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How can I tell if I have a vented or vent-free (ventless) gas logs?

How can I tell if I have a vented or vent-free (ventless) gas logs?

by | Sep 7, 2018 | Gas Logs

Q: Jason, I bought my Virginia home about 3 yrs ago, and have never thought about the amount of heat / ac leaving the home until seeing a “home energy saving” piece on the local news. They recommended using a “Chimney Pillow” as a possible solution.

So, I came to your website, spent the last 90 minutes reading EVERY one of your replies to all of these posts, and have become not only more educated on this topic but have developed an admiration for your knowledge & straightforwardness.

The extent of my expertise with fireplaces ceases after the determination has been made that I actually have gas logs (which I do) & not real wood!

Question: How would I know if I have Vented Gas Logs or Non-Vented Gas Logs?

There is a damper (presumably installed during the 1988 construction), which has been closed since move-in day. There is also a gas line that has been turned off since move-in day. I have a VERY cold fireplace & a relatively new chimney cap (installed as a condition of sale 3 yrs ago).

I am fairly convinced that I need a Chimney Balloon, but at 300 lbs with no official contortionist training, I have been reluctant to take the time to remove our toddler gate which would be required to gain access to the fireplace allowing for an appropriate measurement (trust me, it is an event to take this thing apart…14 ft of it that encircles the entire family room)!!

So I guess the first step is determining the vented vs. non-vented issue, then get to work on the toddler gate. Thank you in advance for your time & consideration! – MW

A: Hi MW, I’m sorry it took so long to respond to your post. It has been a very busy week on the phones.

To see if you have a vented or non-vented gas log I would look first on the manufacturer plate on the gas log burner itself. It is usually by the knob that controls the flame height. It should be indicated there. If you can even find a model # you can google that number and see what comes up. If there is no indicator of manufacturer or model on the burner unit, about all you can do is call a professional to come and look at it or take some digital photos of it to a fireplace retailer and get their input.

There is no simple way to identify a vented gas log from a non-vent if it is not marked, even professionals have a hard time indentifying one from another. I have seen plenty of homeowners assume they had a no-vent just because the damper was not removed or clipped open, but it turned out they had a vented unit. Getting this mixup wrong can be lethal, so it is nothing to guess at.

Since you gas log is disabled/inoperable and the gas is shut down to it, you can install a Chimney Balloon to stop the cold draft. Just make sure you mark the gas valve clearly with the red lockout tag that comes with a Chimney Balloon.

If you are not comfortable getting your fireplace fitted and installed for a Chimney Balloon I would look in the phone book for an energy rater to do a house call to measure and install one. Most energy raters and insulation contractors and some chimney sweeps are familiar with Chimney Balloons and can install one for just the cost of a 1 hr house call.

Or if you feel adventurous and you have a folding carpenters ruler in-hand you can call us in tech support (608-467-0229) and we can walk you through the measurement process. It is not really that hard if you have a folding carpenters ruler. It is much easier than using a tape measure. – Jason

How much does it cost to run a gas log fireplace?

How much does it cost to run a gas log fireplace?

by | Jan 15, 2018 | Gas Logs

Q: I know vented gas log fireplaces are inefficient to run, but how much does an hour of use cost if you are burning propane in an average vented gas log? – DR

A: Hi Dr, Well the cost will depend upon your cost of propane and the BTU of your device but let’s make an estimate:

Say you have a 45,000 BTU unit and Propane costs $3 per gallon. The cost would be about $1.50 per hour to operate it. (Since a 90,000 BTU unit will consume 1 gallon in an hour)

Keep in mind as well that you are getting very little if any heat gains from this fuel consumption. That is the travesty of vented gas logs. – Jason

Are your gas logs picking your pocket, or are they just slowly poisoning you?

Are your gas logs picking your pocket, or are they just slowly poisoning you?

by | Aug 21, 2017 | Chimney Problems, Gas Logs

If you have been a reading my blogs you have probably gathered that I am not a big fan of retrofit gas logs. I don’t like vented or vent free gas logs, but it is for two different reasons:

Vented Gas Logs:

These are usually retrofitted into wood burning fireplaces. They are sold as an easier way to enjoy your fireplace, without the inconvenience of wood. To a degree they deliver on that promise, but there is more that they deliver.

  1. When you install a gas log you must remove the damper or have it clipped open all the time. This is a bad deal for obvious reasons. This means you have a big hole in your home all the time, and you cant close it. It doesn’t matter if your fireplace is on or not that flue has to remain open and that allows for outside air to come in.
  2. Most of the heat that is generated by the gas logs burning goes right up the flue. Unless you have a special kind of heat exchanger in your fireplace, that gas you are burning is throwing its heat right up the flue with the fumes. All you will get is some paltry radiant heat.
  3. Older gas logs have pilot lights. They are the drippy faucets of the gas world. 24/7 you are trickling fuel down the drain.

Vent-Free Gas Logs:

I could go on and on about vent free gas logs. I really do not like these things. You are burning gas and venting all the heat and fumes into the home. This is great for heating, but what about air quality?

Vent-less gas log manufacturers swear by their newer products and say they are safe and do not elevate CO or CO2 levels. They say they even build in CO sensors that will shut the vent free heating device off if it malfunctions and causes a CO backup.

However, The University of IL (Urbana/Champagne) in 2008 introduced results of a study they conducted on 30 homes over a 3 years period to see how vent free gas appliances do effect the homes air quality. The complete study is available on-line, but it is a bit long winded, so I will give you a brief summary of what I found most interesting about it.

  1. NO2 is the gas most likely to exceed acceptable levels when operating a vent free device.
  2. The safety shutoff sensor on vent free units does not sense for NO2 levels.
  3. CO occasionally exceeded the 8hr maximum in tests where they was a long continuous run time or in a tightly enclosed space.
  4. The EPA says “Avoid installing un-vented (or “vent-free”) space or water heating appliances“

Now we all know that Carbon Monoxide (CO) is not something we want in our homes but (NO2) Nitrogen Dioxide was new to me so I had to look up the side effects. Quite frankly, I found the side effects to be less than desirable as well.