Our Process
The details behind installing your Black Hammock gas fireplace
Running a gas vent inside an existing masonry chimney
An existing masonry chimney can sometimes serve as the path for a new gas vent, under strict conditions. Section 503.6.4 of the fuel gas code says a gas vent installed inside a masonry chimney follows the vent maker's instructions and carries a permanent label warning that it is for gas appliances only.
The code also bars connecting a gas appliance to a chimney flue that serves a separate solid-fuel appliance (503.5.7.1). Our specialists check what the chimney in your Black Hammock home is already serving before planning a gas vent inside it.
Coordinating the gas supply for a new fireplace
The gas line to a new fireplace is work for a gas contractor or the gas utility, and we coordinate it with them. The fuel gas code requires new piping to be visually inspected and pressure tested before it is accepted and put into service (406.1), and any additions after the test to be tested too.
Our installation plan names who runs the supply, where it enters the unit and when the test happens relative to the framing and finish. That keeps the sequence clear for everyone working on your Black Hammock home.
Hot surfaces, children and a new gas fireplace
Glass and metal surfaces stay hot for a while after the fireplace is turned off. One maker's manual asks for young children to be supervised in the same room, recommends a physical barrier where at-risk people live in the house and suggests an adjustable safety gate to keep toddlers away from hot surfaces.
If small children or older relatives live in your Black Hammock home, tell us at the free inspection. We plan the hearth, the barrier and the room layout with them in mind, and show everyone in the house how the barrier stays in place.
Normal quirks of a newly installed gas fireplace
A few things surprise new owners. One maker's manual explains that condensation on the glass at startup is normal and clears as the unit warms, that flames start blue and turn more yellow as the unit heats, and that ticking or metallic noises come from metal expanding and contracting.
It also says a film on the glass after the first burns is normal and should be cleaned with a non-abrasive gas fireplace glass cleaner. We go over each of these during the walkthrough in your Black Hammock home, so nothing new sounds like a fault.
