Escutcheons

Fireplace Doors Online has a selection of affordable escutcheon plates for you to choose from! Our fireplace gas valve covers are the metal plates and stem that safeguard the shut-off valve located on the floor or wall nearest your fireplace. Combined with a valve key, they allow you to easily turn your gas on and off. The key is necessary to turn the gas on and off. Click here to see our collection of universal gas valve keys, available in different lengths and finishes to match these escutcheons.

Select the finish that best matches your valve key and decor. Each of these components is made of zinc die-cast alloy and has a top diameter of 2 1/8 inch. The 1-inch wide shaft is 2 1/16 inches long. These Dante escutcheons fit 1/2 inch valve threads. These decorative valve covers are as beautiful as they are functional. The Blue Flame Universal escutcheons fit 1/2 inch and 3/4 inch valve threads. 

PLEASE NOTE:
Gas valves should never be installed within the fireplace! All valves must be situated outside the fireplace and within 6 feet of the fireplace opening. We highly recommend having a certified gas professional complete this installation process for you.

What is an escutcheon?

Escutcheon. While this term appears on our website plenty of times, many people have not seen or heard it before and are not sure what it is. What's even more confusing, perhaps, is how to pronounce it! Let's solve that mystery first:

ess-CUTch-en

Now let's take a look at the meaning of this old French term. It was derived from the Latin word, scutum, which means shield. Here at Fireplace Doors Online, we use escutcheon to describe the decorative gas valve floor plate (or flange) that conceals or hides the functioning part of your gas assembly: the valve! Across the board, however, escutcheons are found in pretty much every room in your own home. Take a look around! You'll find that these coverings are used in multiple settings, whether it be for plumbing, mechanical, electrical, or architectural purposes. In fact, look at the lockset on your doors. The item that surrounds the lock cylinder or keyhole to protect it from being drilled out or damage is known as an escutcheon!

Typically, this protective plate is found around plumbing that exits the wall (for example, the water supply for sinks, faucets, and toilets). The base plate that seals a faucet to a sink, or the large circular disc around the mixing valve in a shower, are both escutcheons. In this case, the escutcheons keep water from leaking in and around the assembly.

In the fireplace realm, a gas valve safety cover is commonly called an escutcheon. It is a decorative plate that screws onto and covers up the valve stem on your gas assembly. When you place the end of a valve key into the opening of the plate, you can easily control the flow of natural gas or propane from your fuel line to your feature, be it a fireplace, log lighter, fire pit, or bowl. Some of these plates are designed to fit over 1/2" threaded valves, while others are made for 3/4" valves (this size is used in conjunction with high capacity gas features).

To understand how it works on an outdoor fireplace, check out the infographic at the right.

We have many decorative gas valve plates for your outdoor fire feature. These flanges come in a variety of finishes, and can even be bundled with a valve and key for those of you who are in the beginning stages of installing a gas fire feature!