Cold Air Through Gas Fireplace

Over years of use dampers can become rusted or warped.

Cold air through gas fireplace.

We recently bought a 1996 house which has a majestic gas fireplace. It seems that the gas insert s enclosure bottom must sit off of the bottom of the fireplace opening by about an inch. Remembering to keep the damper closed when the fireplace isn t being used will block the cold air that wants to enter your home. Also you may discover that the knockout for the gas line is letting cold air come in.

After inspecting i realize that the reason this room is always colder than the rest of the house is because there is a ton of cold air coming in underneath the gas fireplace insert. Look on the outside of the house near the location of the fireplace and see if you find a small vent near where the bottom of the fireplace would be. Stuffing the hole s with batt insulation will slow the draft down. However with vented gas logs cold drafts are quite common.

The only reason why your vented gas fireplace is drafty is because of the gas logs being installed. If the wall behind the fireplace is uninsulated which is common the problem will be worse. You will stop the cold drafty air in the winter and keep warm humid air from coming in during the summer months. The air comes in through the large unsealed hole that is left from the pipe going through.

Step one is stopping the cold air draft. Chances are before you had gas logs installed your fireplace was a wood burning fireplace. This air is direct to the surrounding area behind the fireplace and comes out through any vent usually the lower grill making the floor icey cold. The damper that sits above the firebox should be able to close fully and make a tight seal.

Use our flue cover to stop the outside air from coming in through the flue. Leaving the fireplace pilot light on in the winter will help. If it is coming from the bottom then it could be make up air. Keeping your home warmer in the winter can involve a couple steps.