Gas Burn
We have often fielded the questions about Gas log fireplaces and why a damper has to be removed or restricted when a gas log fireplace is installed. If a gas log fireplace was installed after 1991 the building codes state that the damper must be disabled or removed. Below is a portion of a Q and A session on www.doityourself.com about this very topic. You can see our Q & A writeups on this topic here. http://www.chimneyballoonusa.com/blog/vented_gas_logs/index.html
Here is the Q & A session from DoIt Yourself.com on gas logs and dampers:
Q: The folks who are buying my home, upon advice of their home inspector, have asked that I remove the fireplace damper prior to closing escrow. I’ve explained that this would be impractical since an open chimney would allow warm air to escape from the home during the winter months. They agreed with this point but insisted that dampers are unsafe when fireplaces have gas burners. This is a new one on me. Are the buyers right about removing the damper? -B
A: Dear Bl, Changes in the safety requirements for fireplace dampers were enacted in 1991, but current standards apply only to newly installed gas log fireplaces…. click here to read the rest of the article”