- Installing A Vent Free Gas Fireplace Insert Dealers Near Me
- Natural Vent Gas Fireplace Inserts
- Vent Free Fireplace Insert Propane
In the market for a gas fireplace? Here's all the info you need to choose the right model for your home.
This type of gas burning insert is further divided into three groups: Direct Vent, B-Vent and Vent-Free. Direct vent gas fireplace insert is proven to be an efficient tool in increasing the efficiency of pre-existing wood burning fireplaces. With this type of fireplace insert, consumers are assured of utilizing the energy better. Gas fireplace insert installation costs start at about $500 and up. This depends on the size of the fireplace. According to Home Advisor, the gas fireplace insert itself can cost about $2000. How to Install a Gas Fireplace Insert in 15 Steps. Run electrical power to fireplace and install a duplex receptacle.
Photo: istockphoto.com
Fireplaces have always been among the top amenities for homeowners looking to buy a new house. In fact, they rank just second behind outdoor patios, decks and porches, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). While the cost of adding a fireplace to an existing home used to be prohibitively expensive—requiring the creation of an exterior stone chimney, flue, firebox and, in many cases, floor supports to accommodate the weight of the hearth—today’s options are not only affordable, but a relatively easy home improvement.
Related: Gas Fireplaces: A Showcase of Design and Inspiration
What has made them so is the technology and installation flexibility of gas-fueled models. Since no actual combustion occurs in gas fireplaces, zero-clearance installation is possible, which, according to Monessen Hearth Systems, means that “these fireplaces can be installed in direct contact with combustible walls and floors. Their inner and outer shell construction allows for maximum heat insulation.” As long as you have a natural gas connection or propane availability, you can install a gas fireplace almost anywhere in your home—under a window, in either an outside or inside wall, at wainscot or floor level, in a corner or even in the center of a room. Shielded by tempered or ceramic glass, gas fireplaces can be exposed on three sides (a peninsula of glassed-in warmth) or four sides (a virtual see-through island).
Combine that flexibility, with a wide array of styles—from traditional to ultra-contemporary, a fire that looks and performs like real wood, and the benefit of improved energy efficiency, and it’s clear why gas fireplaces are one of the hottest hearth products on the market today, outselling wood and pellet varieties by more than half, according to the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association (HPBA), the trade association representing makers of heating and outdoor cooking equipment.
GAS VS. WOOD FIREPLACES
Comparing price lists from various manufacturers, you’ll find little significant difference between factory-made gas and wood units (from under $1,000 to nearly $3,000), and installation costs are about equal, no matter where you live. The main difference between gas and wood lies in venting and long-term performance.
Says Mike Ruppa, a veteran fireplace retailer and now president of Empire Distributing in upstate New York: “The nice thing about gas is that you have immediate ignition and complete control over the heat output of the appliance. With wood, a certain amount of time is required to light the fire, turn that energy into heat and then get that heat into a room.”
Installing A Vent Free Gas Fireplace Insert Dealers Near Me
Ruppa points out that in contrast to a gas fireplace, whose warmth is thermostatically controlled, a wood-burning unit comes with only an air control—the damper. That, he says “allows you to control the amount of air going in, which consequently controls the combustion process and the heat output.”
As a bonus, high-end gas fireplaces are available with comfort control systems. “These are anticipators,” Ruppa explains. “They monitor the temperature of a room and start ramping the burner down as the room approaches a desired temperature.”
What about the environment? “Wood is a renewable resource, gas isn’t,” he points out. But, he adds, “in a gas appliance there are very few by-products of combustion entering the atmosphere. So, environmentally, I do think gas appliances are healthier for the environment than a polluting type wood-burning appliance.”
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GAS FIREPLACE VENTILATION OPTIONS
There are three venting options available for gas fireplace installations:
There are three venting options available for gas fireplace installations:
- Natural vent, often called B vent, utilizes an existing masonry chimney or a factory-built metal chimney. Room air exhausts combustion by-products to the outside via a flexible liner or single pipe installed within the chimney.
