What Is Needed to Convert a Wood Fireplace to Gas?

The City or County

• Contact your city or county to determine if there are ordinances that control changing a wood fireplace to a natural gas fireplace. City or county personnel may also help you with strategic planning, as they may have a map of the area and the nearest natural gas main line. You will probably need a work permit from the city or county and may need to obtain other documentation before you begin work on converting your fireplace from wood to gas.

The Gas Company

• Ask the gas company for advice and information. The gas company usually charges a fee to tie into the main line and install a gas meter, and only the company’s employees can do this part of the conversion. Determine the location of the nearest gas line according to the gas company's records, which may not be the same as city or county records -- you need the best information you can get. Ask the gas company about incentives for conversion; some gas companies have rebates, discounts or energy-efficient gas logs or inserts available for purchase at a discount.

The Plumber

• A master plumber can give you an estimate of the cost of running the gas line from the meter to your house. Although you can dig the ditch for a buried line, you can’t install the safety valve and bleed the line without credentials. A safety valve is an exterior valve, but you will also have a shut-off valve inside the fireplace or near the hearth. The gas company may test and certify the line to your house, but the city or county inspector will check the work of the master plumber.

The Conversion

• Clean the fireplace, and prepare it for gas logs or a gas insert. Select an insert or gas logs that are safe, attractive and smaller than your fireplace opening. Vent-free logs are not recommended, reports Clean Sweep Chimney Sweep. Check the chimney and the damper, and ensure the chimney is open all the way to the top. Follow the directions carefully when installing the gas heating unit. Purchase a carbon monoxide detector, and plug it into a wall socket close to the fireplace. Once your fireplace is functional, do not leave the house with the gas unit operating unattended.