Gas Fireplace

-I had a vented gas fireplace installed in my master bedroom. Several months later, my wife and I smelled a gas odor. We immediately got an expert in there with a gas detector. It turned out that the tubing had not been installed correctly. It had been bent too far, and there was a pin prick natural gas leak. We had not smelled the gas earlier because it had been venting up through the chimney. The night that we smelled it, it had been raining hard, so the gas was not venting as well up through the chimney and thus was collecting in the bedroom. Scary stuff, huh? If you ever suspect a natural gas leak in your gas fireplace, don't hesitate to have an expert in to look for a problem.

-Note that gas fireplaces come in many different sizes. I've become fond of the smaller gas fireplace called Valor Adorn. It fits well in small spots and looks real.

-I once asked an employee of the gas company if I should have my gas fireplace pilot light turned off during the summer months to save money. He said that the savings would be negligible. Of course, there was a potential conflict of interest in his response regarding my gas fireplace, but I tend to trust him.

-I find that if I haven't used my gas fireplace in a while, it emits an unpleasant odor when I first fire it up. This may be the accumulated dust burning off.

-Installing your gas fireplace can be tricky with new construction or remodeling. Be sure you get all of the measurements from the vendor. For example, how far back into the rough framing should the gas fireplace be pushed? How much room do I need for my hearth? How high should the gas fireplace be installed so that the swinging door has clearance over my hearth?