Are older gas fireplaces without a safety barrier screen still safe to use?
Yes, most older gas fireplaces without a barrier screen are still safe to operate — the hazard isn't the fireplace, it's the exposed glass, which gets hot enough to burn skin in seconds and stays dangerous long after shutoff. Since 2015, new units must include a mesh barrier. For older units, we recommend adding a retrofit screen, and most manufacturers make one.
What changed in 2015 — and why
In 2015, the safety standard governing gas fireplaces was updated to require a mesh barrier screen on any unit with a glass front that runs hot enough to burn — which is essentially all of them. The change came after years of documented burn injuries, most of them toddlers who pressed a palm against the glass before anyone could react. Every new gas fireplace we install — Napoleon, Heat & Glo, Regency, and the rest of our lines — ships with that barrier attached from the factory.
Older units were never recalled. They were built to the standard of their day and they'll keep running exactly as designed. But the glass on a pre-2015 fireplace gets just as hot as the glass on a new one, and it can take the better part of an hour to cool down after the flame goes out. The fireplace didn't get more dangerous — we just stopped accepting the risk.
The fix is usually a screen, not a new fireplace
Most manufacturers produced retrofit barrier screens for their older models, and a freestanding hearth screen or safety gate covers the units that never got one. We see this situation weekly in older Asheville and Hendersonville homes — a fireplace from the 2000s that's run flawlessly for years, and now there are grandkids crawling toward it. A screen solves it for a fraction of what any other change would cost.
If you're not sure what model you have, the rating plate is usually inside the bottom louver or under the firebox. Bring us the model number — or let us pull it during a service visit — and we'll match the right barrier.
When an older unit needs more than a screen
If the glass is cracked or chipped, the logs are sooting up, or the pilot has become temperamental, the screen question is secondary — the unit needs a professional look first. We service all major hearth brands, and an annual service visit in late summer or early fall catches most of this before you're depending on the fireplace. Call (828) 545-0525 and we'll get eyes on it.
Related questions
- Why do newer gas fireplaces have a mesh safety screen in front of the glass?
- Can I add a safety screen to an older gas fireplace that didn't come with one?
- How hot does gas fireplace glass get, and can it burn you?
- How do I find out if my fireplace or stove has been recalled?
- How do I childproof a gas fireplace?
- Can a gas fireplace cause carbon monoxide poisoning?
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