Gas Fireplace Blower Guide

A gas fireplace blower is essential if you want to maximise the efficiency of your gas fire. They work on the simple principle of the fire heating up the cast iron blower tubes, similar to those in cast iron radiators,  and then a fan unit blowing the heated air contained within the tubes into the room.

The effect is that the blower is able to push more heated air into the room than the fire is able to do by radiating, thus giving you greater efficiency from your fire.

Fireplace blower kit installation is relatively straightforward. Kits tend to come with installation instructions but be aware use of a fan does require an electrical power source close at hand to fuel the fan unit. Most kits will come with a blower fan unit, mounting brackets, power cords, temperature and speed control unit. There are many kits for gas fireplaces on the market and they tend to range in price from under $100 through to $1000. Your fire may already have a blower unit fitted without you knowing, and should you have problems, you can easily find motors and fans to repair any existing models you may have.

If you wish to purchase a fan for a fireplace you will generally need to know the dimensions of the existing fireplace and style (log fire, stove etc) as most manufacturers supply fireplace blowers to suit both size and style of fire. The top brands to look out for are Heatilator, Majestic and Napoleon although others also supply selections of  spares and kits.

Thermo Rite Gas Log Blower – This unit improves the efficiency of your log fire giving off an estimated 25000 BTU’s of heat per hour. The unit comes equipped with a thermostatically controlled fan that turns on at 110F and off at 90F for maximum efficiency. Fan motors can be positioned on either side of your grating to suit your power supply. When ordering, measure the floor plan of your fireplace to allow selection from the two sizes available. This model is designed for masonery fireplaces and should not be used with zero clearance fireplaces. Priced from $533 to $620 dependant on size option.

Majestic Gas Fireplace Fan Kit – Model shown is the Fireplace Blower for Majestic FK24 Rotom Replacement # R7-RB65, a replacement blower which comes with a cord, speed control thermo switch as well as fan blower unit. Blower length is 12.9″  flange opening is 9.5″ and comes fitted to a base plate 15″ x 4″. Comes with instructions for fitting and can be fitted in under 1 hour by an enthusiast but a qualified technician is recommended.

Napoleon FK550 Blower Kit – This fan kit is a replacement item for Napoleon/Wolf Steel/Continental GZ550-1kt and fits all Napoleon direct vent gas fireplaces. Comes with a two year warranty as standard. Kit includes blower fan, mounting brackets, temperature sensor, vibration pad, wiring harness, variable speed control and all necessary installation instructions for fitting.

Fireplace blowers are a great way to improve the effiicency of your fire —they push warm air from the fire into the room, rather then letting it all go up the chimney and out of

your home. They do not restrict themselves merely to heating the area right at the fireplace. They are not terribly expensive to buy, and installing and maintaining a wood or gas fireplace blower fan and kit is very simple. You need nothing more than your blower, a screwdriver, lubricant such as WD40, and a wet-dry or industrial-strength vacuum.

Before you install a fireplace blower, however, make sure the fire is completely cool and the electric power to the area where the fan unit will go should be turned off through your home’s fuse box. Then open the insert where the blower will be installed—normally, you will find it by knockout plate at the bottom of the fireplace insert. Unscrew the insert cover. If you need to lubricate the screws, do so and wait until the lube is absorbed completely before trying to unscrew the cover again. In addition, make sure you set the screws where you can find them to reinstall the cover!

If there is an old fan unit in the insert, unplug it from its power source before unscrewing its motor and disconnecting electrical wiring. If there is no old blower, you are ready to prepare the insert for wiring. All you have to do is thread a 110/120 VAC service wire from your fireplace’s junction control box through the blower motor opening and secure them to the clamp. Then vacuum out the space completely, though you may want to use a wire brush to loosen any caked or thick dirt and debris from corners and back spaces and vacuum those as completely as you can.

You have one advantage if you do not need to replace a motor—you can install the maximum-effect blower for your size fireplace and room; fireplace specialists can help you determine the best motor, size and thrust, for the space with which you have to work. If you do need to replace a motor, you should check the specifications of the old motor and buy a new one that matches them exactly.

With motor in hand, wire it to the electrical wires from the junction box—black wire to black wire, white wire to white wire, ground wire to ground stud. Once you have done this—and be sure you use the correct size and depth of wire covers when uniting the wiring—set your blower to the very back of the fireplace and then bring it forward about a quarter inch. Screw the motor in tightly, using support brackets, to hold the motor in place. The tighter you can screw the motor in, the less chance of disruptive motor vibration that can impact the blower performance and, coincidentally, drive you mad with the noise.

Turn the room’s power back on and activate the motor so you can test your connections. If necessary, dismount the motor and check each wire connection—but remember to turn off the room power before you do in order to avoid electric shock. When the motor is tested and the current is running it properly, replace the cover plate. Moreover, enjoy the new heating in your fireplace room.

As you would with any ordinary household fan, you will want to open up your blower mount and check the fan unit regularly for dirt and dust accumulation. Depending on your blower model, you may be able to remove the fan blades and clean them thoroughly, by hand or by wash depending on the material of the blades. You should also consider dismounting your blower at regular intervals so you can vacuum out dirt and debris thoroughly and keep it from damaging your blower.