# Direct vent propane fireplace leaking air



## mithesaint (Mar 24, 2013)

I have a direct vent propane fireplace in my house that I don't use very often, and it's leaking air.  It's a "executive series DVF 42P.  The manual says it's made by Fireplace Manufacturers Incorporated.  I rarely use it, but it looks nice so I've kept it so far.  

I've done some work tightening up my basement recently and in the process apparently created a new place for air to leak to.  The fireplace is cantilevered out of my living room, and I noticed a large amount of cold air flow into the basement under the fireplace, which I've fixed.  Unfortunately, now that cold air is flowing through the fireplace into the house.  

Obviously, the proper solution is to fix the air leak from the outside.  Not gonna happen today, as it's 30 degrees outside with 30 mph winds.  In the meantime, there are two vents/openings in the bottom part of the fireplace, one on each side.  One of these openings is where the gas line comes through.  The other opening has nothing in it.  The breeze is absolutely rolling through these openings, to the point where the cobwebs under the fireplace are swaying in the breeze and I can feel the breeze sitting on the floor 10 feet away.

I can safely plug these holes/vents for the short term, right?  Is that a source of O2 for the pilot?  I'd love to yank it out and put something better in, but I can't put a wood insert in because there is no chimney, and I already have  my pellet stove, which sits perfectly in the middle of an open floor plan.


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## DAKSY (Mar 25, 2013)

mithesaint said:


> I have a direct vent propane fireplace in my house that I don't use very often, and it's leaking air. It's a "executive series DVF 42P. The manual says it's made by Fireplace Manufacturers Incorporated. I rarely use it, but it looks nice so I've kept it so far.
> 
> I've done some work tightening up my basement recently and in the process apparently created a new place for air to leak to. The fireplace is cantilevered out of my living room, and I noticed a large amount of cold air flow into the basement under the fireplace, which I've fixed. Unfortunately, now that cold air is flowing through the fireplace into the house.
> 
> ...


 
Block the openings. Use unfaced fiberglass for the larger ones & use aluminum tape on the smaller ones - like where the thermostat wire penetrates the sheet metal... You can tape over the insulation if you like...You might want to tape all seams where the sheet metal is connected as well. The combustion air for the pilot & burner enters the fire box thru the Larger (outer) diameter of the vent pipe, so you're not gonna compromise anything. You will probably find that MOST of your cold air is coming in thru the gap in the wall thimble. The DV venting doesn't generally fit tightly & you can seal that gap either with aluminum tape of with wood stove tape gasket material. You will have to pull the vent cap off to see this area...HTH...


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