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| Superior Model DR-500CMN |
Most of the units here in the Manors have a Model DR-500CMN direct-vented gas fireplace that was manufactured by the Superior Fireplace Company. This model has been discontinued and Superior is now a unit of Lennox Hearth Products. The DR-500CMN Homeowner's Care and Operation Manual is still available here for viewing and download.
Some of the newer Manors units have a Model VCD36RN direct-vented gas fireplace that was manufactured by Desa Heating LLC. Desa filed for bankruptcy in December of 2008 and is no longer in business. However the VCD36RN Owner's Operation and Installation Manual is still available here for viewing and download.
Both of these models are similar in design and operation. The Superior fireplace is rated at 23,000 BTUs per hour input while the Desa has an input rating of 21,000 BTUs per hour (as a reference, the input ratings for the forced air gas furnaces here in the Manors are 75,000 BTUs per hour and up). Even though your fireplace is probably operated using a conventional 110 volt wall switch, both fireplace models use millivolt gas controls, meaning that if the pilot flame is burning, the fireplace burner can be turned on and off even during a power failure (however the optional blower will not be functional). During an extended cold-weather power failure, your gas fireplace should be able to provide enough heat to keep your plumbing from freezing, even without the warm air circulation normally provided by the blower.
Here's some advice on how to keep your gas fireplace working and looking good:
- Keep the front glass panel clean - follow the instructions in the operating manual to remove and clean the inside of the glass at least once each year. The glass should be cleaned using a non-ammonia, nonabrasive household cleaner and warm water. Do not use Windex or any cleaner containing ammonia or it will leave a whitish film in the inside of the glass once it gets hot! Most electric range glass cook top cleaners will work nicely for this purpose.
- Keep the pilot flame burning all year long - if you turn the pilot flame off for the summer, it increases the chance that a spider will make its home in the pilot gas tube or burner. When that happens and you try to start it up in the fall, the spider webs will block the flow of gas and must be removed before the fireplace can be safely used. Complete instructions for lighting the pilot flame can be found beginning on page 3 of the Superior Operating Manual (refer to "Honeywell Millivolt Gas Valve") and on page 32 of the Desa Operating Manual (refer to "Millivolt Models").
- If your pilot light is burning but the burner fails to light (or stay lit) when you flip the wall switch, the problem is in the wiring and/or connections between the wall switch and the gas control valve. This wiring carries very low voltage and current and therefore requires clean and tight connections at both the wall switch and at the "TH" and "TP/TH" terminals on the gas control valve. Remove each connection, clean with alcohol and then tightly reconnect. If that fails to solve the problem, then the wiring itself is probably the cause. Since the wiring runs inside the wall, it is difficult to replace. A simpler solution would be to visit a local Lennox Hearth Products dealer and order a Rocker Switch Kit, Catalog No. 80L41, Model No. FRS (see image, below). The rocker switch can be used to replace the wall switch for both Superior and Desa models and is installed below the fireplace next to the gas control valve. Simply remove the wiring from the wall switch at the "TH" and "TP/TH" terminals and replace it with the wiring from the rocker switch.
- If your wall switch does not work and you need to run the burner in an emergency situation (such as providing heat during a power failure), simply use a short piece of copper wire as a "jumper". To run the burner continuously, connect the one end of the jumper wire to the "TH" terminal and the other end to the "TP/TH" terminal. To turn the burner off, just remove the copper wire from one of the two terminals.
