??'s about a gas fireplace in the house, and pH

[luther1200]

We have a gas fireplace in the house, and when ever its run for a while the pH in my tank will drop. But usually I can either close the door to the tank room, and open a window in there if I have to. Most of the time just shutting the door is good. But last weekend it didn't work so I opened the window in there and shut the door. So the pH went up a little bit. But the odd thing is that usually it never gets as low as it did, and it always goes back to normal in a day tops. This time it is still only at 7.80 a week later. Sometimes its 7.75 in the moring still. Which is odd, the tank always has a lower pH od about 7.80-8.00. Which is fine but I don't like that fact that its not going over 7.85 even with the lights on.

So here is my question, what exactly about the fireplace causes the low pH? Is it that CO2 it produced by burning the gas, or it is from the gas itself entering the air? And could there be a leak in the gas line thats causing it to stay low?

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

It is just the CO2 from the fireplace, and I expect it is all gone a week later. Gas itself will not impact pH.

Maybe the meter has just drifted and needs recalibration?

[luther1200]

Thanks, I will recalibrate it today and see what happens.

[HighlandReefer]

Do you have a ventless gas fireplace without an exterior flue pipe?

[luther1200]

Do you have a ventless gas fireplace without an exterior flue pipe?

I believe so. There is no flue that I know of.

[HighlandReefer]

It sounds like you do have a ventless fireplace. The ventless fire places do produce quite a bit more CO2 than the vented fireplaces. The ventless also produce more Carbon monoxide than the the vented which is a major health concern if it malfunctions. Usually the ventless have a built-in CO detector which do malfunction occasionally according to consumer reports. If you do not have a plug-in CO detector, I would purchase one and install it in the room where your fireplace is. ;)

[luther1200]

Thanks. We do have a battery CO alarm, but a plug in is probably a better idea.