Direct Vent Fireplace - drafty?

[stash4cash]

My home (recently moved in) has a direct vent fireplace (Superior DR500CMP). The fireplace has a blower which is nice when we have the fireplace on.

However, when we don't have the fireplace on. I've noticed that cold air comes into the house thru the lower grille when the wind blows (and I assume hot air could leak out as well).

Any idea if this is normal? Seems wrong to me...and certainly has to be causing significant heat loss in the home?
I've also noticed when I start it up and turn the blower on, I can smell propane briefly. Starting to wonder if its vented properly (although I can see the open vent out to the chimney).

[Greg]

If you can find an installation manual about this model, it should help you figure out how sealed it should be. 

If the vent is up a chimney rather than out the back and outer wall of the home with a coaxial vent/intake pipe, then it may need to be open to the interior in this way so that the fireplace has a source of combustion air. 

If it is vented through a coaxial pipe, then the pipe should be the source of the combustion air and the unit should be sealed from the home's interior.

It sounds like it's the former, and so the "firebox" is open somewhat to the interior and you smell propane briefly before a draft up the chimney is established.  Not the most energy efficient setup.

[stash4cash]

Ah, thanks Greg, you are right it is the former. Bummer.

[big_owl]

Ah, thanks Greg, you are right it is the former. Bummer.

Ours was really bad until I put the glass front on it vs. using the wired one.  I'd say it cut down on about 90% of the draft.  FYI - in case you currently have the fire open to the room.  The glass front really doesn't cut down on heat output either with the blower fan on.

[stash4cash]

Yeah, ours has a glass front. Its just the lower grill and to some degree upper grill where the draft occurs.
The blower blows out the upper grill when it is on.
The lower grill provides access to the pilot, gas control knobs, etc.

[big_owl]

Mine also had this issue.  The source of most of my draft was from the hole where the propane line runs through the insert wall.  I found a few other random holes in the insert and plugged them all with insulation and that helped right away.  It is still cold when it's really cold out but I think that's the nature of them.  Mine if much colder if I turn the pilot light off as well.  I just leave the pilot on whenever it is cold out for that reason.