HOW DOES CARBON MONOXIDE ESCAPE FROM MY SEALED GAS FIREPLACE?
There are 2 main areas where CO can escape: • From around the glass on the fireplace From the holes through which small pipes and wires enter the fire box from the lower compartment These areas must be inspected yearly for faulty or cracked gaskets and seals. If the gasket on the glass is cracked, you may get uncharacteristic black or smokey deposits on the glass or carbon on the upper exterior of the fireplace. If your vent is blocked, the unit may spill CO but more than likely the fire will go out from lack of oxygen or the high temperature limit present on most units will shut it down. Again the vent should be checked yearly. Because gas fireplaces run intermittently for short time periods and not usually when you are sleeping, low levels of carbon monoxide poisoning may go undetected for years if not inspected.
