Can You Burn Wood In A Fireplace With A Gas Line

Many gas fireplaces in older homes were once designed to burn wood but later converted by adding a gas line.

Can you burn wood in a fireplace with a gas line. Energy efficiency cleanliness and or compliance with local law forbidding operation of a wood fireplace. If you convert yours to gas you won t be able to change your mind later and start burning wood again although you may be allowed to use an epa certified wood stove or fireplace insert. If it s a converted wood burning fireplace then you need to basically reverse the conversion removing the gas burning parts to prevent. But first here is how to tell if your fireplace is gas or wood operated.

There are several motivations for gas fireplace insert installation. Here is a guide on how to establish if burning a wood stove in a gas fireplace is feasible. Purchasing firewood to burn on a regular basis can get expensive but you won t have to worry about installing a gas. If i were you and couldn t get any definite answer i would either keep the gas and put in the fake ceramic logs or remove the gas line and use it as a normal fireplace or better yet install a wood burning insert.

The good news for homeowners who have a gas fueled fireplace but who would prefer a wood burning fireplace is that converting from gas to wood fuel may be an option. You don t have to chop or store wood tend to the fire wait for it to burn out or clean up ash. It also has a shut off on valve with a key on the outside of the fireplace. Gas fireplaces burn cleaner are easier to use and require virtually no time to start and stop the fire.

The fireplace also has an instruction booklet that states that it is a wood burning or a gas log fireplace. If you live in an area where wood burning fireplaces are prohibited in new construction old existing fireplaces are probably grandfathered by law. This depends on whether your gas fireplace is actually a gas fireplace or a wood fireplace converted for gas. The fireplace has a capped natural gas line that sticks out about 3 inches into the fireplace.

In either case a fireplace installer can determine whether your fireplace can be converted to a wood burning version. If it can be converted the gas line is capped. A gas fireplace can provide unparalleled convenience and the pleasure of a warm fire on a cold day but many people believe nothing compares to the ambiance created by burning wood. Venting is via the existing chimney.

Is it safe to burn wood in the fireplace with the capped gas line. If not the entire fireplace would have to be replaced to burn wood. An insert is a metal housing containing a gas burner and logset retrofitted to transform a previously wood burning fireplace into a gas one.