Gas Fireplaces & Gas Lines

Gas fireplaces need service too

A gas fireplace is a fuel-burning appliance, with a burner, a pilot or electronic ignition, a gas valve and a vent to the outside. It needs the same kind of yearly attention as a furnace, and most of the problems owners notice, a pilot that will not stay lit, a flame that is lazy or sooty, glass that clouds up, a fireplace that clicks but never lights, are simple to fix on a service visit. Gas fireplace repair is a small job for a technician who does them often.

Common fireplace problems

• Pilot will not stay lit: usually a worn thermocouple or thermopile, or a dirty pilot assembly.
• Clicks but does not light: an ignition module, a weak battery in the receiver, or a valve fault.
• Yellow, sooty flames: misplaced logs or embers, or a burner that needs cleaning. Have it checked before using it again.
• Cloudy glass: normal combustion film. It needs the right cleaner, not window spray.
• Smell or headaches when it runs: shut it off and have the venting checked. Make sure your CO alarms work.

What a fireplace service includes

The technician shuts off the gas, removes the glass, cleans the burner, logs and pilot assembly, checks and cleans the thermocouple or thermopile, inspects the gasket and the glass, checks the vent termination outside, tests the gas pressure, and lights it to confirm a clean, steady flame. On direct-vent units, they also make sure the vent cap is clear of nests and debris. It is often done on the same visit as a furnace tune-up.

Glass and safety screens

The glass front on a gas fireplace gets hot enough to burn skin. Fireplaces built since 2015 are required to come with a protective barrier screen in front of the glass, and older units can usually be fitted with one. If there are small children in the house, ask the technician about it.

Replacing a wood fireplace with a gas insert

Many houses in Hamilton, Burlington and Ancaster have masonry wood fireplaces that are drafty and rarely used. A direct-vent gas insert fits into the existing opening, vents through flexible liners run up the old chimney, and turns the fireplace into an efficient zone heater with a remote or wall switch. Installed prices usually run $3,500 to $7,000 depending on the unit, the chimney and the finishing work.

Gas lines for barbecues, ranges, dryers and heaters

If the house already has natural gas, a new line to a barbecue on the deck, a gas range in the kitchen, a dryer, a garage unit heater or a pool heater is usually a straightforward job. The technician sizes the line for the appliance and its distance from the meter, runs it in black iron or approved flexible tubing, installs a shut-off valve at the appliance, pressure-tests it and tags it. A quick-connect fitting on the deck lets you disconnect the barbecue for winter.

Converting a propane appliance to natural gas needs the right conversion kit from the manufacturer, installed by a certified technician. Do not swap orifices yourself.

Who is allowed to do gas work

In Ontario, only a TSSA-certified gas technician working for a registered contractor may install or alter gas piping or connect a gas appliance. That rule applies to a barbecue line on the deck just as much as a furnace. Homeowners can not legally run their own gas lines, and insurers may refuse claims for unpermitted work. Every contractor we refer to is TSSA-registered.

If you smell gas

Natural gas has an added smell like rotten eggs. If you smell it inside, leave the house straight away without using light switches, phones or anything that could spark, and call Enbridge Gas at 1-866-763-5427 or 911 once you are outside.

How the request works

You request gas fireplace or gas line work once, and we pass it to one licensed contractor who works your area. Say what you need, the fireplace brand if you know it, and for a new line, roughly how far the appliance is from the gas meter or the furnace.