- Direct-vent fireplaces draw in outdoor air for combustion, then expel spent air to the outside through a dual (co-linear) venting system, eliminating the heat loss associated with conventional chimneys, according to technicians at Majestic Fireplaces. They can be vented up through the roof or out to the side or back of a house; a perfect solution for homes without an existing chimney. Direct-vent units must, however, have a sealed glass door to maintain proper combustion and ensure efficiency and indoor air quality.
- Vent-free technology, once considered controversial, has now won wide acceptance. Robert Dischner, director of product development at Lennox Hearth Products states that “the fireplaces use catalytic-converter technology (similar to exhaust systems on new cars sold in the U.S.), which cleans hot air as it leaves the combustion chamber. Because of this technology, no chimney or venting is required.” Further, he says, “their sleek look is much like a plasma television.”
Photo: heatnglo.com
GAS FIREPLACE INSERTS
Perhaps the least efficient, most energy-wasteful way to heat a room is with an open fireplace, because so much warmth goes up the chimney. You can still utilize that chimney but improve the energy efficiency of your masonry fireplace by installing an insert, available in various sizes and shapes and generally priced from just under $500 to about $2,500.
According to Ruppa, “If you never even light this unit, you’re going to save money just by eliminating that cold-air expulsion through the fireplace chimney. By sealing off the fireplace at the damper area and installing a gas or even a wood insert with a chimney liner, you’ll be plugging up that hole and becoming more energy-efficient.”
HOW MUCH HEAT DOES A GAS FIREPLACE PUT OUT?
Depending on how well insulated your house is, Ruppa says a 40,000 BTU fireplace would be more than enough to heat a large living or family room. He also points out that “a lot of high-efficiency gas fireplaces have a large turn-down ratio—meaning, they can go from 40,000 BTU down to 12,000 BTU, enough to heat the average bedroom or dining room.” He adds that if you had a 40,000 BTU fireplace and only needed to use 50 percent of its capacity, you’d pay less than $1 an hour to operate.
Photo: istockphoto.com
GETTING “THE LOG LOOK”
You no longer need to burn wood to achieve the warmth or pleasing glow of logs crackling in a hearth. Gas-fireplace manufacturers nationally market and sell ceramic or refractory cement log sets molded from real wood logs and produced in various sizes. Prices, based on size and quality, range from about $400 to $1,000. Realism is further boosted not only by an authentic-looking flame but also by a coal bed of sand and bits of lava rock and rock wool that add to the fireplace glow. Another touch of available realism: the aroma of burning wood.
CLEANING YOUR GAS FIREPLACE
Routine maintenance plus proper installation and use is essential to fireplace safety as well as the ability to burn clean and green. To ensure top performance, a gas fireplace needs servicing once a year by a pro who inspects the burner, fan, venting, pilot light and thermostat, and even cleans the glass.
To locate a certified installer in your area, contact the National Fireplace Institute. In addition, the HPBA recommends that all vents for vented gas fireplaces be inspected on an annual basis by a chimney sweep certified by the Chimney Safety Institute of America and also recommends the installation of a carbon monoxide detector with all hearth products.
Ventless Gas Fireplaces: How Safe are They Really?earlyexperts.net
When looking for fireplace solutions outside of a standard wood burning fireplace, homeowners are afforded the luxury of options. All, however, have some pros and cons that are important to consider.
First and foremost, there is fuel. If your home runs on oil, then it will be difficult for you to secure a gas powered fireplace without bringing in external fuel. The same is true of propane. There are also electric options. Finally, you can go old school, and opt for a wood burning insert. The major downside to woodburning is the maintenance associated with foraging for wood each year and allowing time for it to season for dry wood that quickly and cleanly ignites.
The other issue with any of the above inserts or stoves is that in each case, additional ventilation must be installed along with the unit itself. This means high costs, the need to pull permits, and sometimes even have the job inspected after the fact.
