/r/Fireplaces
Post pictures of fireplaces and questions you might have about fireplaces.
Welcome to /r/Fireplaces. Grab yourself a blanket, some hot chocolate and get cozy.
Post pictures of fireplaces and questions about fireplaces. If you are asking a question, please include as much information as possible in the comments of your post.
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/r/FirePorn
/r/HomeRenovations
/r/Fireplaces
10,277 Subscribers
Air Vent Gas Fireplace Question
This is a gas wood burning fireplace. Is there a cleaner way to place these vents? Or a substitute product that does the same job but looks better? My understanding is they are required to allow cool air in to the combustible area. The wall behind is shared master bedroom. Just kind of an eyesore. Thanks
04:22 UTC
Help with dvp36sp32en empire tahoe deluxe!
So this fireplace was originally natural gas when we bought it new without being used, there was no trace of use, we converted it to propane, installed it, had some trouble but at the end made it work after I realized I didn't have a second stage regulator in a new house but only the first stage and that's what it was missing for it to work, tested wc at the valve (manifold) and it was going crazy high, then I realized we didn't have a 2nd stage regulator. After i added the 2nd stage regulator, we finally manage it to work, after we did that, we finally put the embers and logs and everything was fine. Now after a few months and the cold coming baci we tried to turn it on to no avail, I've tried everything, since then.
- I ran a new line from tank to the house because I did some grading work and thought I mightve crushed the line since we found the pilot was dead.
- replaced the 2nd stage regulator because I installed t with the vent up and was filled with water and apparently that's a huge no no.
- checked everything, I get 11 wc at the inlet into manifold, about 450 mv on the thermopile and about 25mv on the thermocouple.
It just stays on pilot forever and nothing happens, when I turn it off after it just being on pilot forever I can hear the valve closing after a few seconds of turning it off, I hear a little click but absolutely no action.
Wtf is wrong with it???? Can it be the valve (manifold)??? Or what else I think I checked everuthing that can be possibly checked.
I even just tested it with a small propane tank a dual stage regulator and hooked it up directly to it and same thing, only difference I saw it's that it went higher on my on the thermopile, up to 540mv. But still same bs.
Any ideas?? Thank you so much for your help
01:15 UTC
Smoke leaking out of top of glass door assembly
Hi all, I have an issue with smoke leakage at the top of my fireplace door assembly. I don't mean when I'm first starting a fire or having drafting issues. This is with an established fire with smoke generally drafting up the chimney. The amount leaking out is hardly visible at all, but by the end of the evening the entire downstairs level of the house smells smoky -- not just a light "oh hey they must have had a fire tonight" scent.
The smoke comes out of the slats at the very top, inside which I can see a hood attached to a duct up to the chimney stack. Is it normal that smoke would be able to escape that way, or is there a seal or gasket I need to replace?
I've tried feeling around and there is some gap right behind the doors at the top, but there also seems to be one partway up the underside of the hood.
Thanks for any advice.
23:16 UTC
Gas/wood insert recommendations
I have a very inefficient fireplace that allows for both wood and gas. We would like to put an insert in that would continue to allow for both wood and gas, but would actually heat our space (around 800sf)! We also live in CA so I know that might restrict options. Any recommendations for type and/or brand? I appreciate your feedback!
18:56 UTC
Should I have air intake through the floor?
My freestanding wood fireplace has two options for air intake.
One is having an air intake through the floor. I live in a yurt that is on a platform. To access this feature I would cut out a 5" dia hole beneath the fireplace stand and it would feed the fire with air coming from outside the yurt.
The other option is a punch out on the side of the fireplace stand so that the fireplace is fed air from inside the yurt.
Using air from inside means I am sending warmed inside air into the fireplace and then out the chimney. Using outside air means sending cold air into the fireplace but the interior warmed air is not touched.
Which is preferable?
In my climate it can hover around or below freezing for stretches, but generally is above that. Keeping the yurt warm (with its terrible insulative properties) can be difficult and we often end up huddled by the fire on the colder nights. I am wondering if this outside air intake feature may be a way to address this issue.
Thanks!
18:28 UTC
Smoking fireplace. I need help!
