has changed. Any suggestions? Can a direct vent unit be used like a conventional fireplace without one of the glass panels in place?

I want to install a direct vent fireplace on an interior wall on the first floor. Is it possible to vent down through the floor and out the basement wall? I'd install a vent-free unit, but they aren't legal where I live (CA).

Thanks!

We just replaced a woodburning fireplace/stove with a direct vent gas fireplace/stove in a rental property. The wood stove was vented straight up, through 6" pipe, about 22' to the cathedral ceiling.
The contractor just installed and reused the same piping. Do I need to replace the pipe with direct vent piping that has intake and exhaust? Help -- we have renters coming in November 1st and I have to make sure it's safe. Thanks!!!

Hi! We're going to install a direct-vent gas fireplace in our Family Room. On an exterior wall, my husband will built-in bookcases to flank a DESA fireplace unit (18,000 BTU's output) with an LCD flat panel TV above. The frplc will be framed to sit a few inches above an existing (gas) water-baseboard heating element, which runs across the entire length of the room, under the bookcases as well. My husband says that creating a 'toekick' with a semi-open face of reticulated tin (usually used in old fashioned radiator covers) will be sufficient for air flow. I'm thinking it will create a combustion cavity where heat will build up, posing a major safety issue. Pleaes help us with this issue, so we can proceed safely. THANK YOU!

I want to remodel my kitchen and take down a wall between the dining room and the kitchen. They only barrier is a second chimney that is in good condition and is not being used.

I have an excellent mason who is going to extensive work on my basment this fall and makes beautiful see-through wood burning fireplaces. I haven't had a chance to discuss this with him yet but would like an opinion on what to do with this chimney from someone who has had a vast range of experiences. Could this chimney be made into a gas fireplace.

I know there will need to be air and exhaust pipes going up the chimney. I just don't know what to do. Taking down the chimney will be an additional expense as this is a one and one half story house. But leaving it just standing there useless between the two spaces seems not quite right. any and all suggestions with what to do with this chimney would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Anne

I have a vented gas fireplace and it is brand new but every time i put it on it smells really bad. what could this be from?

We had a direct vent gas fireplace installed by a professional 2 yrs ago. They said it had to be vented 48" from windows, but they installed it 32" from a picture window, which they said was okay because the window was not made to open. However, this past summer, we replaced all our windows with ones that do open. Will this create a problem? Obviously, we will not have the window open while the fire is on (except for the pilot light).
Thanks!
Miranda

I have a Martin Industries Model DV3A Direct Vent Fireplace. I need a new pilot assembly. I am told the company is no longer in business. Do you have any idea where I can get this part?

I am putting in an exterior, large glass window about 10 feet high and 5 ft wide in my living room and I was wondering if I could mount a gas fireplace immediately below this glass so that I am essentially installing the gas fireplace into a wall of glass. There would be a box built outside the window to enclose the fireplace box, obviously. I am worried that this might crack the glass, due to heat. Or is the heat well insulated enough?

I have a 14 year old Martin Industries DV3 "b vent" gas fireplace. It has had a chemical odor smell for 12 of the years and we've not been able to use much at all! We've had the seal around the glass replaced. No one takes us seriously with the odor. Finally someone came out just today to take a look at it. The vent isn't blocked, the logs are in place, it's dusted, yet the chemical odor persists and no one can explain to me why. There's no carbon dioxide leaking out and no gas leak or odor for that matter. Is there a shelf life on these units? Anyone have any other ideas or has anyone had a similar experience? The next (expensive) step is to tear the thing out and start fresh.

Can a flat-panel tv be placed above a direct vent unit. If so, what amount of clearance is required etc.

Dear Tim,
We had a direct vent fireplace installed in our new home several years ago when it was built. By mistake, we received a propane unit vs natural gas. The installer got a conversion kit and changed it to natural gas. However, whenever it burns, we get a pungent odor. I have worked with the installer, the builder, and the company (which is now out of business) to no avail. They said it would burn off and be fine, but it has been 8 years and we can not use.
Could it be the logs? Are they different with gas vs propane? The logs are the original that came with the propane unit. I am at wits end. PLEASE HELP!!

Drafty direct vent fireplace

Dear Tim:
My home is new construction with a natural gas direct vent fireplace.
I turned on the unit this year( turned on the gas valve & lite the pilot). While outside I noticed a strong smell of gas coming from the metal vent. Is this normal? Also do you recommend these fireplaces be checked every year and who do you call plumber, heating and cooling people? My manual is not very helpful and made more for the installer than the owner.
Your experience is appreciated.

where does the heat direction shield go on the front of a ventless fireplace with blower? Mantle gets extremely hot.

I have a Martin Industries direct vent fireplace. It has quit igniting. I know that Martin is out of business. What I want to know is if there is a way to install just new firelogs or if the entire fireb ox has to be removed. It seems ridiculous to remove everything because of one small component. What can you suggest?

Same problem

Recently purchase home and lit the direct vent fireplace the glass popped and broke what would cause that and how should we replace the glass?

Colleen,
The "Force" is an ancient, yet somehow futuristic power that resides within us and also surrounds us. Certain individuals have mastered the ability to use this force for both good and evil. We call these people "Jedis."

And what the builder means is that you need to start with a direct vent fireplace and not try to convert another type. :)

I want to install propane gas heater in finished basement.I have a propane tank outside. What is the difference between a space heater which looks like a white metal box and a vented gas fireplace. Is it only looks or do they work differently? There is only a regular wall in the basement now, no fireplace alcove or anything.
S.L.