Gas fireplace venting from a family-owned team in Hunter's Creek

Soffits and overhangs above the cap

An overhang above a sidewall cap can trap exhaust against the house. One direct-vent manual sets 18 inches between the cap and a ventilated soffit that sits within 2 feet of the cap's centerline, and 12 inches below an unventilated soffit.

Ventilated soffits have openings into the attic, which is why they get the larger number. Our crew checks which kind of soffit is above your cap and measures the gap before any recommendation.

Room to breathe in front of the cap

A sealed fireplace pulls its combustion air in at the cap, so the space in front of the cap matters. One direct-vent manual keeps a 24 inch zone in front of the termination hood free of shrubs, garden sheds, fences, decks and utility buildings.

Yards change. A hedge fills in, a shed gets delivered, a gate goes in. Our crew measures that 24 inch zone on every sidewall vent and tells you exactly what has to move.

• Bushes and hedges
• Garden sheds and utility buildings
• Fences and gates
• Decks built after the fireplace

Blue flames that float off the burner

Flames that turn blue, lift off the burner and wander are sometimes called ghosting. One direct-vent manual ties it to insufficient oxygen reaching the fire and lists four checks for it.

Our crew works through those checks in Hunter's Creek before anything is replaced, starting with the easiest to reach.

• Cap installed correctly and free of debris
• Vent joints tight with no leaks
• No debris blocking the air intake at the back of the firebox
• Glass secured and latched

A new fireplace on an old vent

Swapping a gas fireplace for a new one does not mean the vent comes along. The vent system is part of the new unit's listing, and its manual decides which pipe, caps and adapters are allowed.

Our specialists read the new model's venting section, identify the existing pipe and tell you honestly how much of the old run can stay. Sometimes the answer is most of it, sometimes none, and the written estimate shows the reason either way.

Manufactured homes and gas fireplaces

Not every gas fireplace is listed for a manufactured home. One direct-vent manual allows its unit in an aftermarket, permanently located manufactured home where local codes do not prohibit it, and it names the federal standard such installations must meet.

Our specialists check the model's listing and vent kit before recommending any repair in a manufactured home in Hunter's Creek. If the unit is not listed for that use, we say so plainly in the written estimate.