# Can you convert a gas fireplace back to wood? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 28, 2005, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-convert-a-gas-fireplace-back-to-wood/314543 "2005-07-28T06:34:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Thin\_Lizzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9a140/32.png) [@Thin\_Lizzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thin_Lizzy)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2005, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-convert-a-gas-fireplace-back-to-wood/314543/1 "2005-07-28T06:34:27Z")
I have a fireplace that originally was wood burning but was converted to gas. Is it possible to convert back to wood burning? Reason being, the gas is more decorative then heat producing, and plus its just not as fun as making a real fire. Would it just be a matter of removing the gas line? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2005, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-convert-a-gas-fireplace-back-to-wood/314543/2 "2005-07-28T11:32:11Z")
Just remove the gas logs, you can leave the gas line, it is useful for starting fires. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2005, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-convert-a-gas-fireplace-back-to-wood/314543/3 "2005-07-28T14:27:21Z")
> [@Fear Itself](#): > > Just remove the gas logs, you can leave the gas line, it is useful for starting fires. I’ve been curious about this myself… but… once I close the gas line, isn’t there gas statically in the line, not moving anywhere? Then the wood that’s burning makes the gas line really, really hot, with the gas also getting really, really hot? There’ no explosion risk or anything? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2005, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-convert-a-gas-fireplace-back-to-wood/314543/4 "2005-07-28T14:58:06Z")
> [@Balthisar](#): > > I’ve been curious about this myself… but… once I close the gas line, isn’t there gas statically in the line, not moving anywhere? Then the wood that’s burning makes the gas line really, really hot, with the gas also getting really, really hot? There’ no explosion risk or anything? There’s no gas beyond the valve, which is usually located well within the wall of the fireplace. No danger anyway, as any increase in pressure due to heat will simply equalize through the rest of the pipes in the house. No explosion danger either, because there is no oxygen in the pipes to create combustion. ---
**Author:** ![FatBaldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecd19e/32.png) [@FatBaldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FatBaldGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2005, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-convert-a-gas-fireplace-back-to-wood/314543/5 "2005-07-28T15:25:29Z")
Another consideration would be whether the flue was sealed or closed off as part of the conversion. If so, you would need to re-open the flue before burning wood. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2005, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-convert-a-gas-fireplace-back-to-wood/314543/6 "2005-07-28T15:31:07Z")
> [@FatBaldGuy](#): > > Another consideration would be whether the flue was sealed or closed off as part of the conversion. If so, you would need to re-open the flue before burning wood. Dang, that’s been bugging me too. My hat’s off to **Thin Lizzy** for bringing up this topic! I think my flue’s been completely sealed – there’s a metal handle thing inside of the fireplace, but I can’t get it to move at all. More importantly, when I’d considered using the fire place in gas mode, I’d always hesitated because of not being able to open the flue. The amount of gas burnt is significantly more than in our over or on our stove, and I always worried about asphyxiation. You always hear about entire families dying when they’d used their propane stoves to heat their apartments. CO^2 just wiped them out. So is this not a concern with natural gas? Should I just remember not to go to bed until I put it out? Or should I really force myself to figure our how to open the flue? ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2005, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-convert-a-gas-fireplace-back-to-wood/314543/7 "2005-07-28T16:00:02Z")
Before burning wood in it, have the chimney cleaned and inspected by a chimney sweep. If the chimney is deteriorating and/or caked with soot, there is significant risk of a chimney fire or other problem. The chimney sweep can advise you about the usability of the fireplace as a whole. ---
**Author:** ![Thin\_Lizzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9a140/32.png) [@Thin\_Lizzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thin_Lizzy)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2005, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-convert-a-gas-fireplace-back-to-wood/314543/8 "2005-07-28T16:41:12Z")
> [@Balthisar](#): > > Dang, that’s been bugging me too. My hat’s off to **Thin Lizzy** for bringing up this topic! I think my flue’s been completely sealed – there’s a metal handle thing inside of the fireplace, but I can’t get it to move at all. > > More importantly, when I’d considered using the fire place in gas mode, I’d always hesitated because of not being able to open the flue. The amount of gas burnt is significantly more than in our over or on our stove, and I always worried about asphyxiation. You always hear about entire families dying when they’d used their propane stoves to heat their apartments. CO^2 just wiped them out. So is this not a concern with natural gas? Should I just remember not to go to bed until I put it out? Or should I really force myself to figure our how to open the flue? I had the same problem with my handle. I stuck my head under there, there was as screw and bracket attached to the flue that I had to remove to close it completely ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2005, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-convert-a-gas-fireplace-back-to-wood/314543/9 "2005-07-28T17:31:53Z")
> [@Balthisar](#): > > Dang, that’s been bugging me too. My hat’s off to **Thin Lizzy** for bringing up this topic! I think my flue’s been completely sealed – there’s a metal handle thing inside of the fireplace, but I can’t get it to move at all. > > More importantly, when I’d considered using the fire place in gas mode, I’d always hesitated because of not being able to open the flue. The amount of gas burnt is significantly more than in our over or on our stove, and I always worried about asphyxiation. You always hear about entire families dying when they’d used their propane stoves to heat their apartments. CO^2 just wiped them out. So is this not a concern with natural gas? Should I just remember not to go to bed until I put it out? Or should I really force myself to figure our how to open the flue? Absolutely do not use a gas fireplace if the flue is not operational! Unless another vent has been installed, you risk carbon monoxide poisoning. Any fire that produes a yellow flame produces carbon monoxide, and must be vented via a flue or other external vent.