Tips On What To Look For In Ventless Fireplaces
Ventless gas fireplaces are some of the most popular home appliances in North America. And for good reason, just imagine all the warmth, comfort and mesmerizing beauty of flames in ventless gas fireplaces without the smoke and the muss and fuss of cleaning up soot and ashes.
If you have ever wanted to experience the wonder of a fireplace in your urban house or apartment and want to personalise it with decorative fireplace screens but never wanted the mess, then you should read this article on ventless fireplaces and ventless fireplace inserts.
How Does A Ventless Fireplace Work?
Ventless gas fireplaces are basically single-room heating appliances that do not require a chimney, flue or exterior venting ducts. Essentially these units don’t put out as many waste fumes as a more traditional wood or gas powered unit. This means they can be run without the worry of venting or expelling harmful gases.
While not truly “smoke-less”, the emission of waste gases from ventless gas fireplaces are very small and most people can safely and comfortably use them in small rooms or tiny apartments. The fuel source is standard natural gas or some use propane. Ventless propane fireplaces are not as common as natural gas ones, but they can be found in areas where propane is available.
Electric vs. Gas Vent-less Fireplaces
Some people consider a ventless electric fireplace to be a better choice for the home than a gas unit. But while the electric is cleaner running and doesn’t have any installation costs (just pull it from the box and plug it in); in the long run ventless fireplaces have several advantages.
Gas fireplaces heat rooms quicker.
Gas is an almost instantaneous heat source. Turn it on and BAM…you can feel the heat being automatically absorbed into your cold hands and body. Electric heat while efficient just seems to take longer for a house to warm up.
Cheaper to heat a single room with gas than electric.
Almost all of the electrical expenses we run up every month are mainly for heating hot water, running domestic lighting (lamps, computers, appliances, etc). So in many ways, it’s actually more cost effective to use gas to heat a chilly room instead of electric.
No limitations on where they can be placed.
One of the better design features of a vent free fireplace or a zero-clearance ventless fireplace insert is that since they don’t require access to chimneys or ductwork, you can set against walls, in odd shaped nooks or recessed areas with little problems. A zero-clearance device means that it can safely placed against materials that are combustible without danger of catching fire.
Ventless fireplaces can make a nice supplemental heat source for an attached room, garage, shop or office. Not to mention that in case of power outages some gas fire places have manual override valves that you can use to turn on the gas without using electrical igniters.
The only draw back in using a ventless gas fireplace may be local building codes in your area. Due to problems in the past with defective units, some areas have restricted or banned the use of ventless gas fireplaces without special fresh air flow designs.
