Why is My Gas Fireplace Creating Soot? - Ask the Expert Episode 251

Today’s question comes from Margie. “Hey Dan, I have a ventless gas fireplace in my sunroom, which I loved at first. One, it has a thermostat, which I thought was great. However, it causes so much condensation, it is a mess. I purchased a portable dehumidifier. Two, it has created black soot all over everything. As a result, I have turned it off. I just know that if there is ever a storm, I will be able to turn it on and off and have heat in that room. Any suggestions?” Yes, a ventless gas fireplace does cause condensation. If you have a problem with high humidity in your house and you get a ventless gas fireplace, it’s going to get worse. A dehumidifier is the right option if you want to keep using the fireplace. Alternatively, if you do have a problem with dehumidity, you could probably try to run your air conditioner in dry mode if it has one. Otherwise, you could get a whole-home dehumidifier. I would really encourage you to mitigate excess humidity. It can cause all kinds of problems. Now, for the soot issue, a ventless gas fireplace isn’t supposed to do that. You need to have a tech come and check it. It could be that the air-fuel ratio is off. The air intake shutters could be clogged. It could have clogged burner ports. Your burner logs could be out of place covering a burner unit too much. Got more questions? Just ask in the comments below.