@webuser_8230717, I know this is hard to imagine, but the cold air is not technically coming in through the back. Having a rear vent makes it possible for cold air to get inside the fireplace, but the combustion chamber is actually sealed so that the air cannot get out into your home. However, the cold firebox is creating natural convection around it in the circulating area around the fireplace, which allows your room air to move freely around the fireplace. When the fireplace is on, the air around the combustion chamber heats up, creating a natural upward movement of warm air behind the fireplace, which pulls room air into the bottom louver and pushes it out the top louver, even without the assistance of the fan. The opposite happens when the fireplace is off and you have cold outside temperatures. The problem is worse if the wall behind fireplace is not insulated, which is common. Depending on what kind of fireplace you have, it's possible it could be re-installed with a slightly different vent configuration and with better insulation behind. You can email directly to discuss the possibilities. This is me: tom@coastroadonline.com

Sherilyn - the flickering pilot and cold air draft are technically different issues, but there may be a way to resolve them both. I will make you the same offer. You can email directly to discuss the possibilities. This is me: tom@coastroadonline.com

Thank you. Will email you soon.

Having the same problem as well, I took a piece of siding off of the outside of the chase on the exterior and seen blanket insulation although this doesn't mean it was insulated correctly or efficiently. I took some loose insulation and plugged the hole where the gas line penetrates the fireplace access at the bottom of the unit and it has helped but it still has a draft coming from somewhere. Any idea how this unit comes out so I may insulate it correctly? I have attached the model and serial number, thanks in advance.

Csmith0907, is your fireplace rear-vented?

i talked to my builder's rep last week, and was told that direct vent fireplaces have no to minimal insulation around them because it would get hot enough to become a firehazard......facepalm :(

I don't know what to do now...

Well, Anand . . . that is not true. Direct vent fireplaces, like other manufactured fireplaces, have specific clearance requirements, but none of them prohibit insulation around them.

It is important to use some kind of insulation retainer to keep the insulation from falling onto the fireplace later, which would be a fire hazard. I've seen strapping, housewrap, chickenwire or drywall used to hold the insulation in place. All are acceptable and will do the job.

We have a Heat N Glo fireplace. We originally had a prefab fireplace box. It was cheaper for the builder to put in when our house was built as opposed to a mason fireplace. We removed the old fireplace box and they installed a new gas insert. After they did we noticed a huge draft in the room. We contacted the installers and they capped the flue outside at the top. Literally there is about 5ft out from the front of the fireplace where the floor is freezing. I mean it is so cold we can't stand it. Is this because we need insulation around the fireplace box? I am so upset since we have contacted the installers several times only to have nothing resolved. They told us when we bought the unit we should have no drafts like the old fireplace. This has not been the case and we are very frustrated. Any advice?

We have these same issues, however, this is our first winter in our new apartment. I have in a work order, but am not very confident that it will get fixed. Do you have any suggestions on what else we can do? is it dangerous to put something up over the fireplace opening, since the pilot light is always on?

My parents have a similar issue to the ones above. (Strong draft coming in even with pilot lit)- direct vent gas unit- The majority of the draft is coming through the gap between the fireplace insert and the exhaust pipe. (See picture) Can I put some foil vent tape in this location? It seems i could significantly block most of the draft with this one fix...

Picture?

I have read this long set of discussion. We have a direct vent gas unit (new heat n glow ) It is making our home absolutely freezing (it sits on the windward side of our home just outside of NYC is the cold climate). It is producing a huge draft from the bottom area of the firebox. The hearth is cold as like 47 degrees in an otherwise toasty room. We have tried leaving pilot on and I would say that is minimal to no help. The whole wall we think was fully spray foamed before the fireplace vent was cut through. From below I can see that the gas lines and all areas under the install are properly insulated and "inside the envelope" as they say. (there's basement below which is also heated well and spray foamed). My contractor, as a test, put a huge pile of batt insulation around the outside vent and used plastic and sealed w duct tape from the outside to see if the fireplace vent on the exterior was the culprit. [WE KNOW NOT TO USE THE FP AND I HID THE REMOTE] Our place is magically warm. So we know the problem but now how to repair? There is a flat roof about the fireplace so we could have gone up instead or directly out horizontally. I guess we just did not get good advice w/r/t that issue. Will that fix the issue?

Hi Aimee. Y'all have done a pretty great job diagnosing the issue. Running the vent pipe vertically will make a big difference. The taller, the better.

Thank you. When doing it after the fact, can we simply remove the siding and somehow tweak it or do you have any special instructions or thing we should watch out for? Thanks so much.

I would really need to see the situation to give practical advice at this point, but it would be rare to try to do it from outside, especially if your wall is foamed. I would think opening the drywall from inside would be better, but I would still rather see it before making recommendations.

Coming back to this thread. The fireplace is part of an elaborate built in made of wood, so taking it apart from the inside would be the last resort. Could we even attempt to address this from the inside without interrupting the whole built in? The outside is simple clapboard siding that could be removed.

CoastRoad, you still on here somewhere? Thanks.

