Gas Fireplace
Gas fireplace installation in Sanford, part by part
Horizontal vent caps on an outside wall
A direct-vent cap on an outside wall has to stay clear of openings people breathe through. Florida's fuel gas code, in Table 503.8, sets it at least 12 inches above the ground, a porch or a deck, and away from any window or door that opens by 9 inches for units over 10,000 up to 50,000 Btu/h, or 12 inches for units over 50,000 up to 150,000.
The manual for a given model can ask for more, and when it does, the larger number wins. Our installers measure the cap position on your Sanford home against both before the hole is cut.
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 Sanford home is already serving before planning a gas vent inside it.
The safety barrier over a gas fireplace's hot glass
The glass on a gas fireplace gets hot enough to burn. One direct-vent manual carries a warning that hot glass will cause burns and says a barrier designed to reduce that risk is supplied with the fireplace and shall be installed. Another manual says not to operate the fireplace with the barrier removed.
Our installers fit the barrier that comes with your model before the first light and show you how it comes off for glass cleaning. It stays on whenever the fireplace in your Sanford home is in use.
Permits and inspections for a gas fireplace installation
Permit and inspection needs depend on the property and the work. One maker's manual tells installers to consult local building and fire officials about restrictions, installation inspection and permits, and the fuel gas code requires new gas piping to be inspected and tested before use.
Before work starts, the approvals that apply to your Sanford project are discussed and the inspection points built into the schedule, so nothing is covered before it has been seen. Who applies for any permit, and what it costs, is written on the estimate so nothing is hidden.
