Gas Fireplace
Getting the gas log set right in Sanford
Gas logs installed in Sanford once the fireplace, the fuel and the room have had a free inspection.
The fireplace has to qualify first
The Florida fuel gas code treats a vented gas log set as a decorative appliance for installation in an approved solid fuel-burning fireplace, listed to its own standard and installed to the manufacturer's instructions. One maker's manual adds that the fireplace needs a working flue and noncombustible construction.
So the first question is always the fireplace. We check the firebox, the damper and the flue during the free inspection and tell you whether the fireplace is ready for a set, needs preparation first or suits a different kind of gas appliance better. A fireplace with cracked firebrick, a damper that will not open or a flue that needs attention is put right first, and that work is priced on its own line.
Where a vent-free set is allowed
Vent-free sets carry room rules. The Florida fuel gas code keeps gas appliances out of bedrooms and bathrooms except in narrow cases, caps an unvented room heater at 40,000 Btu per hour and limits the total input of unvented appliances to 20 Btu per hour for each cubic foot of the room. One maker's vent-free manual also keeps units above 10,000 Btu per hour out of bedrooms and above 6,000 out of bathrooms.
We measure the room and compare it with the set's input before recommending a vent-free option. If the room is too small for the set you like, we tell you and suggest what would fit. The measurement goes into the written quote, so you can see how the chosen set compares with the limit for that room.
Every log has one right position
Log sets come with a placement diagram, and one maker says the set will not work as intended if the logs are not correctly positioned. Each log sits firmly in its place, the spacing between logs is kept, and the flames should not strike any part of the logs. Small changes matter. A log turned the wrong way or moved an inch toward the burner can put it in the flame and start a patch of soot.
We place the logs step by step from the set's own instructions and check the flame once it is burning. If the pattern is wrong, we adjust to the diagram until it matches. We also show you the layout so you can spot a log that has shifted.
Room air and drafts around a vent-free set
A vent-free set takes its combustion air from the room, so it needs enough air and a steady one. One maker's manual warns against drafts from heating and air conditioning vents, returns and fans that blow into the fireplace, because they bend the flame and can cause soot, carbon monoxide or pilot outages. Air moving across the fireplace opening pulls the flame sideways, and a flame pushed into a log leaves soot where it touches.
The same manual suggests cracking the damper or a window for combustion and ventilation air. We look at nearby vents and fans during the inspection and show you how to set the room up before lighting the logs.
