Choosing a Gas Fireplace
Convenient, Clean and Comfortable Heat for Your Home
Whether you are installing a new fireplace or converting a wood burning fireplace, there are a variety of styles and accessories to fit your space and suit your taste.
Picture a cold night where you want to sit in front of a warm fire. Rather than going outside to haul wood or chop it, you can flick a switch and instantly there is a glowing fire. As the warm air circulates, you experience the coziness of a gas fireplace. Today’s styles all feature realistic logs and burning embers. You can choose from ornate, old fashioned or contemporary.
Types of Fireplaces
You first have to determine which type of fireplace is designed for your space. Factors to consider are the size of the room, where you want to position the fireplace and if you have an existing fireplace. There are three types of fireplaces available and they are:
- Fireplace Inserts: These fit into an existing wood burning fireplace and are vented through the existing chimney by means of a special vent pipe. The sealed firebox draws in cool air and blows the warmed air into the room. The air is usually drawn in from the outdoors though a pipe or some models draw in the cool air from the room. Some models have blowers to help circulate the air in the room.
- Direct Vent Fireplaces: These fireplaces are vented directly to the outside through a wall vent. They do not need to be exhausted through a chimney or through an external flue. The sealed firebox draws cool air from the outside and blows the heated air into the room. There is a second vent that takes any fumes and byproducts to the outdoors. This is the most efficient type of fireplace because the air is exchanged in the sealed firebox.
- No Vent Fireplaces: These operate without any vents to the outdoors. The cool air is drawn from the room and the warm air exhausted back into the room. There is some controversy over the lack of venting the fresh air.
Evaluating Your Fireplace Needs
You have to visit a fireplace showroom in order to look at models and get additional information from the sales staff. The sales representative will perform a need analysis and visit your home to take measurements, locate your gas source, and determine which type of fireplace is appropriate for your space. Once this is all done, you are able to pick out the style and options you want.
Installing Your Fireplace
Most fireplace vendors provide a team of licensed tradespeople and technicians to take care of the installation from start to finish. It is strongly advised to use professionals and not do it yourself. The team will connect the gas pipes and then install the fireplace and venting system. They will also install wiring for the switch, fan and thermostat.
Once installation is complete, you are ready to flick the switch, sit back and enjoy your fire. No wood to chop or ashes to empty and gas fumes are less polluting than wood smoke.
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