Can You Burn Wood In A Gas Fireplace?

For people who are not aware of how gas fireplaces work, it can be a tough nut to crack if wood can be burned in the same fireplace. Let’s take a look if you can use firewood in a gas fireplace and if not, how you can.

You should not put actual wood in a gas-powered fireplace. Most of the wood which you see in gas fireplaces is fake wood which does not catch fire. Gas fireplaces cannot handle the smoke, ash, or heat produced by burning wood.

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Can You Burn Real Wood In A Gas Fireplace

No, you should not burn real wood in a gas-powered fireplace. This will not only cause damage to your fireplace but potentially damage your home and then you’ll have some explaining to do for your insurance company.

What Are The Hazards Of Burning Real Wood In A Gas Fireplace?

Gas-powered fireplaces do not have the mechanism to burn real wood, they will not be able to withstand the heat generated by burning wood. On top of this, there is no mechanism to safely take care of the ash or smoke generated by the burning firewood.

Placing firewood in a gas fireplace will also disturb the positioning of the fire retardant ceramic or fake wood pieces kept in there which can affect the aesthetics of your fireplace.

There is also no mechanism to deal with the smoke or carbon monoxide generated by burning wood. This can start accumulating inside the fireplace and fill your room with it. This also increases the chances of house fires.

How Do Gas Fireplaces Work?

When gas fireplaces are installed in your house, there is also a gas pipeline which is installed along with this. This is done so that there is a constant stream of fuel to keep the fire going at a constant pace. This is why gas is the only fuel that you can use with a gas fireplace.

A lot of people get confused when they see the fake wood kept inside the fireplace but this is done only to give the look and feel of a real fireplace.

What Kind Of Gas Fireplace Do You Have?

Knowing what kind of a fireplace you have can determine whether you can convert it into a wood-powered fireplace.

The first type is the built-in gas-only fireplace. These types are installed when a house is being renovated or when a new house is being constructed. As the name suggests, these types of fireplaces can only work with gas. There is no way of converting them to be powered by firewood.

If you want to have a wood-powered fireplace you will have completely remove this fireplace along with the gas pipeline it is connected to and also the chimney system along with it.

The second type is the gas fireplace insert. A gas burner is inserted into an existing fireplace to convert a previously wood-powered fireplace into a gas one. This is usually done for efficiency and cost-saving purposes. The exhaust or venting mechanism in this fireplace is usually the one that had already existed.

These types of fireplaces can be converted to wood-powered ones but it depends on the model you have and what changes were made originally. It is best to consult an HVAC pro to give you an expert opinion.

The last type is known as the log set. In this case, a ceramic or faux log set is placed inside the existing wood-powered fireplace to provide a steady inflow of gas to act as fuel. The venting mechanism is not changed up.

With these types of fireplace, you can probably convert it to be able to handle real wood.

Can you Burn Wood In a Gas Starter Fireplace?

Yes, you can! A gas starter fireplace only uses gas as the initial fuel to get the fire going and also so that the real wood can catch fire easily. Once that is done, you can turn off the gas and keep adding the firewood as you please.

Conclusion

Burning wood in a gas fireplace can damage your fireplace as well as your house. A gas fireplace is not meant to handle smoke, heat, and ash build-up from burning wood.