Direct Vent Gas Fireplaces – A Basic Overview

A fireplace adds warmth and ambience to any home. If your home does not have a chimney, or if it has a nonfunctioning chimney, you may think that you cannot have a fireplace, but that is definitely not the case. Direct vent gas fireplaces can be vented through a roof or wall and therefore do not require a chimney. Since combustion air is drawn from and vented to the outside atmosphere, a direct vent fireplace does not compete with furnaces or other appliances or consume warm house air. Drafts and heat loss that occur with other types of fireplaces are eliminated with direct venting. Learn more in this video:

As direct vent gas fireplaces are freestanding units that can be installed with their own vent pipes, they can be installed in a variety of locations in your home. The fireplace, however, will require connection to an existing gas line; if the fuel is natural gas, the gas line will need to be located near the furnace. The installation cost will be higher if you need to have a gas line put in. Also, the planned installation area should be protected from flammable liquids and odors as a direct vent fireplace can generate a large amount of heat. Because of the potential safety hazards of natural gas, this is definitely not a DIY project; you will need to hire a professional installer.

The primary component of your direct vent gas fireplace purchase will be the firebox. After that, you can purchase matching doors, door trim and louvers to match the design and style of the firebox. Lastly, you will choose the vent pipes and fittings (correctly sized) to match the unit. You can select a wraparound mantle and doors that will blend in with your room decor.

Major manufacturers of direct vent fireplaces include Napoleon, Lennox Hearth Products, Heatilator and Heat & Glo. You can browse products descriptions, view images and/or video and do feature and price comparisons online.