I had a guy come to fix my chimney. I got 3 estimates, and he seemed like the one who knew what he was talking about. He was expensive, but I thought he would do good work. The company had great reviews. I had never used my chimney since moving in (9 years ago), and he knew this, so you'd think he would do the proper inspection.
I have not been happy. I have been over to the masonry subreddit to discuss the outside of the chimney.
But, I'm here about the inside. I finally lit a fire, and it looked like it was drafting ok, but I smelled smoke. My living room now smells like smoke. I cannot see where the smoke is coming from. I assume the top of the fireplace. (I grew up in a house that was heated with wood including a shallow fireplace, so I have been lighting and maintaining fires since I was little kid, so it isn't me.)
I went to the internet to investigate. Here is what I came up with:
-My fireplace to flue opening ratio. The fireplace opening is 26.5"x26" and the flue opening is 6"x10" (I measured the damper opening at the top). So, that's a .087 ratio, smaller than the 1/8 ration that the internet has told me is the smallest ratio it should be.
-The front of my smoke chamber could be the problem. He didn't apply mortar to this and it appears like there are gaps in the brick. Is this part of the problem? I've included a bunch of pictures of this area starting with picture#3, the bottom of the picture being towards the room. I included one that should show the angle of the chamber.
The last 2 pictures. One shows the outside of that metal bar across the top of the front of the fireplace. It has a bracket inside. What is/was that?
The other shows already some of the mortar has been chipped away by just logs hitting it. Is this something to be concerned about?
The last thing which may be the dumbest question, but when up on the roof when there is no fire going (damper is open though) around the chimney smells like smoke and maybe a little warm (morning after fire). Is that normal? I feel like this could be normal.
I paid him almost $5k to complete the work. I have been saving for this for awhile. Currently, I have a fireplace that smokes and the look of a bad tuckpointing diy job on the outside with and unsealed shoulders with vertical cracks. Words can't describe how angry I am.
If anyone has any suggestions, it would be appreciated!
17:20 UTC
Napoleon LHAD / BIGEX36 / UHM for sale NIB! Would like to get rid of
Hey everyone! I have a couple of Napoleon / Wolf products sitting brand new in box in my garage that I need to get rid of and Ill sell them super cheap compared to retail prices. Wanted to see if anyone needs them here:
Napoleon Linear Hot Air Distribution Kit ( Retails at $640 )
Napoleon Universal Heat Management Kit ( Retails at $240 )
Napoleon Napoleon Black Illusion Glass Kit for EX36 ( Retails at $650 )
I will take offers from anyone who is interested in them, and if you're local to Colorado we can meet if needed, otherwise I can ship as well.
15:20 UTC
If I use my fireplace, will I be able to get it clean again?
I haven't used the wood burning fireplace in the living room because my spouse is worried the brick will never look the same. Thoughts?
14:30 UTC
Fireplace Rescue - several questions
I am looking to rehab what we refer to as the "ugly" ventfree NG fireplace in our home (Superior VFR-38). We are not fans of this particular tile trim and it's starting to fall off the wall (bottom left). The top and bottom metal trim of the firebox is also a bit scratched up. I plan to have a live edge mantle constructed while replacing the existing tile and mantle sides with a stone facade. I will also purchase new logs and a burner.
My question is what to do with the fireplace and liner. The fireplace is a superior model which I think is a decent quality box, all be it 20+ years old. I was told by a reputable store that I could have my stone installer stone/tile over the top and bottom metal trim to make it look better. What do you think?
I am also looking at the discoloration on the firebox liner - do you think the liner needs to be replaced or perhaps a deep cleaning will suffice? If I need to do a new liner, I might as well just get a new fireplace and liner while I am at it.
Lastly - I am very confused about logs/burner. I was told by a fireplace store that I must buy the brand of logs/burner to match the brand of fireplace I am getting. Is this correct? I know that my current logs are 18" and that if I do end up replacing the fireplace it will be the same size firebox which will also use 18" (likely Monesen Exacta 36"). The mantle and stonework are months out but I would love to go ahead and replace the logs and burner now so that I have working emergency heat in case of power outages this winter. The existing logs and burner are ancient and emit a bad smell while setting off the smoke detector. Is there any reason I could not install Real Fyre etc today and move them to a new similarly sized fireplace in the future?
