Gas and Propane Fireplace Installation and Repair Around Brewster

Village Natural Gas, Country Propane

Inside Brewster, many homes have natural gas service. Out toward Beach City, Navarre and the farm country around them, propane tanks are the norm. The fireplaces themselves are nearly identical, but the fuel pressure, burner orifices and valve settings are not. A unit set up for natural gas will run dangerously rich on propane, and a propane unit on natural gas will barely light. Getting this right is step one on every rural installation.

When you buy a fireplace, check which fuel it ships for. If you already own one set up for the wrong fuel, a manufacturer conversion kit can usually fix it, as long as one exists for that model.

How We Convert a Fireplace Between Fuels

Conversions are not a matter of turning a screw. The manufacturer's kit typically includes a new burner orifice, a pilot orifice, a regulator spring or valve conversion part and a label that goes on the unit to show what fuel it now burns. We install every piece in the kit, set the manifold pressure with a manometer and confirm the flame pattern matches the manual.

We will not convert a unit with a generic part or drill out an orifice. If no factory kit is available, we will say so and help you choose a unit made for your fuel.

Running the Line From the Tank to the Fireplace

Propane systems have two stages of pressure regulation, usually one at the tank and a second-stage regulator at the house. The propane supplier owns and services the tank in most cases, and they typically handle the regulators at the tank. From the second-stage regulator inward, the piping to your appliances is ours to install. We size the new branch for the fireplace plus your furnace, water heater and anything else on the system, and we add a shutoff valve within reach of the fireplace.

If you are adding a fireplace to a home that already struggles to keep pressure up when the furnace runs, that is worth fixing first. See our Brewster propane line service for the supply side, or our natural gas piping work for homes in the village.

Propane Fireplace Problems We See Out Here

Propane vaporizes less readily as temperatures fall, so a nearly empty tank in a January cold snap can struggle to supply every appliance at once. Keeping the tank fuller in winter helps. If symptoms continue even with a full tank, we check pressures at the appliance to find the restriction.

• Weak or flickering flame on very cold days when the tank is low
• Pilot that goes out after a tank refill, often from air in the line
• Yellow flame and soot from a unit that was never fully converted
• Regulator vent blocked by ice, insects or debris
• Burner ports clogged from a season of disuse in a seasonal cabin or outbuilding

Backup Heat When the Power Goes Out

Rural lines tend to be among the last restored after an ice storm. A fireplace with a standing pilot and a millivolt valve generates its own control current from the pilot flame, so it lights and runs without household electricity. The blower will not run, but the firebox still radiates heat. Many electronic-ignition units also have battery backup. If backup heat matters to you, tell us during the estimate and we will steer you toward a unit that can provide it. Our county-wide fireplace page covers ignition types in more depth.