Why does my gas fireplace burn differently after being converted between natural gas and propane?
Flat Rock's historic homes — some dating to the 1800s, with oversized open masonry fireplaces and aging clay flue liners — are prime candidates for sealed gas inserts, and that's where fuel conversion comes up. Flat Rock is on the natural-gas main, so a used insert brought from a propane home has to be re-jetted up to gas, or it burns weak and starved.
Sealed inserts in old hearths, set for the right fuel
Those big 1800s open fireboxes around Historic Flat Rock and Highland Lake pull cold-air drafts straight into the room, and a sealed insert on the gas main fixes the draftiness while preserving the character owners want to keep. But a sealed insert only heats if it's jetted for the fuel it's on: natural gas needs a wider orifice and full flow at low pressure, where propane runs through a smaller orifice at higher pressure. Drop a propane-configured insert onto the Flat Rock main and the flame comes out small and starved — the appliance is fine, the conversion just wasn't finished.
Licensed, permitted with Henderson
In a historic home, permitted work matters twice over: it protects the sale and the homeowner's insurance, and unpermitted gas work can void coverage. Connecting or converting the fuel is licensed work, so we permit with Henderson County, install the correct kit, and confirm burner pressure on a manometer before we leave. Call (828) 545-0525.
Fireplace help in Flat Rock
We install and service fireplaces throughout Flat Rock and the rest of Henderson County — just 30 minutes south from our Asheville-area showroom.
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