Tell me more ×
Home Improvement Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for contractors and serious DIYers. It's 100% free, no registration required.
up vote 5 down vote favorite

Yet another question in my long running series of new house questions. I closed recently on a newly constructed house and in my final walk through with the project manager he demonstrated how the gas fireplace works. When he turned it on a god awful smell started permeating the room, the stench of smoke. The room got a bit cloudy and the smoke alarms in the house went off within minutes.

He said this was perfectly normal and that we just have to run it a little bit every day for a few days and this will go away. I have never had a gas fireplace before so I assumed this break in period was normal.

Fast forward a week later of running it two or three times a day every day and while it has gotten a lot better, it still smells and STILL sets the smoke alarm off. I keep trying to call him to ask him to take a look at it and he is not answering his calls. I have two exotic birds and they are very sensitive to fumes and chemicals, so I am too worried to ever burn my fireplace after I move them into their new home.

Is this normal and is there anything I can do to help break this gas fireplace in a little faster? I have never experienced this in my friends homes that have gas fireplaces.

share|improve this question
Is this a gas fireplace that is designed to be vented through a chimney? – Pigrew Dec 17 '12 at 5:34
2  
It is possible that a fireplace of this type may have some oil films on the metal left over from the manufacturing process but those should burn off quickly with the first session of use. – Michael Karas Dec 17 '12 at 6:59
Did the GC leave you a manual for the unit? This is Not normal. Is the unit properly valved for propane or natural gas? – shirlock homes Dec 17 '12 at 21:17

3 Answers

up vote 4 down vote

This does NOT sound at all like a normal situation. Either your gas fireplace has a serious flaw or the unit is vented incorrectly. I would stop lighting it and immediately get a professional in to look at it. At the same time you should use every avenue at your disposal to get the builder, contractor, and gas fireplace installer on the hook to look at this unit and replace it if necessary with a properly functioning and correctly installed unit.

share|improve this answer
up vote 4 down vote

I have installed a couple of gas fireplaces. Both came with instructions to operate the fireplace on high for at least five hours in order to off-gas the unit. This should have been done before you moved in. Now you are the canary in the coal mine! As far as the possibility that the unit was installed incorrectly, I am going to reiterate Michael Karas' advice with an addendum:

"At the same time you should use every avenue at your disposal to get the builder, contractor, and gas fireplace installer on the hook to look at this unit and replace it if necessary with a properly functioning and correctly installed unit." This needs to happen now. If the unit is not vented properly you're looking at worse than a bad smell, you're looking at CO poisoning. Which could happen even if the bad smell goes away. Do not operate this unit until you get a professional (preferably 3d party) to look at the fireplace. The real estate agent should be willing to pay the fee.

share|improve this answer
There is no setting to change the heat on it. The PM said that it is VENTLESS but that it draws air from the outside and has a flue for exhaust gases. Which is it because that doesn't make sense? Either way he said he is going to call the fireplace installer and have him come out to take a look at it. – maple_shaft Dec 17 '12 at 14:32
I'm guessing that it's thermostatically controlled? There are a number of gas appliances that direct vent to the outside, but that doesn't make them ventless. If it has a flue then the flue is the vent for combustion gases. The termination of this flue needs to be a distinct distance away from any openings into the house - windows, doors, any other apertures. This varies by model and local codes. One recommendation for someone who is obviously as motivated as you are to solve this issue - see if you can download the installation PDF based on a search for the manufacturer and model number. – Paul Dec 17 '12 at 14:50
Hmph. Ventless with a flue is a contradiction of terms! Unvented gas heating appliances are illegal in residences, at least in any country that has any building code, I should think. – bcworkz Dec 17 '12 at 23:47
up vote 2 down vote

I installed a new gas Infinite fireplace this week. The tech gave me a operating walk-through, and said to open the windows, place a fan close to it, and run it steady for 5 hours, to burn everything off. Today, it's been running about 2 hours, and the fumes are gone, and the smell is diminishing.

share|improve this answer

Your Answer

 
discard

By posting your answer, you agree to the privacy policy and terms of service.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.