Home Tap to Call Now Visit Blog

Vented versus vent-free gas fireplaces: Know your options

Gas fireplaces are an increasingly popular home-heating option. Natural gas and propane are among the cheapest and efficient heating sources, and with a gas fireplace, you can enjoy the ambiance and warmth of a fireplace without the hassle of purchasing or cutting and storing firewood.
If you’re considering adding a gas fireplace to your home, you should know your options. The experts at Chimney Save Solutions can help you explore how a vented or vent-free gas fireplace could fit into your home.
With the fall chill setting in and winter on its way, it’s the perfect time to explore installing a gas fireplace in your home.

Vented gas fireplaces

professional gas fireplace installation short pump vaAs with a traditional wood-burning fireplace, a vented gas fireplace features a chimney or ductwork that allows all of the fire byproducts to exit your home, including the gases and water vapors produced by the fireplace.
If you already have a wood-burning fireplace, you could consider a gas fireplace insert, which is more energy efficient, cleaner burning and easier to operate than a wood-burning fireplace.
While some vented gas fireplaces send their smoke and soot through a traditional masonry chimney, though direct-vent models are increasingly popular. Using special double-walled piping, a direct-vent fireplace can be vented through the roof or through a wall. With that, direct-vent fireplaces offer increased flexibility in the placement of a gas fireplace because they don’t require a traditional masonry chimney.
Direct-vent fireplaces also are valued for their efficiency: They pull cool air from the outside to fuel the fire rather than already conditioned air from your home, and all of the heat is directed into your home, rather than being lost up a chimney.

Vent-free gas fireplaces

Vent-free gas fireplaces, which don’t require a chimney or ductwork, offer a great deal of flexibility and can save you money, as they are typically cheaper to install.
Vent-free gas fireplaces can be installed anywhere in a home that a gas line can be run to, generally along a wall. Vent-free fireplaces allow you to install a fireplace where you otherwise would not be able to if you had to install a vent or chimney, such as on the first story of an existing two-story home.
Vent-free gas fireplaces burn extremely efficiently, and because they don’t have vents, all heat is returned to the room, meaning you’ll realize the full heating potential of your fireplace.
The primary output from vent-free fireplaces is water vapor. They do release safe levels of gases, and it’s generally recommended that vent-free fireplaces not be lit for more than four hours at a time.

What’s right for your home?

If you would like to add the warmth and comfort of a gas fireplace to your home, an expert from Chimney Saver Solutions can speak with you about your options to help you determine if a vented or a vent-free gas fireplace is right for you.

Call Now Button