Automating Gas Fireplace Control

How Bond Bridge, Shelly, or Aqara FP2 Can Help Fulfill a Common Integration Request

- Jay Basen

There is nothing like a flickering fire in a fireplace on a cold winter night. So, it isn’t surprising that automating the operation of gas fireplaces is a frequent request by homeowners during a smart home system installation by a professional integrator. However, as an integrator, I would discourage homeowners from automating their operation because of the dangers associated with gas fireplaces, such as burning and carbon monoxide poisoning. For homeowners who still insist on a solution, there are some steps that you can take to protect them from accidents and yourself from legal liability.

Legal Liability

First, any time a homeowner insist that we include hardware and software to automate the operation of their fireplace, we would insist that they sign a release of liability waiver written by a lawyer. I do not recommend trying to write your own as it probably won’t stand up in court if there is an accident.

In a nutshell, the document says that you have explained the risks and that, against your recommendation, the homeowner is insisting that you automate the operation of their gas fireplace.

Hardware