gas igniters in fireplaces

[Woodrow C. McDougald]

Are damper blocks required for gas log lighters? I'm not talking about gas LOGS, but the ignitors (piece of pipe with a capped end and holes drilled in it).
All I can find refers to "gas logs" but says nothing about ordinary lighters.

[Larry D. Kage]

Originally Posted by wmcdougald

Are damper blocks required for gas log lighters? I'm not talking about gas LOGS, but the ignitors (piece of pipe with a capped end and holes drilled in it).
All I can find refers to "gas logs" but says nothing about ordinary lighters.

It is burning gas so it sounds like an easy recommendation for safety.

[Woodrow C. McDougald]

Got a PM regarding this. Texas Real Estate Commission has RFI on this that says they don't need to be reported deficient.
My worry is some idiot using one for heat without opening the damper.
I'll work up some verbiage cma without claiming such as a TREC Deficiency

[David A. Andersen]

It is required for the pilot, not for burner use...

[clambert2]

You can never go wrong with mentioning a potential safety concern. A damper clamp costs 75 cents from the big orange box down the street. I hand them out like candy.

[Chuck Evans]

Originally Posted by wmcdougald

Got a PM regarding this. Texas Real Estate Commission has RFI on this that says they don't need to be reported deficient.
My worry is some idiot using one for heat without opening the damper.
I'll work up some verbiage cma without claiming such as a TREC Deficiency

You are on the right track. Once you install a ceramic gas log set you have converted the fireplace into a gas fired appliance. Gas fired appliances are not allowed to have manual dampers, so the clamp is required to prevent people from forgetting to open the damper when they light the logset.

I personally would not sweat the log lighter scenario any more than I would worry about them using their gas range. I'm sure that it would not hurt to include a word of caution in the report if it makes you more comfortable.

BTW: My son sooted up my whole living room and blistered the paint on my mantle when he lit my ceramic logset one Thanksgiving when I was away. I knew it had no clamp but considered myself smart enough to make sure the flue was always open before lighting. I failed to anticipate that my young adult son might unknowingly use it when I wasn't around.

[Bruce Thompson]

Originally Posted by wmcdougald

Are damper blocks required for gas log lighters? I'm not talking about gas LOGS, but the ignitors (piece of pipe with a capped end and holes drilled in it).
All I can find refers to "gas logs" but says nothing about ordinary lighters.

As far as just answering your question (and not my opinion)... the answer is NO, damper blocks are not required for a gas lighter/igniter.