Gas Fireplace Blower Guide

Blower kits come in three varieties: there are gas blower kits, wood fireplace fan kits, and ventless kits. These kits are useful if you are looking to heat your room more efficiently. Without one, most of the heat from the fire will escape up the chimney.

Some fireplaces will already have a fan unit installed; you should check and see if yours does, check for a blower fan or fan control unit. Sometimes the blowers are installed in such a way that they are not immediately visible. If your fireplace does not have one installed, then you can buy one either from a hardware store, such as B&Q, or online. The type of  fan kit you would buy would depend on what type of fireplace you have – whether you have a wood fireplace or gas and whether the gas fireplace has a vent or not.

The price of your fireplace blower will depend on what size you buy as well as the brand. Some well known brands that make these kits are Empire Comfort Systems, Breckwell, Napoleon, Thermo-lite, and Fujioh, among others. The prices range from as little as US$35.00 on up to over US$500.00.

Installing a blower kit is relatively simple if your fire is already wired for electric power. If it is not, then the first step would be to call an electrician to have this done. You will also want to have an electric outlet close to the fire.
Many blowers are installed either right in front of the fireplace, or can be installed closer to the doorway of the room. Most owners prefer the second location as not only does it distribute heat better throughout the room but can also warm up another nearby room as well. You will also want to check the electrical junction box to make sure it will provide enough electricity to your blower, as different makes of blowers, depending on the size, will require different amounts of electricity.

There are so many different models and makes of each of these types of blowers that it would be impossible to give specific instructions for each and every one; it is vital that you read the instructions that came with the fire blower kit and follow them. Also, if you are not the do it yourself type, or if you find the instructions are not clear, most companies will send someone out to install it for you, likely for an extra fee, but at least it will save you the potential headache (or worse) that you would get from an improper do it yourself job.