Gas Fireplace Damper Clamp Installation

A gas fireplace emulates a real fireplace without the trouble of getting wood to burn.

Gas fireplace damper clamp installation.

People have told me that this is not only not only a code violation but is a prescription for disaster as hot air rises from the basement fireplace. Co is the product of incomplete combustion that is the fire does not get enough oxygen the damper issue is lack of draft air moves up and out the chimney drawing air to the flame. The new gas line pipe which was installed on the floor above it apparently bisects the chimney flue to get to the upstairs fireplace no one realized this was the case at the time of installation. The 2 reasons for a damper clamp stop are to allow gas leakage to escape out the flue and to prevent co from entering the home while the fireplace is fired.

Fireplace damper clamps are typically used for gas fireplace inserts or gas logs sets where it s required for the damper to be in fully open position at all times. Having a damper clamp prevents a situation where gases are not vented out the fireplace. It s a safety accessory in case the fireplace is turned on and is forgotten opening the damper. Damper clamp installation in some jurisdictions it is a building code requirement that dampers be permanently open for gas fireplace logs.

The reason for this is that using the gas logs with the damper closed would put deadly carbon monoxide in the house. The glass between the firebox and your home prevents cold or heat from coming down the chimney and by leaving the damper open at all times you eliminate the risk of having gas build up or backdraft into your home. If the pilot goes out then the pilot safety thermocouple electromagnet should engage and prevent gas from flowing. Also under some circumstances having a properly installed damper clamp will prevent carbon monoxide from a pilot light or other sources from exiting into the room where the fireplace is located.

The reason gas code does not want you to have a damper for gas fireplace is so that you don t kill yourself or your family with co. Carbon monoxide is a poisonous and odorless gas.