propane fireplace flame too big

realolman

I have a LP propane fireplace that I can't seem to adjust the gas low enough.... the flame is too large and it soots up the glass pretty quickly and the flame is orange.



I adjusted the valve at the burner up and down full range... doesn't seem to make any difference. I backed the regulator at the tank off as far as it will go doesn't seem to make much, if any, difference either.



Would you think that the regulator at the tank is the probable culprit?



thanks

Steve Whitbeck

LP

If the LP tank feeds anything else besides the fireplace You just screwed up.

The tank regulator needs to be at 11 to 12 inches.

I bet the fireplace was never converted to LP.

VictoriaEnergy

More info would be helpful

You can usually find a rating plate or label under the lower grille of the fireplace.  Have a look and see if you can identify make and model.  Some rating plates in fireplaces list several models and have one checked.  Also look to see if it is listed as a propane model or it has a sticker attached saying it has been converted to gas.



Has the fireplace always been like this? Or, was it working better and has changed?



General advice is; stop using any gas appliance that has a change in the way it is working until serviced.

VictoriaEnergy

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icesailor

Propane Fireplace:

Did you purchase and install thus fireplace yourself or was it installed by a Professional, licensed gas installer with permits?

If installed by a professional, you need to contact the installer. All of the gas fireplace logs can not be converted. They have specific controls as part of their listings and converting them will violate their warranties and listings. If you bought it yourself and installed it yourself, call a professional.

It sounds like it is set up for natural gas and someone purchased and installed the wrong appliance.

Shut it off before you die from CO. Get it fixed immediately.

realolman

don't know

It is a "Hearth" brand 18-30000 btu  has a sticker for nat gas and  a sticker that says it has been converted to LP with the recommended pressures.  However, there is a place for a date and a signature that was never filled.  However again, there is a big LP sticker on there too.



There are large orange flames pretty much like I would expect them to be, except I think they are too large and they smoke up the glass almost right away.



I'll have to check the pressure....  but I don't see why turning the valve wouldn't have some effect on the size of the flame... or that backing off the reg out at the tank would not effect it either.... that's what makes me think it must be bad.



I've lived here about three years, and it always did smoke up glass, but I think it's getting worse

Aaron_in_Maine

Conversion

I would bet it is not converted. The flame on a fireplace should never be orange it should be blue at the base with flickers of yellow. No matter what the picture in the catalog looks like prepare to be disappointed I have never seen one that looks like the catalog picture.

pipeking

IS IT A VENTLESS GAS LOG?

  if it is a ventless gas log stop running it, it is very dangerous. the burner needs to be looked at.

icesailor

Gas fireplaces:

I strongly suggest that you contact "Hearth" who made your log set. Every log set burner I have seen, the manufacturer sells then as either Nat. Gas or LP-Propane. I haven't seen any that were convertible. I'm not saying that there aren't any, I've just not seen any.

I really think that you in way over your head.

There is a quality manufacturer that I have installed because the customer bought them and I installed them. One was listed as "deep woods fire with smoke". Translation: It made HUGE amounts of CO. The bottom part of the burner was a flat plate that gas came out of. It had to be covered with the material supplied. Sand was supplied for Nat. Gas, vermiculite was provided for LP. Because LP hugs the ground, the vermiculite made the gas flow up. Nat. gas did that naturally. If you don't use the proper material, the gas can spread on the floor and ignite. Ask me how I know.

The installation manuals for those logs plainly stated that they were not convertible. I have an Empire in my own home. The manual says that it is NOT convertible.

Below is one of two FMI's I installed last week. They are NOT convertible. Ti get their UL listing approval, there must be tags attached to the burner with required information on them, They may not be removed. If those tags say "Natural Gas", I think a AHJ would consider it an illegal install. On the FMI's I just installed, it plainly says that you MUST NOT allow the flames to touch the log sets or it will make soot and smoke.

Finally, Massachusetts will not under any circumstances, allow decorative fireplaces to be operated with the damper in place. Because of a fear of CO. Before I took out the damper, I ran them both for 30 minutes on high. I put my Fyrite Insight over and into the flame and exhaust stream. The highest reading I got was 3 PPM. I went into the kitchen and fired up two top burners I stopped measuring when the readings went over 100 PPM and was still climbing. Go figure.

realolman

has a vent

It is not ventless It has a vent.



I appreciate all your replies.   

icesailor

Intake air vent:

Does it have an air intake? Is it properly installed and supplying fresh air?

It shouldn't smoke and make soot all over the glass front.

Who installed it?

Get someone with a digital analyzer to test it. And try to call the company "Hearth" and find out if it can be converted. Do you have the installation manual? Was it installed according to?

It shouldn't smoke. There is probably an air adjustment on the unit, but I think that some of us don't think it was properly converted. You shouldn't be needing to futz with the LP tank regulator. That is the # 1 problem in the minds of some.

Techman

Propane

What were the gas pressurers before and after you made those adjustments?

Techman

Propane