why would my gas fire place have a fan?

by Fire Places on May 28, 2010

theres grates below and above the opening…………i’m from FL, and moved to North Texas, I have nooooo clue what it does, a light switch near it turns something on and it makes a type of venting van noise.
ok, i tried it out again, and it diffenetly sucks in at the bottom………….but the top isn’t really pushing air……..is that normal? I’m scared to leave it on long, I’m afaraid its something to do with the gas! (I’m a floridian remember)


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{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }

Tippy's Mom May 28, 2010 at 12:08 am

You have what is called in the trades as a ventalator fireplace. Meaning that the fireplace has a way of adding heat into the room by using a passive series of vents or a fan. The fan is usually turned on with a switch, (which you have found) and normally located near the fireplace. When this switch is turned on, the fan blows heat generated by the fireplace around the heated areas and into the room. This is by far a great use of the heat, which in a lot of cases, can be vented to the outdoors up through the chiminey, taking valuable and heated air from within the home and yes, heating the WHOLE outdoors with it. So having a Ventolator fireplace is a good, economical use of the heat generated in your fireplace so that it doesn’t get wasted. Try to remember to turn the fan off, once the room is heated, to keep it from becoming too hot and you should be able to enjoy your fireplace even in months that aren’t so cold, just for the astectics. Although some heat will still makes it way into the home, without the fan on, less will make it into the room. I hope this helps you. Good luck and many happy years of using your new fireplace!

Kelli G May 28, 2010 at 12:08 am

The upper vents could be just that…vents or it could be a fan to blow the heat around the space.

Scott W May 28, 2010 at 12:08 am

To provide forced air heat.

julie m May 28, 2010 at 12:08 am

If the "grates" are hollow, then its probably blowing air through them….I’ve seen something like this in action but hard to know if that’s what you described

lsvlgal May 28, 2010 at 12:08 am

If this in fact is a fan related question, such a fan could be used to properly vent dangerous fumes to outdoors, or a fan is often used to improve heat transfer through the grate system.

90proof May 28, 2010 at 12:08 am

that’s to circulate the warm air….it’s probably on a thermostat

L. B. May 28, 2010 at 12:08 am

The fan circulates heat into the room….I ran across some safety issues on the net…just do a search for them. I really don’t want to give safety tips here.

familyman4life May 28, 2010 at 12:08 am

Just because it is a gas fire place doesn’t mean that you do not or should not circulate the hot air around that it creates… Hense the blower.

lester1964 May 28, 2010 at 12:08 am

the fan is for when you use the fireplace.when the firebox heats up it will blow air across it and out.

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