Question for the HVAC guys...old gas fireplace

[73hunter]

We have an old gas fireplace in the basement rec room, an old Hunter that really cranks out the heat. It does not have a power-vent to exhaust the gases and I assume they just rise due to their temperature like any older gas appliance.

We were running it recently and also the dryer and a bathroom fan, and I began to consider whether these two units pushing air outside might create enough negative air pressure within the house to counteract the rising of the hot gases and perhaps create a carbon monoxide hazard ?

i have 4 CO detectors in the house and have never had an alarm.

I have never heard of this being a hazard, but I think the logic is sound. The house is early 80’s construction, I don’t think it’s terribly well built but must admit that I find it quite efficient, so I don’t think that I have enough air leaking in through other gaps to make up for the dryer and fans output.

Any thoughts ?

[Snowwalker]

In the winter we vent our dryer into the house. We paid for the heat why dump it outside. You can get kits to let you select to send the air outside or keep it in the house.. Look for them at TSC.

[longpointer]

Your dryer and/or bathroom vent are probably pumping out the same volume of air as in 150 to 250 CFM approx. but could be more if depending on units. Your gas heater would need approx. 300 CFM for every 10,000 BTU's produced to vent properly or it may start to backdraft on you. Easy test is check colour of flame. Blue is good ! Yellow not so good. Light up a incense stick and see where the smoke goes; if it isn't sucked into the heater you may have an issue. Needless to say you have to try this with and without your dryer/bathroom fans running. As a disclaimer I am not a HVAC guy but have dealt with propane heaters and woodstoves that had backdraft issues.

[73hunter]

In the winter we vent our dryer into the house. We paid for the heat why dump it outside. You can get kits to let you select to send the air outside or keep it in the house.. Look for them at TSC.

Yes we have one of those diverter units and sometimes use it. Good idea if you keep the filter cleaned otherwise the lint really makes a mess.

[Bluebulldog]

Age of construction, coupled with an exhaust fan and dryer running, likely your house is "breathing" just fine. If you have enough oxygen to breathe and aren't getting headaches, then you have enough to adequately combust the small amount of NG being burned.

Remember, the NG fireplace, dryer, and exhaust fan were installed in a home that was designed for them.

As another poster said, blue flame bad, orange flame good. If your CO detectors haven't so much as beeped....you're GTG.

[trkyhntr21]

It could be a direct vent fireplace which means that it has an inner exhaust pipe and a larger one over top Meaning it gets its combustion air from the outside And not from the living space. Fireplaces don't necessarily burn with a efficient blue flame as people like the large yellow/orange flames for aesthetic reasons.
As for people venting dryers into the basement it's all well and good if its electric.... natural gas or propane is a different story .

Sent from my SM-G955W using Tapatalk

[trimmer21]

It could be a direct vent fireplace which means that it has an inner exhaust pipe and a larger one over top Meaning it gets its combustion air from the outside And not from the living space. Fireplaces don't necessarily burn with a efficient blue flame as people like the large yellow/orange flames for aesthetic reasons.
As for people venting dryers into the basement it's all well and good if its electric.... natural gas or propane is a different story .

Sent from my SM-G955W using Tapatalk

That's an excellent observation. People need to remember that gas appliances vented into a home is pumping exhaust gas back in,too.

[wheelie]

Does it have an opening under the bottom of the glass to the burner area? Then and only then can it leak into the room. If the glass is sealed all the way around it can not leak into house unless their is a major problem such as rotting a hole through the burner box or a missing or badly torn glass seal or rotten vent. If it goes up a chimney most times their is a cut off switch if it is not venting properly or vent is blocked. Hope this helps. CHEERS!

To another poster Blue flame is what you want. Orange flame not good. We get a blue flame then add rock wool to make an orange flame. Some of the newer fireplaces now burn with orange flame because that is what people want now.

[Snowwalker]

Yes we have one of those diverter units and sometimes use it. Good idea if you keep the filter cleaned otherwise the lint really makes a mess.

Nylon out of the wifes drawer helps... works better after the fine dust fills the inside and it turns into a great little filter.

We clean the dryer filter, clean the filter in the diverter and leave the nylon on the exhaust port of the diverter till it gets full. Takes a long time to fill up because the lint it catches is so fine.

[Snowwalker]

It could be a direct vent fireplace which means that it has an inner exhaust pipe and a larger one over top Meaning it gets its combustion air from the outside And not from the living space. Fireplaces don't necessarily burn with a efficient blue flame as people like the large yellow/orange flames for aesthetic reasons.
As for people venting dryers into the basement it's all well and good if its electric.... natural gas or propane is a different story .

Sent from my SM-G955W using Tapatalk

Yup. I should have said the dryer is Electric. There are Heat Exchange units out there but they cost a few bucks..