I Made These 4 Napoleon Grill & Fireplace Mistakes in My First Year (And How to Avoid Them)

Who This Checklist Is For

If you're a dealer, contractor, or builder who handles Napoleon gas grills, electric fireplaces, or wood/pellet stoves—and you've already had that sinking feeling when a unit arrives with a problem you could have prevented—this checklist is for you.

It took me about three years of handling orders for Napoleon products—or rather, two and a half, if you count the first six months as pure trial by fire—to stop making the same four mistakes over and over. I've personally documented seven significant errors (totaling roughly $4,800 in wasted budget) across fireplace, grill, and furnace orders. Now I maintain our team's pre-installation checklist to ensure no one else repeats them.

Here are the four steps you need to follow. I've ordered them by how often I've seen them go sideways, not by severity. Because frequency matters when you're trying to run a business.

Step 1: Verify Unit Dimensions Against the Opening Before Unboxing

What to do: Before you cut open the box, check the product spec sheet against the framed opening. Sounds obvious, right? But here's why it belongs first: from the outside, a 36-inch fireplace insert looks like it'll fit a 36-inch rough opening. The reality is that many Napoleon electric fireplace inserts require a 1-2 inch clearance on each side for proper ventilation, and if you've already built the framing tight, you're looking at a costly redo.

I once ordered four PRESTIGE PRO 825 grills for a commercial outdoor kitchen project. Checked the spec sheet, approved the order, processed it. We caught the error when the installer called to say the grill wouldn't slide into the built-in island because we'd allowed only 34 inches of width. The spec said 36.5 inches. $320 in rework plus a 2-week delay. (I should have looked at the installation manual's required clearance, not just the product page.)

Checklist for this step:

• Measure the framed opening width and height (don't rely on plans)
• Add 2 inches to each dimension for clearance (most electric fireplaces and built-in grills need this)
• Verify the unit's specified rough opening, not just its body dimensions

Common mistake: Assuming the dealer spec sheet includes clearance. It often doesn't. The installation manual does. If you haven't downloaded the manual, you haven't done your homework.

Step 2: Clean the Gas Grill Burner Tubes Before First Use (Yes, Really)

What to do: This is one everyone ignores until they get a call from a customer saying the grill won't light or the flames are uneven. What most people don't realize is that new Napoleon grills—especially the PRESTIGE and ROGUE series—can have manufacturing debris, small metal shavings, or packaging dust in the burner tubes. It's not a defect; it's a byproduct of assembly.

Here's something Napoleon won't tell you: every dealer I've talked to who's been in the game more than five years has dealt with at least one warranty claim that was actually just a dirty burner tube. A quick brush-out before first use prevents this. Every time.

How to do it:

1. Remove the cooking grates and heat plates
2. Take out the burner tubes (one screw each, usually)
3. Use a pipe cleaner or small wire brush to clear the tube holes
4. Check the air shutter—make sure it's clear of cobwebs or debris
5. Reseat and test

I'd say this adds maybe 10 minutes to the initial setup, but it's saved us from four service calls in the past 18 months (we track them). Each service call was at least $150 in labor if we'd gone out—more if we were in a rush. So glad I added this to the checklist after the second one.

Step 3: Confirm the Electrical Rough-in for Electric Fireplaces and Furnaces

What to do: This step is about power, not space. And it's the one where I see the most confusion. Napoleon electric fireplaces (like the Allure or Vector series) typically require a dedicated 15-amp circuit, while their furnaces and HVAC systems often need 20-amp or 30-amp depending on the model. If your electrician ran standard 14-gauge wire for a furnace that needs a 20-amp breaker, you're looking at a re-pull situation.

People assume all fireplaces use standard household outlets. What they don't see is that many required outlets must be positioned behind the unit or within a specific distance from its control panel. If the outlet is in the wrong spot, you're either cutting drywall or running an extension cord—neither of which is acceptable in a new build.

Checklist for this step:

• Identify the model's exact power requirement from the spec sheet (amps, volts, circuit type)
• Verify with your electrician that the correct gauge wire and breaker are installed
• Confirm outlet placement relative to the unit's dimensions (I use a tape measure and mark the location with painter's tape)

Near-miss story: Last fall, I was about to approve a furnace order for a customer's new ADU. Something nagged at me—the spec said 20 amps, but our estimate listed a 15-amp circuit. I called the electrician. (Thankfully, he caught it too, but it would have been caught on site instead of before install if I hadn't double-checked.) That mistake would have cost $200 in rework plus a 3-day delay. The expected value of checking field wiring against the spec is 10 minutes of paperwork vs. potentially $500 in wasted labor.

Step 4: Use the Correct Type of Grease Tray for Built-In Gas Grill Installations

What to do: This is the one that took me the longest to learn—partly because I didn't even know it was a question. For built-in Napoleon grills, the grease tray system isn't just the tray itself; it's how the tray integrates with the enclosure underneath. If you build the cabinet without accounting for the grease management path (yes, that's a real term), you could end up with grease pooling onto the enclosure floor, which is a fire hazard and a code violation in some jurisdictions.

The vendor who taught me this—actually, a long-time Napoleon dealer in the next state over—said: 'I'd rather work with a specialist who knows their limits than a generalist who overpromises.' He was talking about enclosure fabricators who claim they can build anything without understanding the ventilation requirements of built-in grills.

Checklist for this step:

1. Verify the grill model has a designated grease tray or management system
2. Confirm the enclosure has at least 12 inches of clearance below the tray for removal and cleaning
3. Test the tray fit in the rough opening before the enclosure is sealed (this is your last chance to adjust)
4. If the customer wants a drawer or door below the grill, check that it doesn't block the tray path

A vendor once told me that they couldn't handle a custom enclosure for a PRESTIGE PRO built-in. They sent me to a specialist who cost 15% more but had done four identical builds. The result was perfect. The vendor who said 'this isn't our strength—here's who does it better' earned my trust for everything else. And I've used them for every standard enclosure since.

Common Mistakes and Pro Tips

Here are a few things I've seen other dealers miss, just to round out the checklist:

• Skipping the gas line pressure check: New Napoleon grills operate at a specific gas pressure (usually 4 inches of water column for natural gas). If your line doesn't deliver this, the grill won't perform correctly. A $20 pressure gauge saves a $150 service call.
• Not testing the electric fireplace heater unit separately: Some models have a separate heater that must be activated independently of the flame effect. If you only test the flames, you might not discover the heater doesn't work until the cold season. Happened to a colleague last year—cost them a 1-hour visit and a replacement that took a week.
• Forgetting to order the chase cover for outdoor fireplaces: Freestanding or built-in units often need a weatherproof cover for the top of the chase. Missing this means water damage and warranty claims. (If I remember correctly, about 1 in 10 dealer orders I've seen forgot this component.)

That's the checklist. Four steps, maybe 30 minutes total for your team to run through before every install or first-time setup. The vendor who limits themselves to what they do well, and knows when to say 'I don't do custom enclosures' or 'can't handle that gas conversion,' is the vendor I trust for the other 90% of the work. And in this industry, trust is what keeps the repeat business coming.