Sorry I missed the latest, Aimee. YES! that will be a pain to fix. Do you have a photo of the outside? I'd hate to have to try to go in from the outside, but it might be better to fix it that way. I'm not even sure if your clearances are correct, which is a whole separate issue. We can talk about that separately.

P.S. you can email me directly for more specific help at tom@coastroadonline.com.

I emailed you as well. Thank you.

Beautiful house. I would similarly hate to mess up the outside.

P.S. I haven't seen an email yet.

I have been reading all of the problems with your direct vent fireplace. Once installed, lack of insulation or improper installation, cannot be easily repaired. All of the problems with direct vent fireplaces are easily remedied with a Fireplace Fashion Cover. This insulated, magnetic cover will stop all of the drafts that are coming in from the outside. Easily removed and stored, when you want to burn the fireplace. Fireplace Fashion covers by Beverly.

here

I have same problem with the direct vent fireplace installed in my new home. Due to clearance the venting has to go straight out the back, less than 15” from fireplace back to outside wall. I can look from inside the firebox pipe to the outside. The wall is insulated, all penetrations sealed, and heated basement underneath. There is only one place for cold air to blow on ... the hole within the flue pipes that come out the back of the firebox. With the flue pipe well wrapped and sealed there is no air infiltrating. Explain that one with thermo physics! Of course when a flame is blazing air will be pushed out due to expansion. However, without that heat wind will push that cold air into the fire box. More so, another issue aside from unwanted air infiltration are the infiltration of INSECTS. I live in TN and in the fall thousands of Lady Bug types and a flat Stinkbug inundate our homes and come through the slightest openings. With a 8” open hole leading to the firebox a colony will soon invade. Then starting a fire would be a terrible mistake. So my question is, “What is a none scientific remedy the average homeowner can pursue”, other than incorporating some sort of external damper or prefabricating an external cover for when not in use?

I do not understand how this problem with direct vent fireplaces can continue. Everyone is trying to save energy and then someone leaves a hole open to the outside! I invented an insulated fireplace cover. The only way to stop the cold air and bugs from coming into the house, is to cover the fireplace on the inside. Fireplace Fashion Covers are insulated and magnetic around the perimeter. When placed on the fireplace, it immediately stops the drafting. Bugs are attracted to light and warm air from your home. With the fireplace cover on, both light and air is stopped. If bugs do get in, they cannot get out and usually die in the fireplace.

I do not know of another way to stop the drafts, except cover the fireplace with something from the inside. I get pictures from customers with plastic window film on the fireplace, blankets, quilts, trash bags, etc. The list is endless of what people are trying to do to keep from sending the heat to the outside and/or letting the cold air into the house. .

I don't want to cover my entire fireplace - just the vents. I just ordered from one of your competitors, Fireplace Fashion.

Which competitor covers just the vents?

Vent covers work, but most fireplaces need more than just the vents covered. A great many fireplaces are not pretty to look at and new doors are so expensive. Fireplace Fashion Covers are custom made to fit and are very affordable at around $100.00.

jlbennet....Draft Decor by Christy Walker Creations. I bought 5 at $23.00 each.

They will stop the draft, but are not insulated and will still radiate cold into the room. They do not look as nice as my covers, with a decorative fabric of your choice.

With all due respect, I don't want a decorative fabric on my fireplace. I am beyond thrilled with the Draft Decor from Christy.

We tried the cover and the cold air started coming out of the molding. This is insulating foam board with a poster glued on and painters tape covering the molding. Stopped the cold air but this is just a bandaid for the problem. I am so disgusted.

I found the fix and made a video.... The installers are not putting the pipe together correctly.

https://youtu.be/kdXxzn-TPDc

Jason! Thank you so much for this. Makes a ton of sense. Couple of follow up questions. I have done so much research too for nearly two years and even the installers in my area were totally confused by my issue. We tried re-sprayfoaming the whole area around the termination cap and exhausting pipes with fire safe foam and it is better but not good. I have a couple of questions for clarifying. Is your FP inside the walls or does it protrude (dog house is what the exterior protruding part is called). Also what brand FP mentions the caulk in the manual? that is very telling. I feel like those installation manuals are awfully unspecific and prob to avoid any liability. We live in NY and it's COLD on our hearth and so so frustrating when we had deep deep spray foam around it too. I will tell you one other thing that we did was to tape (with proper foil not sticky type duct tape) around all of the gas line and any holes that were evident from the inside bottom side of the fireplace. That stopped some of the speedy breezes we were feeling. But your fix makes a lot of sense. THANK YOU you are a lifesaver. Another question our build has a very expensive and elaborate fireplace surround on the interior side so taking it out from the exterior is really our only option. Do you think this could still be caulked and reinstalled that way?

Just moved into a home built in the 80s. There is a gas fireplace in the living room. It is vented out of the chimney. I am not sure if it was once a real fireplace but the gas insert seems pretty old and crappy. I cannot see a flue knob anywhere Not only can I feel the cold air rushing into my living room around the vents of the insert......i can hear the wind....it is so loud it is hard to watch tv. Just what the heck? Not sure who to call etc...

