Local chimney repairs for Sunbeam homes

Every gas fireplace that is not vent-free sends its exhaust outside through a vent, and the kind of vent decides what we check and what can go wrong. A direct-vent unit uses a sealed pipe, which can be one inside another, with exhaust leaving through the inner pipe and fresh air coming in through the outer one, ending at a cap on a wall or the roof.

A natural-vent unit, also called B-vent, takes its air from the room and sends exhaust up a listed Type B gas vent through the roof. A vent-free unit has no vent at all and relies on an oxygen depletion sensor and the room size its manual sets. If a carbon monoxide alarm sounds or you smell gas, get everyone outside and call 911 or the gas utility from there first.

Outside, the cap of a direct-vent unit has to stay clear of openings, corners and walkways by the distances in its manual, which come from the national fuel gas code, and at least 12 inches above the ground under the state fuel gas code. Plants growing against it, a nest in the cap, a new window or deck built nearby, or a cap knocked loose can all upset the way the unit burns.

One sign the makers list is a blue, lazy, see-through flame, which can mean exhaust is not leaving as it should, and the unit stays off until checked. Natural-vent units carry a spill switch that shuts off the gas when exhaust spills at the draft hood, and a switch that keeps tripping is treated as a venting question first.

Indoors, we check each joint we can reach, since a joint that has pulled apart can leak exhaust into the wall or chase, along with the pipe's support and slope. A gas unit is not vented into a flue that serves a wood fireplace. Venting checks in Sunbeam come with the free inspection, and our gas fireplace technicians write down what they find. Call (904) 920-5495 and tell us which kind of unit you have.