I had my ventless gas logs changed to vented. So why does my vented gas log fireplace still put out that gas heater smell?
When the original homeowner built my house, he had vent free gas logs installed in the fireplace of a 13 x 14 room. The exterior chimney is stone and the interior firebox label says it is manufactured by Majestic. I made the room an office, but have never been able to use the fireplace because of the smell that it made. It wasn’t a rotten egg smell, just a gas burning heater smell that would permeate the rest of the house. We stopped by Gas Logs etc. store and they said it was because the set was not vented. We have a vented fireplace in the family room that we use all the time and it’s wonderful!! never has smelled, and is beautiful! I really wanted to use my office, so we bought new logs for the office and had them install them and convert it to vented. Well, I still cannot use this fireplace because of the same smell! Nothing’s changed! I tried burning them for hours to “break them in” but that hasn’t helped. I don’t understand why my family room fireplace logs don’t have an odor, my gas cook top doesn’t give off an odor, why do my office fireplace logs put off this odor? What can I do?
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Replies
When you say vented, do you mean they added a fresh air source for combustion? And does the fireplace connect to a chimney? It sounds like you are smelling (and breathing) combustion gases.
It connects to a chimney. I open a damper when in use and close it when not in use.
It sounds like combustion gases are traveling into the living space. That's not good. I'm sure others will chime in with input, but I wouldn't use the fireplace.
Janice,
I don't know if this is a metal fireplace or a masonry fireplace. But if it is truly vented, all combustion products and combustion smells should be rising through the flue and leaving the room. If you know for a fact that you have a vented fireplace, you should hire an HVAC contractor to verify that your venting system is working properly. It may be clogged.
OK! I'll do that. Thanks so much for everyone's suggestions.