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Gunnar Alquist · #6 (**permalink**) 05-04-2008, 10:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matthew Barnicle

Are you allowed to burn wood in a fireplace if it has a gas line stubbed out from the side. There is a key type shutoff for the gas on the face of the fireplace just below the mantel, so I am thinking yes, but the valve could be open and you would not know it because there is a cap on the stub. Which leaves gas in the pipe, next to a roaring fire, so I don't know.

I think that MB's question comes from not knowing if the gas valve is off or not. When you have a burner in the fireplace, the gas is shut off some distance away from the firebox. With a capped valve, you may not know if the valve is off and whether or not the cap might be leaking. I can't see it as a huge issue. Bob Harper has indicated that he does not like the keyed valves because they can leak. Assuming he is referring to leaking out around the valve rather than leaking into the pipe that is connected to the appliance, the chances of a leak at the cap are likely less than leaking at the valve. Too much to worry about.