No. No other materials may be burned inside a Mendota gas fireplace. The Mendota gas fireplace is designed and certified by UL specifically to burn only LP or Natural Gas. Burning wood has a much higher peak temperature that can not only permanently impair the fireplace itself, but also provide a real fire danger to your home and occupants. Even something as simple as burning paper can harm the fireplace's internal controls and possibly overheat and break the glass.

No other materials may be burned inside a gas fireplace. The gas fireplace is designed and certified by UL specifically to burn only LP or Natural Gas. Burning wood has a much higher peak temperature that can not only permanently impair the fireplace itself, but also provide a real fire danger to your home and occupants. Even something as simple as burning paper can harm the fireplace's internal controls and possibly overheat and break the glass

No. Gas fireplaces are designed to burn gas only. Burning wood would damage the fireplace and could be very dangerous.

How can I make final plans for my Mendota installation? I will need information for the building inspector, plumber, contractor etc.

All Mendota models can be converted to burn LP gas. Make sure to notify your certified Mendota dealer prior to ordering if your home requires LP gas appliances.

Yes. Most building codes allow the installation of a gas fireplace in a sleeping room as long as it is a sealed combustion, direct vent model.

No. Placement of the logs is critical to the operation and performance of the fireplace. Misarranged logs can result in operational problems. If you notice the logs have been moved during cleaning, contact a Mendota service person and check your installation and operating instructions for proper placement.

One of the largest by-products of gas combustion is water vapor. And although most of the water vapor evaporates or is exhauster out of the unit, some of it remains within your gas fireplace and in turn, casues rust. There is some maintenance that you can do yourself if you've discovered rust. You can sand off all of the rust and then prime and paint the area with a "heat-resistant" paint. If left unchecked, the fireplace could rust through leaving it unsafe to use.

Blowers are optional on most heat circulating (grilles on top and bottom of fireplace) units, and some hearth products the blower is standard. Adding a blower is easily accomplished if power (110 VAC) was provided to the electrical junction box of the fireplace at the time of initial installation. If power was not provided, a fan option is still possible, but installation is complicated and therefore more costly.

No. If the fireplace is designed for use only with gas, this is a very bad idea. The fireplace is not designed to withstand a wood fire. And the gas jets are not meant to come in contact with ash. This is a real fire hazard. It's possible your fireplace was originally a wood burning fireplace and has been converted to gas. In that case, it can be converted back. But you shouldn't burn would in it until that's happened.

If you have a fully operational fireplace, whether masonry or pre-fab, it would normally be as simple as removing the gas logs & capping the gas line or installing a gas log lighter. But with today's new appliances, direct vent & ventless units would not be set up for solid fuel (wood) & could not be converted to wood burning.

Use seasoned hard wood. "Seasoned" wood is wood that has been dried out for at least half a year, preferably a year. It's opposite, green wood, will produce a cooler, smokier fire that's bad for your chimney. Hard woods are woods like oak, maple, beech, and ash. They burn hotter than pine, spruce, birch, or redwood. Do NOT use wood that has been painted or had finish applied. This could release toxic fumes into your home.

To convert your wood-burning fireplace into gas, you must get an insert type gas fireplace. They are designed to fit into existing masonry and prefabricated fireplaces. For more information on our insert applications, click here.

Answer: Yes, a direct-vent gas fireplace can replace a wood fireplace. You must also have access to a gas supply.

No, the hearth kit is designed to work with only the appropriate gas logs. Attempting this could result in injury, damage or worse. Additionally, burning wood voids the warranty of the hearth kit.

No. The intense heat of a wood fire will damage your logs, burners, grates and valves, and will void your warranty.

The purchase of a gas fireplace deserves the same thoughtful consideration that you give to the purchase of a car or major appliance and, if you're building or remodeling, it's important that you help your builder pick a fireplace that compliments your home and your taste. Your home deserves something better and more unique than the "builder box' fireplaces used in low cost housing and apartments. Remember: A fireplace is a once in a lifetime purchase that's permanently installed in your home.

Mendota fireplaces should be installed and serviced by Mendota qualified dealers. Mendota fireplaces are sophisticated gas appliances that require knowledgeable, well trained installers to insure proper operation and enforce Mendota's lifetime limited warranty. gas fireplaces | gas fireplace inserts | gas stoves | gas fireplace manuals | design your own fireplace

A - There is no fireplace that can perform this dual function. The best you can do is to install a gas log lighter, which is a steel pipe with holes drilled in that is hooked up to the gas and paced beneath your log grate. There'll be a key mechanism outside of the fireplace for you to turn on the gas, which you would then ignite with a match. This setup is strictly for getting wood fires going.

Vent-free gas log sets can be installed in most masonry fireplaces, as long as the set's clearance and ventilation requirements are met. For installation in prefabricated fireplaces or fireboxes, follow the fireplace manufacturer's recommendations, as well as meeting the set's clearance and ventilation requirements. Refer to the log set's owner's manual to determine clearances and unconfined space requirements.

All of Mendota's gas fireplaces and inserts are direct vent (DV). This means they have a fixed glass front which seals the gas burner and combustion firebox off from your home. 100% of the combustion air used by the fireplace comes from outside the home through a coaxial pipe. A smaller pipe inside the larger pipe exhausts all combustible gases, maintaining high indoor air quality.

Yes. Because the fireplace works on an internal millivolt generator the burner will run during power outages and will provide a reliable source of heat when your house furnace is not operating.

Operating gas logs in a fireplace can be similar to burning wood in the fireplace. Yes you will receive some heat, but it is impossible to predict how much. Gas logs retrofitted to existing fireplaces are primarily for aesthetic benefit. They look great, provide a large yellow-orange flame and are not particularly efficient. If heat is your primary motive for retrofitting your fireplace you should consider a gas fireplace insert. Either way, you'll have something easy to use and maintain.

A - Installing an open gas log set into a wood-burning fireplace is essentially just changing fuels. If your wood-burning fireplace smokes under certain conditions, it is likely that a log set will spill some of its combustion by-products into the room under the same conditions. In these circumstances, it is recommended to install an efficient gas insert with a single or double liner vent system.

You will need to consult the operating guide for your particular fireplace model. If you use another manufacturer's gas logs, you need to maintain the clearances they specify. You can only install vented gas logs in our wood burning fireplaces. No. Installing vent-free (room vented) gas logs into our fireplaces presents a potential safety hazard as these fireplaces have not been tested or listed by UL or AGA for these applications.

When plants grow they use carbon dioxide from the air to make their wood. If you burn the wood the carbon is released back to the atmosphere. As long as you grow another plant/tree then a stable carbon cycle is set up. So ,the use of sustainably produced wood as a fuel does not increase the carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere.

Please make sure the flue is open before starting fire. NEVER remove hot ashes or partially burned loges. Please leave the ashes in the fireplace even if you are sure they are cold. It's easier to build a fire with a bed of ashes. If it becomes absolutely necessary to remove the cold ashes, use a metal container only. (Anything flammable, such as a paper bag or cardboard box, even if you are positive the ashes are cold, is extremely dangerous.

Unfortunately, no. You will need a wood pellet stove but if you don’t already have one, the savings you will realize in heating your home will more than pay for the stove. Some companies do offer converters which may be placed in fireplace inserts. Please check with your local hardware store or on the web to see if this option will work for you.

While they produce some radiant heat, most wood burning fireplaces are primarily decorative. Even heat circulating models still pull a tremendous amount of air from the home. There are several wood burning models that are efficient and clean burning. We also have several wood burning stoves and inserts that are very efficient. Click here to find a dealer near you that can help you with your decision.