Thus, your modest desire for a little warmth and ambiance becomes a much bigger job.
To avoid this, many homeowners toy with the idea of ventless fireplaces. The basic concept is in the name- a fireplace insert, typically gas or propane burning, that needs no ventilation. This is because the gas or propane insert creates no smoke, just a flame and its subsequent heat.
But the idea of a fire without smoke and a fireplace without ventilation tends to give people pause. Certainly something is emitted into the home as gas burns up, even if it isn’t smoke from wood fuel, right?
Questions like this lead to larger more encompassing questions as we begin our research of fireplace options, and specifically ventless units: are they even safe?
Vent-Free
The fact of the matter is that vent-free, gas burning fireplaces and other other appliances definitely DO emit elemental gasses into the home, including carbon dioxide (Not a huge deal. So do we!) and some more harmful gas fuel by products like carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide.
But how then, if it is known that these ventless units contribute to the dagners outlines above, can they be considered safe for homes or even sold in stores? Well, for some, the answer to those questions are they can’t and they shouldn’t.
Others have a different opinion, arguing that gas burns openly in homes every day at no great detriment. Look no further than your gas stove top.
Neither of these points of view captures the complexity of gas emissions via vent free appliances. With respect to the latter argument, part of the reason why gas stoves are not harmful is that they are rarely opened all the way for more than one burner at a time. This limits the amount of gas emissions tremendously.
Still, if you turned up each burner full blast, opened the oven and set it to broil, and left a burning candle in your home while you ran some errands, you might come home to a pile of rubble, or at the very least a super toxic gas problem.
This type of perspective is important to consider as you shop for ventless fireplace units. With a properly sized unit that only runs occasionally or a few hours at a time, there will likely be no problems.
Still nervous or unsure? Check the owner’s manual for specifications around burning times and gas emissions. A quick skim is likely all you will need to settle your anxieties.
Carbon Monoxide and Water Vapor?
Carbon monoxide is by far the most widely known of the dangerous gasses. Part of this notoriety stems from the fact that it is scentless and colorless. Thus, if a leak were to spring in your home’s gas line, there would be no way of knowing until the harmful health effects began to take shape.
These health hazards can span from minor things like headaches to even death in worst case scenarios. This is why detectors are so important, and even more so if you decide to install a ventless fireplace unit.
Install additional detectors throughout the house including one in the same room as the fireplace. This way, if yours does begin to emit carbon monoxide you will know right away and can remedy the situation before it has spread too far throughout the home.
Vent-free, gas fireplace units have also been known to emit water vapor over time. While water vapor may not be a direct hazard to human beings like carbon monoxide is, when a copious amount of damp, warm air begins to fill the home, some serious damage can be caused.
For starters, you may start to see your wall paper peel. If the vapor emissions persist, mold and mildew can begin to fester, which down the road could compromise the wood joists and framework that provide structural integrity to your home.
Safety and Alternatives
Some factors to consider with respect to safety and vent-free gas burners:
Natural Vent Gas Fireplace Inserts
- Was the unit installed properly by a licensed professional?
- Is the unit the correct size for your fireplace opening?
- Are you using your unit correctly?
- How do you know if the unit is not working properly or has failed?
These are some vital questions you should have in the back of your mind throughout the shopping, install, and eventual use of any gas appliance, but especially your vent-free fireplace. So much of what can go wrong has to do with one of the above factors. That said, if you are diligent and follow up consistently with regular maintenance to your unit, your fireplace will likely be no more of a threat than a gas stove.
If after these considerations, the thought of harmful gas emissions still has your apprehensive, it might be time to think about alternative solutions. With your heart dead set on some sort of gas insert, your best bet is a vented unit. The installation will be more costly and it will not operate as efficiently, letting much of its heat out through the ventilation, it can be worth it for those with persistent safety concerns.
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