I am also open to any stone/tile design suggestions
14:13 UTC
What can I do to clean the brick up?
Hi, in my new home the whitewashed(?) brick fireplace is super dirty. I have scrubbed and scrubbed but it doesn’t look any different.
Any ideas how I can make this more visually appealing?
Also, do you think the mantle is some nicer original mantle that has been painted?
Note, the original coal stove works! We burn wood in it now
04:00 UTC
Dented Stovepipe
I had to remove my double walled stovepipe and dented one section. The inside of the pipe is fine. What do you all think? Can I reinstall the pipe?
03:03 UTC
Why does my glass do this?
I tried r/wood stoves but they would not let me post a photo. Why does my wood stove glass get burn patterns like this?
02:55 UTC
Pilot light question
I turned the gas feed to my vented gas insert off a couple years ago and am thinking of getting the unit inspected and running again. One place I contacted said that a pilot light isn't meant to be off that long and can seize and/or "dry up". Is this an accurate assessment ahead of actually scheduling a service call?
01:15 UTC
IPI gas fireplace solenoid
Hello I am a service tech for a family owned business. We try to give the best pricing we can with the simplist fix. We have been trying to find where to order IPI gas solenoids since they sometimes go out. Does anyone know where to get one. I have tried searching online but have not been able to find anything other than the whole valve. Any information would be wonderful!
00:58 UTC
Wood burning Fireplace Vents
This is a wood burning fireplace similar to a heatilator unit. I have not found any indications of fans. Are these vents just here to recirculate the heat into the room? Could I cover them up with sheet metal and mount a TV in front?
23:58 UTC
How To Build Arched Fireplace
We are building a new home and the interior designer has mocked up a fireplace for our primary bedroom on the 2nd story. She also included some inspirational photos.
How would you achieve this arched fireplace on a suspended bench? Would you have to recess a metal fireplace inside a custom-framed box? What materials would you use for the inside of the custom frame? Can we use plaster for the exterior of the fireplace?
20:26 UTC
How do I use this kind of fireplace? There is a switch near it.
I’m renting from a property management company who bought the complex shortly before I moved in, so they claim to not know how it works. A friend said I hold a lighter in there and turn on the switch? I wanted to look into it more before trying that.
19:51 UTC
Studio 2 Logs – NG – Conventional Flue (123-147) won't start the pilot no matter what!!
I have Studio 2 Logs – NG – Conventional Flue (123-147) that won't start. Got a professional engineer to look at it and he tried everything possible. We bought a new Control Box from Gazco spares, and tried a used control valve. The pilot won't start. Although the gas is reaching the fire it's not getting to the pilot. Ignition is fine but no pilot. I am now having to replace the whole thing which costs a fortune unless I can find a used working burner assembly for a Mertik gv60 Gazco Studio 2 conventional flue!. Anyone here have any tips on where to find this. Gasco discontuned it on their site and I looked on eBay but found nothing... I am desperate...
18:27 UTC
What would you do with this fireplace?
We bought a house with this fireplace that is currently not functional. We’ve had it inspected and know what needs to be done to fix the inside, but I’m still not sure what to do with the outside. We definitely want to cover the flesh colored brick, but we’ve also been told that it needs some sort of hearth for safety reasons. We’re also vaulting the ceilings and the brick stops at the current ceiling, then it goes further back and is just cinder block. We’ve been told we can’t remove the brick because it’s structural.
It’s just such an odd shape in the center of the room and I’m not sure how to make it work!
15:25 UTC
Is this a dangerous amount of creosote?
I have attached some pictures showing the smoke chamber walls and shelf of my fireplace. Ive since cleaned the flue liner from the top down but noticed the chamber seems to have a slight build up of creosote and may have been untouched by my brush.
Basically what I want to know, is this a dangerous amount of creosote? Im planning on getting a brush for the smoke chamber to clean it but wanted some opinions from more experienced fireplace advocates. Thanks in advance.
Inside smoke shelf
03:55 UTC