Hey Zak - there are a lot of possibilities here. If you can post photos or send some to my email, I might be able to narrow down some remedies for you. Email me: tom@coastroadonline.com

We had a similar issue with a cold draft at the bottom of our fireplace insert which is vented through the chimney. I had covered the the cleaning outlet of the fireplace where the gas line enters the insert with foam . This is when I started to notice the cold draft, when I removed the foam covering the cold draft disapeared. I would explore this as an

Is it okay to seal around the cutouts that the gas line runs in through? This seems to the be the source of the draft in my gas fireplace. To be clear, these are the cutouts in the metal frame underneath the fireplace, down where all the electronics are.

Yes! Absolutely. The best way to seal them is to a stuff them with fiberglass insulation around the gas line.

Yes but also ask yourself why the air is getting to that point. You shouldn’t have air coming in through any part of the fireplace. I am assuming your fireplace is built in a box that is protruding out from your house. That box should be as insulated and airtight as the rest of your house. If it is sealed up well then I would look to a bad installation. It is so common in the housing additions around where I live. I fixed mine and don’t have any air leaking into the house. At least from the fireplace.

True, Jason, but this discussion wouldn’t be so popular if it was a rare problem. Lack of fire stopping and caulking at penetrations, poor insulation, etc. are all common.

Thanks for all the quick responses! The gas fireplace is installed within the old wood fireplace. It's a 100 year old brick house... so everything everywhere is somewhat drafty, and very much uninsulated. I just happen to able to feel the air moving through those openings under the gas fireplace.

I agree that penetrations to the outside need to be sealed properly. My comment was that sealing the penetrations into the metal housing isn't necessary if the "box" protruding from the house and the install of the exhaust pipe was done properly. Every one of these fireplaces that I have looked at, because of cold air leaking, has been because the exhaust pipe hasn't been sealed when installed. I like my fireplace but think bad installs have given them a bad name.

My problem appears to be the exact same as Eli Angen describes above. my f/p (direct vent?) is built flush into the wall (with the outside of the house protruding). I have traced an extreme draft to the bottom left side where the gas line is fed through an opening in the metal about 3x5 inches. Is there another way to insulate around this gas line here? is there a way to purchase only such a small amount of fiberglass insulation? (I don’t like the thought of fiberglass insulation kind of exposed in drafty situations, if it unsafe or can lead to particles being dislodged). Any kind of tape or other “cushioned“ type of insulation that could be packed into the space around the line?

I am in a two year old house and I also have a drafty direct vent gas fireplace. The majority of the cool air is coming from below in the mechanical section of the unit. I have managed a way to eliminate the draft for under 30$ Canadian. I purchased a Fireplace gasket kit Imperial Fiberglass Gasket Kit, 5/8-in Canadian Tire for the metal cover. I also had 50' of Manifold Exhaust Wrap, and stuffed it in and around the control box as insulation. Now the issue is pretty much gone and both products are designed for temperatures above 1000. I am sure there are other products that could be used as insulation but I didn't want to plug it completely just in case. I also have a C0 alarm unit installed above my fireplace for safety.

Homyl Great Performance 2inchx50ft Titanium Header Manifold Exhaust Wrap - black, Headers - Amazon Canada

Imperial Fiberglass Gasket Kit, 5/8-in Canadian Tire

The main reason for this issue particularly in new construction is due to incompetent installers taking the easy way. If you have the resources to properly seal the vent then watch the video.

(12) Fix for direct vent fireplace air leak. - YouTube

Taking out the fireplace is not an option for us. What else can we do? can we add caulk to the vent pipe (what we see of it)? Or add insulation at the bottom where the draft is from?

The draft is from the bottom bit. We already tried magnetic coverings, etc. all they do is redirect the draft.

Glad I found this thread. We've got the same situation with a Heat & Glo 8000CLX install. My first thought was that it was the gas access hole in the outside wall of the fireplace, which had been left unsealed. I taped up all the gaps I could see with high temperature foil tape. It helped, but there's still an noticeable draft.

I'm pretty sure @Jason Pow's video nails the situation. I was able to get my arm all the way under the firebox and I could feel the cold air coming down the back of the firebox. It has to be coming in from around the pipe. I don't know whether it's coming from the intake being uncaulked or my doghouse being leaky.

Now I have to decide whether I want to demand that my builder and the fireplace installer dismantle my whole dang family room to fix this, while it's still under warranty. But for sure, it makes my main sitting area very cold and is wasting my heating money. I don't think we want to deal with this for the next 20 years.

If they deny that there is anything wrong, call the manufacturer and ask them to verify that it is supposed to leak cold air around it. You are correct that it’s either the builder or installer that has messed up

After years of investigating our gas fireplace, Removing the siding and ripping apart the back wall. We even insulated the plate that surrounds the vent that goes outside with 2600 degree insulation from Amazon. We insulated AGAIN, rechecked every possible entry area and finally discovered that it's the FIREBOX that isn't sealed or airtight. Check your glass and gasket first to make sure it's sealing correctly. I am shutting off the gas and plugging the outside vent. It is a manufacture issue and they are probably all made this way.